The two organizations signalled a growing commitment to live audio as part of the multi-year pact marking the NBA’s 75th anniversary.
The NBA and Twitter agreed to extend their robust partnership on Wednesday as part of a multi-year deal that will put a greater emphasis on Spaces, Twitter’s live audio platform, the organizations announced Wednesday.
The league will host 40 scheduled Spaces on its account, with a weekly cadence that includes special editions commemorating its 75th anniversary season centered around tentpole events like the Christmas Day games, NBA All-Star Weekend, and the NBA Finals. These Spaces, which additionally present brand sponsorship opportunities, will feature current NBA players, NBA alumni, analysts, and superfans discussing ongoing league storylines and the NBA’s 75-year history.
“We are excited to continue to partner with Twitter to connect the NBA Twitter community to our game and content as we celebrate our 75th anniversary season,” said Jennifer Chun, the NBA’s senior vice president and Head of Content Partnerships. “We look forward to building on our innovations with Twitter by bringing live, interactive audio content to Twitter Spaces and driving NBA fans on Twitter to engage with NBA live game telecasts and direct-to-consumer offerings.”
The partnership extension coincides with advancements Twitter’s making with Spaces according to TJ Adeshola, the company’s general manager of sports. Audio conversations taking place on Spaces can now be recorded — and now, every user is eligible to host.
“The NBA has some really incredible content ideas lined up for the Spaces this season,” Adeshola told Boardroom. “Our goal is to make the NBA Spaces reflective of what makes hoop conversation on Twitter so special, the #NBATwitter community. We have all types of really fun use cases in store for the NBA’s long-term commitment to audio, via Twitter Spaces.”
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Additionally, #NBATwitterLive will return for its 4th season. During the second half of select NBA on TNT games, Taylor Rooks, Channing Frye, and special guests will host a second screen experience with an iso-cam on one superstar player, plus live look-ins at the TNT broadcast. Fans will be prompted to join #NBATwitter live during these NBA on TNT games with a scannable QR code, and for the first time, fans can now watch game highlights on the @NBABet and @NBAFantasy accounts.
“As we continue to evolve our partnership with the NBA, we are thrilled to celebrate the #NBATwitter community by bringing expanded content to the timeline,” said Sarah Personette, Twitter’s chief customer officer. “With the addition of NBA Twitter Spaces to go along with highlights and #NBATwitterLive, we’re able to deliver premium content to the NBA’s biggest fans, while giving brands more opportunities to align with one of the most exciting communities on Twitter.”