The social media service said that starting Wednesday a new video-centric app will be available for Apple Inc.’s AAPL, +3.26% Apple TV box, as well as Amazon.com Inc’s AMZN, +0.63% Fire TV and Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT, -0.50% Xbox One.
Advertisement
It’s a crucial time for the faltering company that is trying to improve stagnating user growth, not to mention boost its appeal to advertisers. “We’re excited to introduce this new experience to people, without requiring a paywall or having to log in to Twitter“. Alongside the National Football League and partners such as Bloomberg News, there will be tweets, six-second videos known as vines, plus periscopes, the informal live videos usually made by individuals on their smartphones.
Earlier this year Twitter made a major push to offer live-streaming video on the company’s platform by partnering with the NFL, MLB and the National Basketball Association.
The launch comes just in time for Thursday Night Football, a staple in American television programming, which will see the New York Jets face off against the Buffalo Bills.
Twitter’s new function will allow users to bypass pay TV subscriptions to get to content as well as watch videos without logging into Twitter.
The apps look the same across users and are built around video, highlighting the latest professional live streams, Vine clips and Periscope live broadcasts. Viewers will be able to hide the running Twitter feed by blowing up the broadcast to full-screen view, as is the case with the live-stream experience in Twitter’s iOS app by turning the screen horizontally.
Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, has committed the company to “owning” live video online, but both of its rivals are entering the space fast, with celebrities and news organisations creating live stories on Snapchat and Facebook, even paying publishers to shoot video for Facebook Live.
Advertisement
The apps will also be available in some markets overseas. Twitter for Apple TV is available globally via the App Store for Apple TV (4th generation).
