The NFL struck a deal with Twitter earlier this year to stream 10 Thursday night games this year at a cost to the company of around $10 million.
That price looks low given how much the league’s television partners pay to broadcast games, although that can be accounted for by the lack of advertising time Twitter can sell during games. They will be simulcasting broadcasts by CBS and NBC and will only be selling local advertising spots that the Sports Business Journal reports will amount to around four minutes a game.
They are trying to maximize the revenue they’ll get for those spots, however. John Ourand of the Journal reports that Twitter is pitching ad packages that will cost as much as $8 million that will include “two 30-second spots a game, positions in pregame and postgame shows,” and sponsorships for Twitter’s Amplify video advertising program. Buyers at that level would also get “category exclusivity” outside of the live games.
One ad buyer told Ourand that the “real value for us is in trying to figure out more about their audience” and this year’s foray into streaming will likely help establish where things move in a future that’s only going to include more moves into the space as the league and broadcasters keep pace with where people are consuming football on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.
There are two lower-priced packages being sold as well and Ourand reports that many believe the ultimate price for these packages will come at a lower price, as they did for deals already struck with Anheuser-Busch and Verizon.