In N.Y., Mike Isaac notes when Twitter streams its first NFL game on Sept. 15, it "will get to assess whether its vigorous pursuit will pay off -- and whether live streaming can viably be a linchpin of its future." Twitter has directed its CFO Anthony Noto, a former Goldman Sachs banker with deep ties to the sports media industry, to "lead the charge on live streaming." To bolster the effort, sources said that Twitter is "in talks with Apple to bring the Twitter app to Apple TV." Twitter's focus on a younger audience has in part "enabled Twitter to land advertisers" like Bank of America for its NFL streaming. Bank of America Senior VP/Enterprise Media Planning Lou Paskalis said, "Twitter really owns those moments that matter to everyone. As a marketer, what we can do with the context that Twitter creates is to join that shared moment" (N.Y. TIMES, 8/15).
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Miriam Gottfried notes with pay-TV subscriber declines accelerating, the problem for ESPN is that "finding reliable third-party subscriber data is difficult, particularly as the subscriber base grows for nontraditional services such as Dish Network's Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue." Nielsen is "working with media companies to evaluate how to include streaming subscribers in its estimates." Until then, investors "should give credit to the networks that appear on the stream" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/15).
IN MEMORY: In Tampa, Tom Jones wrote ESPN's "Sports Reporters" yesterday did a "wonderful tribute" to late host John Saunders. The first segment of the show "was all about Saunders and each panelist used the 'Parting Shots'' segment to remember Saunders." The four panelists "should be proud of the heartfelt, yet just-the-right-tone tribute to their colleague" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 8/15).
