(Courtesy of 120 Sports)
Over-the-top digital network 120 Sports aired the first episode of ‘The Rally’ on Twitter on Wednesday. It is the first daily interactive highlights show exclusively on the social media platform.
Its partnership with 120 Sports is all part of Twitter’s continued push into live streaming sports content and disrupting the traditional sports viewing experience. No longer is the second screen just operating as a complement to linear television. It is becoming the first and second screen rolled into one offering. Recent Twitter partnerships have also included the NFL, NBA, Wimbledon, Campus Insiders, MLB and the NHL.
“‘The Rally’ on Twitter will combine the production and editorial values of television with the speed and interactivity of digital media,” Jason Coyle, President of 120 Sports, said in a statement earlier this summer. “We are excited to bring this first-of-its-kind programming to Twitter as we continue the push of 120 Sports beyond the limitations of traditional media, infusing real-time, scaled fan sentiment and feedback into the sports conversation every night.”
According to 120 Sports,”The Rally” will utilize Twitter-based data and trending topics to drive the conversation and sports analysis. The two-hour nightly show (9-11 p.m. EST) will be produced by Chicago-based 120 Sports with technology powered by BAM Tech, an extension of Major League Baseball Advanced Media. It was created last summer to manage all non-baseball media ventures and assist organizations in beefing up their online presence or creating an over-the-top network.
“MLBAM has pioneered streaming live digital video and we could not be more excited to partner with them on live games as well as ‘The Rally’, giving our audience the live sports events they are already talking about on one screen on Twitter,” said Anthony Noto, Twitter’s Chief Financial Officer.
Though ‘The Rally’ will be a highlights-centric show, it will also feature interviews with current/former coaches and players. Green Bay Packers running back, Eddie Lacy joined the inaugural show Wednesday evening while New York Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Allen Robinson are slated to be guests later this week. Hornacek’s daughter, Abby, is a co-host of the show.
