Twitter has "signed a deal to live stream the Melbourne Cup next month," the first sports rights deal outside of the U.S. for the technology company, and has "flagged acquiring more content in Australia and around the world," according to Max Mason of the AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW. The revenue sharing deal with the Victoria Racing Club "will see the social media business live stream the Emirates Melbourne Cup in Australia and around the world." SportsBet has signed on as the primary sponsor, insurance business AAMI has "also signed up and Twitter is in advanced negotiations with other advertisers." The deal between Twitter and VRC is for one Melbourne Cup, but "both parties are keen to build upon that." The broadcast, which will run for an hour, "will be produced by the Seven Network for VRC." Additional video clips over the Melbourne Cup Carnival, including highlights, fashion and interviews on the day, "will also be on Twitter and will have pre-roll video ads." It marks the "first time social media giants Twitter or Facebook have acquired sport rights in Australia." Twitter Asia Pacific VP Media Partnerships Rishi Jaitly said that the company is "talking to multiple parties about signing up more content and the region is a growth engine for Twitter." He said, "It's a pretty big statement of our confidence in the Australian market" (AFR, 10/13). The AAP's Luke Costin reported VRC Commercial Operations GM Nick Addison "expects a boost in wagering but said that's not the number one driver of the deal." Addison: "For us, it's been about expanding the audience and engaging new audiences. If they're wagering then even better, but the entertainment perspective had been our key driver" (AAP, 10/13).
