Facebook, Twitter battling to win rights to live TV streaming

PanARMENIAN.Net - Facebook and Twitter are battling to win the right to stream conventional TV programming, The New York Post reports.

Both companies, eager to ramp up their capacity to deliver compelling live streaming video, have approached programmers about a deal for such rights, several sources familiar with the situation said.

Facebook, which is already pitching the NFL to acquire rights to a new Thursday Night Football digital package, has been in meetings with a wide variety of TV executives over the past few weeks, sources said, according to the Post.

Late last year, it created a new product, “Facebook Live,” something akin to YouTube.

“It’s personal, social, real-time and authentic, and we’re just starting to understand its potential,” Facebook said in a statement on Friday, march 18. “To that end, we’re testing different ways to support partners so they begin experimenting with Facebook Live in a way that fits with our platform. We believe that live video on Facebook is a different and complementary experience to conventional TV programming.

“We have an early beta program for a small number of partners to help support them as they explore Facebook Live, and our goal with live video is to work with our partners to move to a sustainable monetization model quickly,” the statement read. “We are not focused on acquiring the rights to conventional TV programs.”

With the initial pitches made, the major programmers are currently weighing whether the new global streaming deals are good or bad for their businesses, one top TV exec told The Post.

On the upside, getting programming onto social platforms is a way to reach a younger audience in today’s mobile environment — and point them back to TV, sources noted, according to the Post.