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National Lacrosse League to live stream games on Twitter as it tries to attract new viewers

As part of the two-year deal, Twitter will broadcast the NLL Game of the Week, playoff and Champion’s Cup games as well as highlights in Canada and the U.S.

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TORONTO — The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is hoping to broaden its audience by signing an exclusive live-streaming agreement with Twitter Inc that lets the social media platform’s users watch games for free.

As part of the two-year deal, Twitter will broadcast the NLL Game of the Week, playoff and Champion’s Cup games as well as highlights. The live streams will be available in both Canada and the United States, whether the viewer is signed into an account or not.

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“The future of the sports viewing experience is digital, and this partnership will not only elevate the fan experience by making the game more accessible to audiences, but enable simultaneous real-time conversations and connections with other fans on the same platform,” said Nick Sakiewicz, commissioner of the NLL, in a statement.

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“Another critical step in the League’s transformation, this collaboration is a pivotal opportunity to enhance the NLL’s digital presence in North America.”

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Four of the NLL’s nine teams are Canadian, and five of the seven Game of the Week live streams will feature at least one from Canada. 

“For fans of Canada’s four NLL teams and sports fans across the country, we are pleased to be announced the unique live streaming experience,” said Toronto-based Christopher Doyle, head of sports at Twitter Canada, in a statement to the Post.

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“In recent months, Canadian sports fans have seen PGA golf, Wimbledon tennis, esports and a variety of other premium live streaming content on our service. Our new partnership with NLL will give yet another viewing opportunity for Canadians and showcase the best regular season and playoff lacrosse action.”

The NLL has been experimenting with new technology in recent years as it tries to expand its audience and take on more mainstream sports. Last fall, the League partnered with UHWK —  a sporting goods company that specializes in point-of-view cameras — to add new viewing angles for people watching games and practices.

Meanwhile Twitter has been focusing on various video initiatives such as live streaming to help grow its number of monthly active users. The social platform has said adding new video offerings and features in recent months have been effective in getting more people to use the service, and it will continue to sign new live streaming deals in the future.

The NLL live streams can be watched at NLL.twitter.com once live, with this season’s Game of the Week schedule as followed:

March 17 – Colorado at Toronto – 7:30pm ET
March 25 – Saskatchewan at Colorado – 9pm ET
April 1 – Saskatchewan at Buffalo – 7:30pm ET
April 8 – Vancouver at Saskatchewan – 9:30pm ET
April 15 – Rochester at Colorado – 9pm ET
April 22 – Georgia at Buffalo – 7pm ET
April 29 – Saskatchewan at Calgary – 9pm ET

The live streaming dates for playoff and Champion Cup’s final games will be announced after the regular season.

Financial Post

jomcconnell@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/JoshMcConnell

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