You know that Twitter is getting serious about live streaming when the company starts signing deals for rugby matches just for French users. The company announced that it would stream the next 4 matches involving the French team in the 6 nations tournament.
And if you know absolutely nothing about rugby, the 6 nations tournament happens every year and is probably my favorite tournament to follow. The six main national rugby teams in Europe face each other nearly every weekend for a couple of months: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Today’s Twitter deal means that you’ll be able to watch the four upcoming 6 nations matches involving the French team, starting with France vs. Scotland this Sunday at 3:50 PM French time. Just head over to 6nations.twitter.com.
Behind the scene, Twitter partnered with France Télévisions, the French TV network that covers the tournament. Twitter bought the live streaming rights for those matches. Only Twitter users in France will be able to play the live streams.
You could already watch the matches on France Télévisions’ website. But you’ll have a different experience on Twitter with a Twitter timeline next to the video player. You can also use the Twitter app on your Apple TV or mobile device to see the matches.
This is an interesting deal as most of the streaming deals have been focused on American sports and events. Twitter has been streaming red carpet shows, NFL matches, Trump’s inauguration, NBA matches, Wimbledon, esports competition and more.
But if the company wants to foster growth abroad, it needs to expand its product features to all its key markets. For instance, Twitter Moments is still limited to a handful of countries. For instance, Twitter has yet to roll out Moments in France. The 6 nations is a sign that Twitter cares about its international users.
