Earlier this month it was announced that Twitter had won the livestreaming rights to NFL Thursday Night Football, with 10 games in total to be broadcast on the social network.
Now, the NFL has confirmed its much anticipated schedule, including the games that will be shown live on Twitter. This year CBS and NBC will each air five games apiece, with both channels simulcasting their matches on the microblogging platform and the NFL Network.
Crucially, the Twitter livestreams will not include four games that are part of the Thursday night package, according to NBC Sports. These include the first week face-off between the defending NFL champions, the Denver Broncos, and Cam Newton’s Carolina Panthers — a Super Bowl 50 rematch of epic proportions. An additional three games taking place on Thanksgiving will also skip Twitter, including the Detroit Lions match-up against the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys versus rivals the Washington Redskins, and the Indianapolis Colts versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Before all you Twitter addicts looking to get your live sports fix get upset, however, keep in mind that the ten selected matches will see the likes of Cam Newton, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson make their social media livestreaming debuts.
Here’s the full list of matches being broadcast live on Twitter — each game kicks off at 8:25 pm ET:
Week 2, Sept. 15: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
Week 3, Sept. 22: Houston Texans at New England Patriots
Week 5, Oct. 6: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers
Week 6, Oct. 13: Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers
Week 7, Oct. 20: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Week 11, Nov. 17: New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Week 13, Dec. 1: Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings
Week 14, Dec. 8: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 15, Dec. 15: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Week 16, Dec. 22: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
The NFL players and teams took to Twitter (where else?) to voice their reactions. Check out a few of the tweets below.
Making history on 9/15.
First @NFL game ever streamed on @twitter.
See you then, @buffalobills #TNF pic.twitter.com/dEhLS6s5Uj
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 15, 2016
I’ve never played on Thanksgiving. This could be fun. Get a W and eat all sorts of fried turkey afterwards. I like the sound of that
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) April 15, 2016
When you see the schedule for this season pic.twitter.com/YUXcnI2lbF
— Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) April 15, 2016
The road map is set. Can't wait for this exciting journey. https://t.co/OUH3NKKk7j
— CJ SPILLER (@CJSPILLER) April 15, 2016
Twitter won the rights to stream NFL Thursday Night Football games following a fierce bidding war involving itself, Amazon, Facebook, Verizon, and Yahoo. The social media giant, which acts as a second screen utilized by fans to offer live commentary on a number of major sporting events, is hoping the deal will result in even more live chat on its platform.
