Yeah, I’m not sure that X’s “video first” technique goes to work out, based mostly on Twitter’s previous efforts alongside the very same traces.
Final month, X outlined its new video content material method, declaring that video could be its essential development focus, on condition that video drives essentially the most engagement within the app, and is already part of 80% of consumer classes.
So as to construct on this, X has since introduced varied new unique video content material partnerships, with its newest, unveiled at present, being a new cope with The Massive 3, the three-on-three basketball league for retired NBA gamers.
As a part of the brand new association, X will host “reside video games, groundbreaking entry, and unique content material”, because it turns into the brand new house for Massive 3 basketball on the internet.
And it’s an attention-grabbing addition, when it comes to area of interest sports activities content material, and given newer rankings tendencies for the Massive 3, it might additionally assist to drive considerably extra engagement amongst X’s rusted-on sports activities communities, who stay extremely lively within the app.
In response to The Supply, Massive 3 broadcasts outperformed Premier League Soccer, WNBA, and Premier Lacrosse League video games in common viewer numbers within the U.S. final 12 months. And whereas it’s not going to herald wherever close to NBA or NFL broadcast numbers, it’s nonetheless driving spectacular viewership stats instead main league providing.
The Massive 3 has additionally been helped by newer appearances from on-line basketball influencers, who’ve constructed enormous followings on TikTok and Instagram, and are actually bringing these audiences throughout to the league.
So there’s potential there, and it’s a logical and certain helpful pairing for X as a part of its expanded video content material imaginative and prescient.
However as famous, the corporate previously referred to as Twitter has walked this path earlier than, and it didn’t ship as hoped.
Again in 2016, Twitter made an enormous push on video content material, and reside sports activities specifically, by signing unique contracts with the MLB, NFL, and NBA to broadcast video games instantly within the app. The concept was that with so many individuals partaking with reside sports activities already within the app, Twitter would be capable to merge the 2, and profit not solely from the real-time engagement, but in addition the content material itself, in its first steps to ideally turning into a sports activities internet hosting powerhouse.
But it surely didn’t work.
Whereas tens of millions of followers did tune in for a few of Twitter’s reside sports activities occasions, the precise engagement numbers have been nowhere near the reside TV rankings for every occasion. And given the premium pricing for sports activities content material rights, Twitter finally determined that there was no important value-add in internet hosting the broadcasts themselves, once they have been benefiting from the associated engagement both method.
Curiously, Twitter then seemed to host extra area of interest sports activities streams, in an effort to grow to be extra of a broad-ranging hub for non-mainstream sports activities content material. However finally, it misplaced curiosity in that as nicely, presumably as a result of the engagement features weren’t definitely worth the charges and associated internet hosting prices.
However now, underneath its new X branding, the platform’s making an attempt out the identical technique once more, in an effort to drive extra video content material engagement.
And possibly it’s going to work out higher this time, particularly given the rising video engagement charges within the app (as famous above), and the efforts that the X workforce goes to to push vertical video viewing as a brand new leisure and promoting choice.
Possibly there’s alternative there. And whereas it’s early days, X can also be regularly constructing out a various slate of exhibits, primarily geared toward U.S. audiences.
- Paris Hilton is about to host a but to be introduced challenge (although the connection between X and Hilton has seemingly soured of late)
- Tucker Carlson’s X program has been an early success, often producing tens of millions of views within the app
- Don Lemon will launch his new “Don Lemon Present” quickly
- Tulsi Gabbard is growing a collection of documentary-style applications targeted on U.S. politics
- Jim Rome’s “The Jungle” will quickly be airing 5 occasions per week
- WWE lately introduced “WWE Velocity”, a weekly present completely on X
Given that almost all of X customers are exterior of America, it will make sense for X to be making comparable pushes in different areas, as nicely. However once more, it’s early days, and it’ll take time to get extra folks viewing X as an leisure different, versus a complementary app.
So will it work?
Look, previous historical past would recommend that this received’t be a long-term strategic driver for the app, as viewer numbers stagnate, and creators notice that they’ll make much more cash by airing their unique content material in different apps and platforms (be aware: Tucker Carlson is already constructing his personal broadcast house base).
Over time, what occurred on Twitter previous was that each side realized that there was no actual strategic alignment that they couldn’t already facilitate with out such partnerships, however there’s additionally an opportunity that the newer shift in treating social apps as leisure sources in their very own proper might result in expanded potential on this entrance.
Time will inform, however it’s attention-grabbing to see the X workforce treading primarily the identical floor, and touting it as a brand new imaginative and prescient for the app’s future.
