The tech industry has focused on live streaming recently and Adidas wants in on the action. This week Adidas became the first major sports company to use Twitter’s new live stream app, Periscope. The service was used to cover Colombian soccer superstar James Rodriquez penning a new deal with the sports clothing giant.
The 20 second mini-event was streamed live from Adidas HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany and posted onto @adidasfootball’s twitter page with the text “Here he is! @jamesdrodriguez has signed a contract extension with adidas.” #therewillbehaters
The video is a first step to bringing sports fans content through live streaming via social media. It is especially important for Twitter, who purchased Periscope in January and officially released it Thursday.
Twitter’s Periscope has substantial competition with a another live streaming company that’s been making waves in the tech world. Meerkat, a live streaming app that was launched a month ago was the “Twitter” of this year’s SXSW conference, that is – the hot new thing. The app, which features a strikingly similar logo to Snapchat, has had experts discussing its utility within a range of markets.
We already have television bringing us live streams to our homes, but imagine if we could watch from any seat in the stadium.
Additionally, sports fans have had to miss watching their favorite teams on TV for reasons ranging from content licensing to contract deals. Now, mobile live streaming is providing an alternative way for fans to watch their teams. This time, from the eyes of other individuals.
It is imaginable to see cable companies wanting rules and regulations against streaming sports once these platforms build a large enough viewer base (and at least one of them will), but it’s difficult to see how it could be enforced.
Not that this will replace television. It might just give people a way to sneak under some licensing barriers.