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BREAKING: WNBA to broadcast games on Twitter

By Howard Megdal

MINNEAPOLIS - AUGUST 12: Referees review game action on a computer monitor during a WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx on August 12, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - AUGUST 12: Referees review game action on a computer monitor during a WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx on August 12, 2010 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The WNBA joined the Twitter revolution, announcing Monday night that the league will broadcast 20 games a year on the social media site during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons.

“We are thrilled to bring live WNBA games to Twitter, which will allow us to further showcase our league to a global audience,” WNBA President Lisa Borders said in a press release Monday.  “This partnership displays Twitter’s extraordinary commitment to women’s sports and the rising popularity of our athletes and our game.”

The schedule begins at 6 PM EST on Sunday, May 14, when the Phoenix Mercury host the Dallas Wings. The San Antonio Stars, featuring top pick in the 2017 draft Kelsey Plum, are on no fewer than seven times, a logical fit between highlight-generating player and clip-friendly medium.

“We are excited to help extend the reach of women’s sports around the world by collaborating further with the NBA to be the home of weekly live WNBA games for the next three seasons,” Anthony Noto, Twitter COO, said in the release.  “The growing women’s basketball fanbase will be able to turn to Twitter to watch free games side by side with the real-time conversation.”

The imaginative expansion puts the league in front of more eyes more often, skews younger and does so through a platform that encourages conversation. This is the biggest win for the league, which already saw a jump in both attendance and conventional television ratings in 2016, in quite some time.

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