Twitter is teaming up with the NBA and Turner Sports to stream action focused on individual players, rather than the entire court, allowing fans to follow individual stars like LeBron James while conveniently blocking out their teammates.
The partnership was announced on Wednesday morning at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, hours before NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is slated to join Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and ESPN’s Rachel Nichols at the event in a conversation centered around #NBATwitter.
Here’s how it’ll work: During the first half of TNT’s spotlight games, fans can hit @NBAonTNT on Twitter to vote for the player they want the camera to isolate on in the second half (the catch being, you’re only able to watch the final 24 minutes of action). The NBA will then use its “iso-cam” on whoever grabs the most votes, letting fans follow every single step they take in the second half.
The partnership will debut during All-Star Weekend next month and includes 20 regular season NBA matchups to close the season. The deal will also include at least one playoff game.
“The NBA Twitter community is among the most vibrant in sports and entertainment,” Silver said in a statement. “While watching NBA games on TNT, our fans on Twitter can now enjoy a unique second screen experience that will further enhance the way fans engage with each other and the game.”
Dorsey has made his love for hoops, as well as the conversations that happen around the game on his app, known for several years. While Twitter hasn’t carried full games — something Facebook has done with Major League Baseball — the app has experimented with several ways to cover the NBA, including sharing exclusive content and launching halftime analysis shows.