BBC Streams Election Debate and Specials on Twitter
The latest broadcaster to stream live video on Twitter is the BBC, which will stream tonight's election debate as well as four election specials later on. Using the standard Twitter video format, viewers will be able to view the live video from Cambridge alongside real-time tweets. In this case, those tweets will offer expert BBC commentary and updates from BBC Reality Check.
Viewers can watch the event from 19:30 to 21:00 BST tonight through a browser or Twitter's Roku app. Viewers don’t need a Twitter account to watch the video. Those interested in commenting should use the hashtag #bbcdebate. The event will also air on BBC One.
The debate will be moderated by Mishal Hussain and feature representatives of seven leading political parties. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Conservative Home Secretary Amber Rudd, and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron will take part.
"It's going to be reaching different audiences that wouldn't necessarily be watching live TV," said Tim Westcott, a television analyst at IHS Technology, quoted on BBC News. "Live video is something that all the social media websites are interested in exploring—there's been an increase in the amount of live sport, for example."
The BBC and Twitter will also live stream Question Time Leaders' Specials on June 2nd and 4th, the Newsbeat Youth Debate on June 6th, and a voting results special on June 8th.
In November 2016, Twitter and Bloomberg partnered to live stream the U.S. presidential debates.
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