Nov 26, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) reacts with a smart phone while walking off the field after an overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Jalen Hurts after a Nov. 26, 2023 game. (Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports.)
By Ben Axelrod on

As many in the sports world migrate to alternatives like Bluesky and Threads, X is sticking with sports.

As first reported by the New York Post‘s Ryan Glasspiegel, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform has partnered with the NFL to create a centralized portal for the league. The NFL Portal — which can be accessed here — aggregates posts from the league’s official team accounts, as well as media rights partners and reporters, while also featuring tabs to check on scores, stats and standings.

“I believe in partnering with the biggest and best. And it doesn’t get any bigger and better than the NFL. Today, football fans around the world will see the power of X and NFL right on their screens,” X CEO Linda Yaccarino said in a statement, per The Post. “X is the world’s largest stadium and we are delivering the ultimate fan experience.”

Added NFL senior vice president of social & influencer marketing Ian Trombetta: “We’re constantly looking to increase the number of ways fans can engage with the NFL across all forms of media. The newly-launched NFL Portal on X will provide an enhanced way to enjoy the gameday experience, allowing fans to keep up with all the action from across the league.”

While one would imagine this deal was in the works prior to the recent rise in popularity of Bluesky, it does provide some insight into X’s strategy moving forward. As currently constructed, it’s hard to imagine a centralized NFL hub moving the needle too much, especially if it’s heavily reliant of teams’ official feeds. But it will certainly be worth monitoring whether X continues to partner with the NFL — and other sports leagues — on similar projects moving forward.

[New York Post]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod