Twitter’s own Christine Wixted spoke to FanSided about what to expect from the platform leading up to Super Bowl 54 and a few choice accounts to follow.
Super Bowl 54 in Miami is nearly upon us, and as is the case with any major sporting event, you can be guaranteed people will be turning out in droves on Twitter (digitally, at least) to discuss and debate one of the biggest nights in sports or entertainment.
From the national anthem to the game itself to the highly anticipated commercials to an even more highly anticipated halftime show featuring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, NFL fans and the world at large will be tuning in for the evening’s festivities. More than likely, they’ll also be logged onto Twitter to react and overreact to each and every little thing that happens.
In the lead-up to Sunday’s game, Twitter’s own Christine Wixted spoke with FanSided’s Ashley Young about the platform and its mutual relationship with big-ticket sports events like this.
“I feel like people don’t just sit in front of the TV anymore,” she said. “You either have a computer open or your phone, and you’re watching in this dual screen atmosphere. We always say that we’re not here to cannibalize anything that’s going on on the TV; Twitter is really meant to be that symbiotic relationship and be that complement to what’s happening on the TV.”
That connectivity is key to Twitter’s success and high level of activity during must-see television events like the Super Bowl, since it allows people from all around the world to interact and share their similar or diverse opinions — no matter how or where they’re watching.
“Twitter is the best where it kind of brings you into someone else’s shoes who may be here or someone else who’s watching across the globe,” Wixted said. “We call it the world’s biggest sports bar because while you may be sitting on the couch alone watching the game or with your friends, you can find fans who are watching the same thing and having the same reactions as you are, and you bring that all together and there’s really nothing else like that, being able to have that in the palm of your hand.”
So which NFL accounts does the Twitter expert recommend for the big game or just in general? Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, ESPN reporter Mina Kimes and former NFL coach Wade Phillips top her list.
For more on Twitter and its symbiotic relationship with football and the upcoming Super Bowl, check out the video above.
Christine Wixted spoke to FanSided on behalf of Twitter.