Twitter plans to stream live TV content

Cord-cutters eager to stream free programming can soon tune into an unexpected — albeit instantly recognizable — name for news, sports and entertainment coverage.

I’m talking, of course, about Twitter, which earlier this month trotted out 12 newly cemented media partnerships that, should they come to fruition, will produce a considerable amount of live content, all streamed for free through the social networking service and its TV apps. I’m talking hundreds of hours of original shows and live sporting events.

Take Twitter’s upgraded relationship with the PGA Tour, which will showcase championship-caliber golf live on Twitter later this month. Then, there’s the 24-hour Bloomberg produced breaking news network launching in the fall. Also, on tap is a daily pop culture series, called “#WhatsHappening,” from the production company Propagate. Other streaming Twitter-TV partners include the WNBA, Live Nation, BuzzFeed and the MLB.

It’s enough to make the non-Twitter user (especially those without a classic cable TV bundle) rethink that status, which is exactly the point.

Pretty much everyone, everywhere enjoys some form of television, whether it’s the traditional variety or the YouTube kind. So instead of having to convince folks on the merits of the tweet, Twitter, by putting TV in the timeline, is falling back on a more sensible proposition than real-time information.