X is expanding its sports-focused "Gametime" feature to include Major League Baseball (MLB) and more, following its successful NFL Gametime launch. The platform hopes this move will appeal to advertisers targeting passionate sports fans, as part of its broader strategy to attract back brands that previously shunned X due to concerns over content moderation and Elon Musk's influence.
The new MLB experience is set to debut this month, offering a year-round destination for baseball fans to engage in postseason discussions and access scores, stats, and real-time updates. X envisions this as a scalable destination for all major sports, with plans to integrate content from the NBA and other leagues in the future.
Monique Pintarelli, head of Global Advertising at SpaceXAI, highlighted the success of the NFL Gametime feature, stating that it has attracted significant demand from advertisers across various industries. The expansion of Gametime is seen as a way to draw brands back to X by leveraging the highly engaged fan base during live sporting events.
This move comes after X resolved a legal dispute with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) in July, which had alleged an illegal boycott of the platform. The settlement aimed to reset the relationship between the two organizations and commit X to brand-safety innovations and freedom of speech.
While the expansion of Gametime could potentially benefit advertisers, some may still be cautious due to Musk's controversial past and the platform's previous moderation issues. The ultimate success of this strategy will depend on X's ability to maintain a balance between engaging content and maintaining brand safety.







