Twitter has unveiled its plans for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, highlighted by a dedicated section in Moments that will feature content and stories unfolding during the Games. Twitter also announced the launch of more than 200 hashtag-triggered Twitter emojis.
“Twitter’s activation of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will bring fans around the world together to see what’s happening with the teams before, during and after the top athletes compete for glory,” said Leslie Berland, CMO of Twitter. “Twitter, Vine and Periscope will offer fans inside access, commentary, highlights and conversation throughout the Games and as the action unfolds.”
Twitter Emojis, #Stickers and key accounts:
Fans across the globe can share their passion for their favourite teams on Twitter with 207 team emojis. Tweeting with the three-letter country code hashtag will trigger flag emojis for every team, including the Refugee Olympic Team (#ROT). Fans can also trigger over 50 Olympics and sports emojis on Twitter.
The hashtags that trigger the emojis will be available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The hashtags that trigger sports emojis, as well as #Rio2016 and #Olympics, are also available in Japanese, Korean, and Arabic. All emojis will be available in the coming days.
Moments and Stickers:
Just in time for the Games, there is a new Rio 2016 section in Moments and it’s easier than ever to follow along with everything related to your team.
You’ll see the option to follow country specific Moments, which will last throughout the Games, so the best of what’s happening with your team will appear in your timeline for the entirety of the Olympics. You can also just opt to follow your favourite sports and events to see these Tweets in your timeline, or catch up on what you missed every day with recap Moments that will highlight results, medal counts and more. Of course, when a Moment that you follow ends, so do the Tweets, leaving your timeline the way it was before. Get ready for the Games and check out the Rio 2016 section in the Moments lightning bolt tab now – all these types of Moments will be available in the coming days.
Periscope and Vine:
Periscope and Vine will bring fans closer to the Games as well. Periscope broadcasters sharing videos and titling their broadcasts with hashtags related to the Games will activate a custom heart for the Olympics. Periscope will also have a featured channel featuring great content.
Olympic-related content will be featured in the Explore section on Vine’s mobile apps, and when people double-tap a Vine from @Olympics and various team accounts, they’ll find an Olympic Flame instead of a heart.
Rio:
Fans in Rio will also feel the Olympic spirit through Twitter. Tweets from all over the world will be projected live on Rio’s aqueduct Arcos da Lapa.
Additionally, the ‘Olympic Boulevard’, in the heart of Rio’s historic centre, will feature Olympic-related Tweets on big screens, and a customized tour bus called ‘Twitter Buzz’ will be displaying live Tweets and Periscope broadcasts through its windows in routes around the city, offering free wi-fi to enhance the fan experience.
