Is it #GIFAGEDDON?
One of my favorite ways to consume the best parts of sportsball is in animated GIFs and 6-second Vines. I only want to see that big block or that sweet catch, not the crap before and after it.
The NFL seems to agree and probably wants to be the only place you can get those GIFs or Vines, because according to numerous reports, the Twitter accounts of two prominent sports publications have been shut down over sharing NFL-owned content via said means.
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UPDATE: Deadspin’s account is back (@SBNationGif is still suspended) and the NFL has issued a statement saying that they reported content, but did not request that any particular accounts be shut down:
TEST … TEST … http://t.co/VKN0osQQXlpic.twitter.com/BOStDQQ4yr
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) October 13, 2015
Just got a statement from the NFL re @deadspin twitter suspension: pic.twitter.com/buB6tb3DSH
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) October 13, 2015
We’ve seen the DMCA requests, which Twitter makes public on the site ChillingEffects.org when it acts on them as normal practice. There were notices from the NFL, as well as the NCAA and UFC. We couldn’t review the content because well…it’s been taken down, naturally.
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A source has indicated to us that it was the NFL who reported these accounts, which has a deep media relationship with Twitter.
The accounts, @Deadspin and @SBNationGif, seemingly vanished, and the rumors as to why are swirling. Some thought it had to do with MLB, while a Gawker employee stated it was the NFL:
RE: @Deadspin: per the notice from Twitter, it looks like it’s the NFL.
— Lacey Donohue (@laceydonohue) October 12, 2015
Reporters at Politico and The Hollywood Reporter seem to confirm this:
I’m told that it was the NFL — not the MLBAM — that sent the DMCA takedown requests that got @deadspin suspended.
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) October 12, 2015
I hear that the NFL sent Twitter more than a dozen DMCA takedown notices re Deadspin before the account was suspended.
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) October 12, 2015
Per @Terr (who runs the @deadspin account), the NFL sent Twitter 18 DMCA takedown notices related to Deadspin posting NFL highlights GIFs.
— Peter Sterne (@petersterne) October 12, 2015
Deadspin officials just told me it appears the NFL got their Twitter account suspended. Unclear the exact reason why. @deadspin
— Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) October 12, 2015
Deadspin is directing its readers to join them on Facebook while they sort things out.
This would be a larger story if true, as the world of GIFs has mostly gone interrupted with platforms like Tumblr making a living on hosting them and companies like Giphy letting people share them on any platform they like. Of course the content has to come from somewhere, and these sites don’t have the rights for it.
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Vines are very similar to a GIF as it’s a very short and focused clip. The format is owned by Twitter. Fans like the formats, so ridding the Internet of them by going after popular Twitter accounts won’t make the NFL very popular.
We’ve reached out to Twitter, Deadspin, SBNation and the NFL for comment.