TORONTO

Canada is one of the few countries in the world where the first ‘tweetcast’ in NFL history cannot be viewed.

Rogers is blacking out tonight’s New York Jets at Buffalo Bills game on Twitter, coast to coast.

The NFL has arranged for the next 10 Thursday Night Football telecasts to be streamed live on Twitter, accessible either on the social media giant’s website or app. That is, the root TV feed from either CBS (this week) or NBC can be watched live, for free, on mobile phone, tablet, PC or connected TV.

Rogers Communications Inc.’s Sportsnet cable network owns Canadian multi-media rights to Thursday Night Football.

“Unfortunately, Canadian football fans won’t be able to stream the game on Twitter due to local broadcast considerations via Rogers,” Cameron Gordon, communications director for Twitter Canada, said Thursday morning in an email, without elaboration.

Rogers Communications Inc., through a spokesperson, provided the following explanation:

"In April when the announcement was first made by the NFL and Twitter, we clarified that the deal does not include the Canadian market. As per our licencing agreement with the NFL, Sportsnet is the exclusive Canadian rights holder to the Thursday NFL package this season."

Since announcing the initiative in April, the NFL has been touting that these 10 games will be “streamed to a global audience across devices for free on Twitter.”

That, indeed, will be the case in other large countries where the NFL is popular, including the U.K., Mexico, Germany, Brazil and Australia, Postmedia is informed.

Just not in Canada.

JoKryk@postmedia.com

@JohnKryk

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