LOS ANGELES — Meta's Threads wants to turn big moments into group chats.
The platform launched Live Chats on Tuesday, a real-time messaging tool that lets users jump into open conversations as events happen. Think of it as a digital living room during the NBA Finals, the Oscars or a season finale.
Threads is betting that live sports and entertainment can turn its app into a destination for timely talk—the first test: the NBA Playoffs.
Courtesy of Meta
The company is working with the NBA Threads Community to host Live Chats during live games. Community champions and media personalities — Malika Andrews, Rachel Nichols, Da Kid Gowie, among them — will serve as hosts. Meta expects guests from across the NBA and the entertainment world to pop in throughout games.
So how does it work? Users can join a Live Chat from the top of a Community feed, through a shared post in their main feed or by tapping the red live ring around a host's profile photo. Once inside, they can send messages, photos, videos, links and emoji reactions.
Courtesy of Meta
The feature also includes real-time polls, countdowns and typing indicators to keep discussions moving. Live scores will appear during games, so chats stay in sync with the action on the court. A profile ring signals when a chat is active.
Even after a Live Chat ends, it stays open and publicly discoverable. That means users can revisit conversations or catch up on moments they missed.
Since its launch, Threads has tried to position itself as a hub for real-time cultural dialogue. Live Chats is a significant step in that direction — a bid to make the app feel more immediate, more essential, more live.
The NBA Playoffs partnership is the proving ground. Basketball dominates the cultural conversation right now, and real-time reaction drives massive social media traffic. Threads wants a piece of that.
The feature is available starting today.