Bluesky has begun testing a new feature to help you spot live NBA games more easily. If you follow the NBA on Bluesky, you’ll soon notice a red border around the league’s profile picture. A “live” label will appear beneath it when an event happens. If you tap on the profile photo, you’ll be taken directly to the live event the NBA promotes—even if it’s outside Bluesky.
Bluesky’s Chief Operating Officer, Rose Wang explained that the feature is designed to make Bluesky a place where you can discover what’s happening in the world without needing to stay inside the platform.
“We aren’t trapping you in Bluesky,” Wang posted. “We want you to use Bluesky to discover what’s happening.”
We are beta testing a new feature with the @nba.com. If you click their profile picture when there’s a red border with a “live” callout below, you will be directed to the live content they are promoting. We aren’t trapping you in Bluesky. We want you to use Bluesky to discover what’s happening.
— Rose 🌹 (@rose.bsky.team) May 19, 2025 at 4:23 AM
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You’ll spot live events with a red border and “live” tag
The new feature adds a simple visual sign: a red border around the NBA’s profile image and a small “live” label beneath it. If you see this, you can click the profile photo and be taken straight to the live action—whether it’s a game stream or another live event the NBA is highlighting. This link leads outside of Bluesky, but it gives you easy access to the content you care about.
Wang reposted a promotional message from the NBA about the games, showing that this feature would have been active during those matchups.
So far, there’s no word on how long the test will last or when it might become a regular part of the platform. Bluesky hasn’t shared a screenshot of the new design or said whether it’s planning to offer the feature to other leagues or even non-sports groups. However, Wang has confirmed that the feature will also work with WNBA games.
Bluesky takes a different path from Twitter
While Bluesky is testing a way to highlight live events, it’s doing so without copying the strategy used by X (formerly Twitter). In the past, Twitter made deals with top sports leagues like the NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA to stream games directly on the platform. That’s not Bluesky’s plan.
In a recent interview with SportsPro, Wang explained that Bluesky has no current plans—or budget—to strike similar content deals. Instead, the platform wants to be a tool for discovery. With this live indicator, Bluesky shows that even if it won’t host streams, it can still help guide you to the action.
This simple test might grow into something bigger. If successful, Bluesky could roll it out to more accounts, giving users better ways to stay updated with what’s happening in real time.
A sign of more sports content on Bluesky?
Bluesky has been growing its sports presence, and this move could be a step toward building a community of fans who use the platform to keep up with their favourite teams and leagues. Although the platform isn’t trying to compete directly with large streaming services or social media giants, this feature is an easy and useful way to connect fans with the content they want.
By starting with the NBA and WNBA, Bluesky may be setting the stage for similar features across other sports or even live entertainment. While it’s still in testing, the “live” badge is a small but clever way to improve how you experience major events online, without making you stay within the app.
