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Facebook boosts sports streaming business with deal to show US MLS soccer matches
Social media giant Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) has boosted its streaming of professional sporting events, inking a deal to show US soccer matches.
The tech firm said it has signed an agreement with Major League Soccer (MLS) and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications Inc. that gives it exclusive, English-language rights to stream at least 22 regular-season soccer games in the US.
Facebook said the first game will stream on March 18.
MLS will also produce more than 40 ‘Matchday Live’ analysis shows for Facebook that will be exclusive to the social media giant globally.
The games will appear on Univision Deportes’ Facebook page, while the live shows will stream on MLS’ Facebook page.
Facebook is keen to bring more sports content to its platform given its popularity among its 1.86 bn monthly users.
About 35% of Facebook’s monthly user base—or 650 mln people — is connected to at least one sports page on the social network, with the firm seeing soccer as the most-followed sport among its users.
The company is also reportedly in talks with Major League Baseball for live streaming rights.
Story by ProactiveInvestors
Source: http://www.proactiveinvestors.com/companies/news/174617/facebook-boosts-sports-streaming-business-with-deal-to-show-us-mls-soccer-matches-174617.html
