Facebook has struck a multi-year deal with the National Football League to deliver game highlights across the globe.
Under the new deal, the NFL will post video recaps from all 256 regular-season games this season to Facebook, along with clips from the playoffs and the Super Bowl.
In addition, the league’s specialty media division, NFL Films, will produce content packages in the US for Facebook’s recently launched Watch tab: “NFL Turning Point,” “Sound FX,” and “NFL Game Recaps.”
“Turning Point” will break down key moments in big NFL games, while “Sound FX” will feature audio from select players who have a mic during games.
Each of those content packages will feature corresponding Facebook channels that fans can like and follow.
“Transformation into a media powerhouse”
Josh Krichefski, CEO at Mediacom, commented on the deal, talking about Facebook wanting a larger slice of the video cake combined with consumer demand for more content on-the-go, particularly mobile.
“As social media companies become increasingly keen on acquiring video and live events, Facebook has extended its coverage of sports, buying NFL video highlights and in-depth recaps to show on the platform. It’s another example of Facebook’s continual transformation into a media powerhouse, representing an opportunity to take a large tactical bite of the video apple,” Krichefski said.
“But this isn’t really anything new. Traditional broadcasting rights are being shaken up by online-first organisations; take a look at Amazon’s recent purchase of the ATP tennis tour rights, or Twitter livestreaming parts of the PGA golf tour, both of which had previously uninterrupted exclusivity on television.
“With UK smartphone penetration now at 85% of all adults and an increasing demand to watch live and on-demand content on-the-go, media companies are recognising the growing trend towards mobile viewing. Video consumption on smartphones is now at 57% per week compared to 18% in 2012 – and that’s only going to increase. With the inevitable rise in smartphone viewing, and the emphasis on video for many platforms as a means to secure greater user engagement, I would certainly expect to see more of this growing trend in the coming months.”