Story by
Jamillah Knowles
Jamillah is the UK Editor for The Next Web. She's based in London. You can hear her on BBC Radio 5Live's Outriders. Follow on Twitter @jemi Jamillah is the UK Editor for The Next Web. She's based in London. You can hear her on BBC Radio 5Live's Outriders. Follow on Twitter @jemimah_knight or drop a line to [email protected]
Budweiser is about to stream the FA Cup match between non-league teams Langford and Wembley FC live on its Facebook page this Saturday (August 11). This will be the time an FA game can be broadcast dual screen, opening up the match for many more digital viewers.
According to Media Week the game will show on ESPN while also being streamed on the beer brand’s Facebook page. The report says that the FA is also considering streaming more matches via Facebook.
Last year the opening match of the FA Cup was streamed live on Facebook. That event featured non-league teams Ascot FC and Wembley FC and helped to establish Facebook’s ambitions as a media player.
Last time around 30,000 people viewed the live stream of the game, and over a thousand turned up to watch it live.
The streaming of football matches online is surely evolving. Back in 2009 we saw the first match shown exclusively over the Internet on a pay-per-view basis.
Of course spectators are also finding ways to trade barbs and banter across the Internet too. Earlier this year it was claimed that Chelsea’s Champion’s League win against Barcelona was the most tweeted about sporting event ever (possibly usurped by the Olympics now).
It seems that sporting events and their sponsors are finally tuning in to the spectators online that are eager to follow their teams’ fortunes wherever they may be.
Image Credit: mbell1975
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