Budweiser, Official sponsors of the FA Cup, will screen the first live match on Facebook via their UK Page.
The tie for extra preliminary qualifying is between Ascot United and Wembley and takes place on Friday evening. It seems as though the streaming will be a test for bigger and better things to come and it may well be that more live sporting events, particularly football fixtures, will harness both the sheer audience size and viral capabilities of Facebook to draw in bigger crowds, even if they are online.
What better way to test the functionality and uptake by users than on a game between two lower league clubs? The home side will be hoping for a much bigger audience through Facebook, particularly as they usually achieve crowds of around 90 spectators. Both clubs will receive a nominal broadcast fee for the game.
This could certainly be the start of something big for Facebook and brand pages too. Watch this space…
Source: BBC
