The race for to secure live streaming deals with professional sports leagues and athletic conferences is still continuing in 2016, with the Atlantic 10 Conference partnering with Facebook around men’s college basketball games for the upcoming season.
It is the first time a Division I conference will broadcast a series of regular season basketball games on Facebook Live. The exact games are still being decided but as of now, 10 to 15 games will be live streamed within Facebook’s News Feed and on the conference’s page.
“It’s important to the Atlantic 10 and all of our constituent groups that we keep pace with the latest technology and that we continuously explore new ways to engage with our fans,” Bernadette McGlade, A-10 Commissioner said. “Delivering real time games on Facebook Live gives us opportunities to experiment with new ways to include our corporate partners in our digital strategy and enhance the value of being associated with the A-10.”
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McGlade said that when sports properties such as the NFL and English Premier League are all experimenting with live streaming via social channels, it was a “pretty good lead to follow.” The Atlantic 10 has had its own digital network since August 2013, and the Facebook Live broadcast will expand upon its current digital platform and over-the-top offerings. Some games will be simulcasted while others will exclusively broadcast on Facebook Live.
Through the deal, McGlade and the A-10 hopes to not only reach existing fans and other sports enthusiasts but also continue to build affinity for the conference domestically and abroad.
“Tackling this in the most current and relevant ways, through social media and today’s technology, is important to the conference,” McGlade said.
“We have again stayed out front by embracing new and cutting edge methods of distribution for our 14 member institutions, millions of fans and alumni. This initiative is an important piece to achieving our overall goal to enhance and expand the A-10 brand.”
Other college conferences that have experimented with live streaming through social channels include the Pac-12 and Mountain West. Earlier this July, the former announced a deal with Twitter to live stream 150 games throughout the 2016-17 season. Through its strategic partnership with Campus Insiders, a digital sports platform, the Mountain West is also broadcasting regular season college football games on Twitter this year.
“The MW is progressive in its vision and as part of our Campus Insiders partnership we are able to expand our digital footprint on Twitter’s outstanding platform,” said Commissioner Craig Thompson said in a statement over the summer.
The streaming trend on social media has even made its way to the high school ranks as Bleacher Report was scheduled to broadcast three high school football games on Facebook Live this fall.