Bleacher Report is at the center of a growing industry push toward distributing live video content and providing millennial and Gen Z fans with new social experiences online.
On Friday night, it will be the first media entity to broadcast a high school football game exclusively on Facebook Live as it airs Sylvan Hills at Pulaski Academy (Little Rock, Arkansas), the first of three live streamed high school games this Fall. Marc Kohn, Bleacher Report’s Senior Director of Video and Live Events, told AdAge that his definition of success for this type of production is “a broadcast that is incredibly creative and pushes boundaries.” According to Kohn, some schools were paid an undisclosed amount for their participation but not all of them.
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As part of the Facebook Live experience, Bleacher Report’s on-air talent, Stephen Nelson and Michael Felder, will provide commentary and answer fans’ questions in real time throughout the broadcast. The digital media company plans to integrate various forms of technology as well, including an aerial “flyline” camera and strategically-placed GoPro cameras.
Additionally, Bleacher Report will work with STATSports, a Northern Ireland-based GPS player-tracking and analysis company, to incorporate advanced analytics into the broadcasts, too. Bleacher Report and Facebook will work in tandem to capture and disseminate content targeted at millennials, which will include focusing on viral content and also placing a heightened focus on Instagram, according to SportsVideo.org.
On Sat. Nov. 5, Bleacher Report will live stream Pittsburg at Antioch (Antioch, California), and two weeks later it will air IMG Academy at Bishop Sullivan (Virginia Beach, Virginia).
In the past two weeks, some NBA teams made headlines with their Facebook Live broadcasts. On Oct. 1, the Atlanta Hawks broadcast an open practice via the platform, receiving over one million views. Earlier this week, the Orlando Magic aired its first ever NBA game on Facebook Live.