There’s the traditional national anthem flyover before a major sporting event, but then there’s one captured through a non-traditional medium such as Facebook Live.
Before the College Football Playoff National Championship between Clemson and Alabama on Monday, the 1st Special Operations Wing Commander at Hurlburt Field went “Live” during the U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey’s flight over Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It is believed to be the first time a flyover at a major sports event was filmed through Facebook Live, Periscope or another live streaming platform from the plane’s point of view.
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Fans could see the broadcast with fireworks shooting off the stadium in the distant background. As of this writing, the video has received nearly 200,000 views along with 4,000-plus comments and close to 2,700 shares.
The College Football Playoff also took advantage of the broadcasting platform, live streaming both its pregame show and the postgame press conference with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who caught the last-second game-winning touchdown to win the National Championship.
In recent months, other sports teams, conferences, media networks and professional athletes, such as boxer Manny Pacquiao, the A-10 Conference and New York Mets, have leveraged Facebook Live in a unique way. Just last week, tennis player Ana Ivanovic announced her retirement on the social platform, too.