There are a lot of things you can do on Facebook from messaging and sharing images to playing games and video messaging. Now, if the social networking platform has its way, you can also stream NFL games.
Facebook VP of Partnerships Dan Rose told Variety that the platform is trying to get the rights for Thursday Night Football.
“We’re talking to a lot of folks about live (video). There are a ton of types of content that can fit under this format,” Rose said.
Other interested parties include Amazon and Verizon. Television rights for the next two years of Thursday Night Football were secured by CBS and NBC last month for a whopping $450 million. Live streaming rights for the games are sold separately, with Amazon and Verizon in the mix as well as Facebook.
Should Facebook secure the rights, the feature would entail more than just live game broadcasts. According to Rose, the social networking platform would offer other kinds of content including behind-the-scenes footage and pre- and post-game content.
“There’s a lot of interesting things we can do with sports,” Rose said. He added, “If you think about how people engage on Facebook today, it’s not really around watching three hours of video.”
Facebook has taken a direct turn towards video content with CEO Mark Zuckerberg talking about the value of live video and the debut of Facebook Live last summer. The live-video product was initially rolled out to celebrities and influencers and is currently roping in celebrities to commit to regular broadcasts.
