The living room (or better yet, a lively pub) is often the primary venue for taking in a soccer match, but your next stint at the pitch may come from a visit to Facebook.
The social media giant has teamed up with US-based organization Major League Soccer and Spanish language sports channel Univision Deportes to bring full games from the 2017 MLS season to Facebook Live.
Utilizing Facebook's livestreaming video platform, a minimum of 22 MLS matches airing on Univision networks will also become available in English via the channel's Facebook page for users in the US, complete with its own set of commentators.
MLS & @UnivisionSports have announced a collaboration with @facebook to live stream 22+ regular-season matches: https://t.co/8tJ8dTwvoG pic.twitter.com/Rb1J0YYeNAMarch 10, 2017
Big goals, small screens
The games will take advantage of Facebook Live's interactive features and mobile focus, using the platform to conduct live polls, gather Q&A topics from fans, and put up"interactive graphics" over the course of the game.
Additionally, MLS will air "Matchday Live" on its own Facebook page, showing highlights from past games, analyses from experts, and a look at upcoming games in the season.
The first MLS match headed to the blue-and-white social media hub starts March 18 at 1pm PT/4pm ET, when Atlanta United squares off against the Chicago Fire.
This isn't the first time soccer has found a way onto the bleeding edge of broadcasting. The Premier League, one of the world's biggest sporting organizations, announced it would air in 4K for DirecTV customers earlier this year.
