NEW YORK: The world’s largest social network Facebook and the National Football League have partnered to bring ad-supported game clips to Facebook, according to a new report.
Facebook users will soon see NFL video clips pop up in their news feeds, The Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing people who have knowledge of the deal. Verizon is so far the only sponsor for the clips and will have one of its ads roll at the end of each highlight, according to the report. Facebook and the NFL reportedly plan to share in the ad revenue, though neither side has revealed the share they get.
The partnership with the NFL could be a boon for Facebook, which continues to grow as a popular destination for video content. The NFL is one of the most popular sports in the US and with this season wrapping up and playoff spots up for grabs, having game clips pop up on news feeds could dramatically increase the amount of viewership across the social network.
The NFL benefits as well. Through it’s not clear exactly how the clips will pop up and this is believed to be a test for now, Facebook is opening its 1.3-billion-user-strong network to the league and providing a new revenue opportunity for the NFL.