ESPN already has a partnership with Facebook Watch. Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports reports that the World Wide Leader will expand that partnership with new exclusive content for the streaming platform.
Facebook’s head of league and media sports partnerships, Rob Shaw, says his goal is to turn Facebook Watch into a “unique” platform for consuming sports content. That means adding four new ESPN brands to the platform.
Countdown to Gameday, a Facebook Watch exclusive, will feature Maria Taylor and analysts from ESPN’s College Gameday discussing each Saturday’s biggest matchups and what is coming up on the show later that morning on the iconic college football show. Matthew Berry, Field Yates, Stephania Bell, and Daniel Dopp are also coming to Facebook Watch with a version of Fantasy Football Live made exclusively for social media.
In addition to the exclusive content, Facebook Live will also be able to repurpose some ESPN programming for linear TV. Ariel Helwani’s The People’s MMA Show will be available on demand on the platform after it launches on ESPN. Segments of Always Late with Katie Nolan will also be available on Facebook Watch.
“We’re taking content where we know there’s already a natural, strong fit, that can validate both us and Facebook together,” ESPN’s senior vice president of digital and social content, Ryan Spoon, told McCarthy. “We can now create some really, fantastic, exclusive specific content. We can deliver something that can resonate, that scales.”
