This week marked a broadcasting first in the UK with the opening match of the FA Cup shown live on Facebook.
Ascot United and Wembley FC kicked off the new season of the world’s oldest tournament with the first broadcast of its kind anywhere in the sport. Using the Brightcove Video Cloud online video platform, the FA brought the 90-minute stream to a global audience on Facebook with total minutes viewed hitting almost 200,000. The match was streamed live on the Budweiser UK Facebook fan page.
Without the possibility for TV coverage on a broadcast platform given this was a non-league match, Brightcove Video Cloud and the social network channel enabled fans to catch the two non-league sides in action.
The FA (Football Association) is the governing body for football in England. Last year we announced the launch of a host of new online video offerings for TheFA.com as well as a new iPhone app using Brightcove Video Cloud. The FA also used our technology to support a variety of video initiatives around the official website for England’s World Cup team including exclusive content such as player interviews and game highlights.