By David MacDonald I f you’re one of the 1,626,722 Facebook followers of the Toronto Blue Jays, you love to see that profile picture with the #LetsRise set on a red maple leaf with the club logo on the top, Jose Bautista on one side and Roberto Osuna on the other. It’s a reminder of this season’s potential, especial- ly after securing Jose Bautista when he signed a one-year deal in January. If you’re one of the 8,558,632 people who Like the New York Yankees’ Facebook page, you loved to see post after post showing Gary Sanchez hitting dingers in Tampa during Spring Training. It’s a reminder that The Bronx Bombers always come back strong, even after one of the most infamous Septembers in recent Yankee memory. And if you’re one of the 1,256,496 people who like the MLB Network on Facebook, you’ve already made a direct asso- ciation between social media and watching your favourite sport. You’re exactly who Facebook Inc. is banking on. Representatives from Facebook Inc.’s sports partnerships division are reportedly making headway in negotiations that would see one Major League Baseball game streamed live every week over the 2017 season.
for Major League Baseball and social media is a proven medium for attracting a younger sports crowd.
Facebook recently announced that its plans to live-stream Liga MX games are a done deal, giving Mexican soccer fans 46 matches to like. One of those likes will undoubtedly be coming from the Hispanic American media giant, Univision Holdings Inc., who stands to grow their brand in a North American market made soccer-savvy by Major League Soccer. Earlier this year, theNBAeven experimentedwith live-stream- ing – just not in North America. On January 8th, basketball fans in India were treated to a 117-106 Warriors victory over the Kings where Steph Curry outscored Rudy Gay 30-23 – this all from the comfort of their Facebook page. But it’s really the National Football League that threw down the gauntlet just last year. The NFL streamed games via Twitter to great acclaim proving that there’s a growing desire to enjoy traditional American sports in non-tradition- al mediums. If Facebook Followers translate to ratings, this could very well be the beginning of a new tradition.
There has been a growing age discrepancy in viewership
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • APRIL 2017
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