Facebook has taken an intriguing step forward in its video business, partnering with the National Football League to show short video clips.
The deal, reported Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal, will bring NFL game highlights, studio analysis and fantasy updates packaged with Verizon ads to Facebook users Timelines starting next Tuesday. The NFL and Facebook will share the ad revenue.
This is a small video sponsorship test, and we will be evaluating how people, publishers, and marketers respond to this kind of co-branded video content on Facebook, a Facebook spokeswoman told the Journal. But this late-season experiment could have big implications down the road.
As Recode s Peter Kafka notes, the videos could eventually be personalized for fans. Facebook already has a giant audience that might very well be happy to watch video that s timely and tailored for them, he writes.
And delivering highly personalized content to a massive audience could open up a lucrative new revenue stream for Facebook, luring deep-pocketed TV advertisers.
The NFL is notoriously picky about who it chooses to work with, and strictly enforces its copyright on videos. It does not even have an official YouTube channel, making rights to its highlights all the more valuable.
The NFL is not the only video partner Facebook sees in its future. It s reportedly pursuing a similar deal with the National Basketball Association, and has been attempting to lure some of YouTube s most popular video creators to post on Facebook instead.
At top: Facebook will soon be featuring NFL highlights. 49ers running back Frank Gore fends off tacklers during a 52-yard touchdown run Saturday. (Kevin Johnson — Santa Cruz Sentinel)
