Rachel_Sandford
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The opening match of the 2011/12 FA Cup is set to be streamed LIVE exclusively on Facebook. The extra-preliminary round, which is the first of six qualifiers, is going to be the first time the social networking site will show live football. Wembley FC will be traveling to Ascot United's home ground to battle it out in hopes of being one step closer to the coveted cup. Both teams will be receiving a nominal broadcast fees for the match.
Teaming up with Facebook is likely to attract a wider audience, taking it from about 100 people to possibly thousands or millions of people. To further boost publicity, organizers have announced that fans will be given free burgers, and will get a chance to take a penalty against 1987-99 FA Cup Champion, Dave 'Lurch' Beasant, who was the first keeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final.
“To be involved in the first game of the FA Cup this season is an honour in itself, but to be part of a world first and have our match broadcast to a massive global audience is fantastic for our club,” said Mike Harrison, Ascot United chairman. He continued to say “We had 88 people for a league match last night. But we might get 500 or even 800 for Friday's match. The fact millions more might well be watching on Facebook is astonishing. The whole place has gone bananas.”
Completely sponsored by Budweiser. Fans can head over to Budweiser's Facebook page, 'Like' the page, and get to watch the game for free. However, it is only open to those 18 and over. The 90-minute live stream will begin at 7:30pm tonight.
Iain Newell, Budweiser's marketing director in the UK said: “As a long-standing supporter of football globally, Budweiser is committed to bringing the world's most prestigious knockout competition closer to the fans. What better way to demonstrate this than by broadcasting the very first kick to a global audience via Facebook? This is the first time an FA Cup tournament fixture has been broadcast live on the social network, which is great news for football fans and clubs alike.”
There have been rumors that the entire first round of this season's FA Cup will be shown on Facebook before BBC, ESPN, or ITV get the rights to broadcast the matches. Though the night's broadcast will be historic, it won't be the first time football was put streamed live. In October of 2009, the Under-21 England vs Macedonia game was streamed on the FA website, and England vs Ukraine of the 2010 World Cup was also streamed exclusively online.
Teaming up with Facebook is likely to attract a wider audience, taking it from about 100 people to possibly thousands or millions of people. To further boost publicity, organizers have announced that fans will be given free burgers, and will get a chance to take a penalty against 1987-99 FA Cup Champion, Dave 'Lurch' Beasant, who was the first keeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final.
“To be involved in the first game of the FA Cup this season is an honour in itself, but to be part of a world first and have our match broadcast to a massive global audience is fantastic for our club,” said Mike Harrison, Ascot United chairman. He continued to say “We had 88 people for a league match last night. But we might get 500 or even 800 for Friday's match. The fact millions more might well be watching on Facebook is astonishing. The whole place has gone bananas.”
Completely sponsored by Budweiser. Fans can head over to Budweiser's Facebook page, 'Like' the page, and get to watch the game for free. However, it is only open to those 18 and over. The 90-minute live stream will begin at 7:30pm tonight.
Iain Newell, Budweiser's marketing director in the UK said: “As a long-standing supporter of football globally, Budweiser is committed to bringing the world's most prestigious knockout competition closer to the fans. What better way to demonstrate this than by broadcasting the very first kick to a global audience via Facebook? This is the first time an FA Cup tournament fixture has been broadcast live on the social network, which is great news for football fans and clubs alike.”
There have been rumors that the entire first round of this season's FA Cup will be shown on Facebook before BBC, ESPN, or ITV get the rights to broadcast the matches. Though the night's broadcast will be historic, it won't be the first time football was put streamed live. In October of 2009, the Under-21 England vs Macedonia game was streamed on the FA website, and England vs Ukraine of the 2010 World Cup was also streamed exclusively online.