NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – In a groundbreaking move, the Atlantic 10 Conference will become the first league to deliver a package of regular season men’s college basketball games via Facebook Live. The league will distribute between 10 and 15 live contests on the platform during the 2016-17 season. The schedule of games will be announced a later date.
Games will appear within Facebook’s News Feed and on the A-10’s Facebook Page (link). Additionally, the A-10 is working with Facebook to optimize its strategy on the platform, and streaming the games via Facebook Live enables a global audience of sports fans to watch one of the best college basketball conferences in the country.
“Working with Facebook is an innovative opportunity to take advantage of new technology,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “This unique and creative partnership with Facebook allows us to expand our reach as a conference, further our presence globally and bring A-10 basketball to an even wider audience.”
The schedule of A-10 games on Facebook Live, which will be released at a later date, will include contests where the conference owns the digital distribution rights. These games will also be available through the A-10 Network website and mobile app.
With 650 million people connected to at least one sports Page on the platform, Facebook is home to the world’s largest community of sports fans. Since its debut earlier this year, Facebook Live has proven to be a valuable way for media, entertainment and sports organizations to connect and engage with a global audience in real time. The Atlantic 10 will become the first NCAA conference to distribute a package of regular season college basketball games live on Facebook.
This new initiative adds to an already robust media platform designed to showcase Atlantic 10 basketball, which annually ranks among the best in the country. During the upcoming 2016-17 season, the league will have over 200 conference-controlled games distributed on linear television and/or their digital companion products.
Over the last five years, the Atlantic 10 has sent 37 teams to the postseason, including 21 appearances in the NCAA Tournament. George Washington won the NIT in 2016, the second time the league has won the national tournament in seven years. Additionally, the Atlantic 10 has sent a team to the NCAA Sweet 16 in seven of the last nine years, including Dayton’s run to the Elite Eight in 2014.
Editor: This is a press release from the Atlantic Ten Conference.
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