Facebook has signed a deal to stream Golden Boy Promotions boxing matches on its Watch platform. Like the social media giant’s agreement with MLB, the bouts will available to a global audience, and also provides Oscar De La Hoya with another media partner to add to his stable, which includes ESPN, Estrella TV, HBO, and RingTV.com. Unlike the fights on ESPN and Estrella, the Facebook bouts will be ad-free.
The first fight to be streamed will be the WBA World Featherweight Title fight between champion Jesus Rojas and Joseph Diaz, Jr. on Saturday, August 11 from Hollywood. Facebook will also stream another fight a week later on August 18 live from Bethlehem, PA.
Golden Boy Media and Entertainment will produce the fights for Facebook and also provide some original content. Like the MLB live streams, viewers can interact and react in real-time to what they’re watching.
Facebook has increased its live sports content to include MLB, Big3 basketball, soccer, and action sports. In the United States, the live fights will be seen on Facebook Watch while internationally, the cards will be shown on the Golden Boy Fight Night page.
Facebook is hoping to become a destination for sports fans. While this is not the NFL, getting a variety of events like one exclusive baseball game a week, boxing, and college sports enables Facebook to use a similar strategy to the TV networks, allowing them to use live sports as a way to attract more eyeballs to its platform.
[Variety]
About Ken Fang
Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.
He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.
Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.