Facebook will host exclusive content of 2016 Olympics Games, but it won't live-stream competitions
The torch is coming to Facebook.
NBC, the broadcast rights holder of the Olympics, will publish highlights and recap videos of the 2016 events in Rio to Facebook and Instagram, the companies announced Thursday.
Some of these highlights will be exclusive to the two social networks such as a daily slow-motion video posted to Instagram.
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NBC Olympics will also tap Facebook Live, the company's live-streaming video tool, to broadcast interviews with athletes and commentators directly to Facebook.
Every day NBC Olympics will produce a two-minute recap video of the day's events. The videos will be available to U.S. Facebook users through NBC's Facebook page.
This footage will be incorporated into primetime and late night broadcasts on NBC and Telemundo, according to the press release.
“We’re excited to work with NBC Olympics to provide fans with a unique, immersive and engaging Rio 2016 experience on Facebook and Instagram," Facebook's Head of Global Sports Partnerships Dan Reed said in a statement. “Together, our platforms will provide both a front row seat and backstage pass to the biggest event of the year."
What Facebook and Instagram users won't be able to see is a livestream of the actual competitions. NBC is limiting that access to the broadcast networks, despite Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's and COO Sheryl Sandberg's best effort to make Facebook the new TV.
“This partnership is about reaching fans on Facebook and Instagram with NBC’s great and compelling Olympic content,” Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics, said in statement. “It’s about fueling the Olympic conversation and driving interest in watching the Games."
Three months back, Snapchat locked down a content-sharing partnership with NBC Olympics. NBC and Snapchat will create daily channels of Olympic coverage in the app's Discover section, where media partners including Mashable produce daily content. BuzzFeed, a Discover partner, will also host exclusive Olympics content on its Snapchat channel.
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
