Facebook has made a further move into the sports broadcast market with the announcement that the FIA Formula E 2016 London ePrix will be live streamed on the social media site.
The FIA Formula E Championship will live stream the 2015-16 season finale of the world’s first fully-electric racing series, directly to Facebook using Grabyo.
Fans can watch the London ePrix live on Facebook in 20 regions, including Russia, Malaysia, India and Spain .
In addition to the live streaming of free practice sessions, qualifying and the races, which will include full commentary and graphics, FIA Formula E will use live streaming partner Grabyo throughout the race weekend to live broadcast a fan chat-show directly from the pit lane as well as several e-sports events from FIA Formula E’s virtual championship, Race Off Pro Series.
Ali Russell, director of media and strategic partnerships at FIA Formula E said, “Formula E has already won awards for its digital content and commitment to taking the sport to a new, younger audience. Streaming the races to Facebook, which is our largest social media channel, is a logical extension of this. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what reception this gets.”
Grabyo has with FIA Formula E for the inaugural season of the global electric racing series, and will power in-race highlights for the Championship shared to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Gareth Capon, CEO of Grabyo said, “Formula E is a progressive, innovative rights holder and by sharing real-time, instant highlights to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, including mobile-focused content in vertical and square video formats, Formula E is leading the market for video publishing through Grabyo. We are excited to broadcast this exciting season finale live to Facebook, allowing fans greater access than ever before to the Championship, and supporting Formula E as they reach out to a new audience across the platform.”