Wayne Rooney’s testimonial has become the first football match between Premier League teams to be streamed live on Facebook.
The game between Rooney’s two professional clubs, Manchester United and Everton, was streamed to a global audience of 1.7 billion users via the Manchester United and Wayne Rooney Facebook pages.
The game marks 12 years’ service at United, with proceeds going to the Wayne Rooney Foundation, distributing money to the NSPCC, Claire House Hospice, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and the Manchester United Foundation.
The move comes as Facebook and Twitter continue to battle it out for premium sports rights.
Dan Reed, Facebook’s head of global sports partnerships, said ahead of the clash, “We’re were very excited to work with Wayne Rooney and Manchester United to bring the big match to our global audience via Facebook Live.
“Facebook is the world’s largest community of football fans, and we know these fans will enjoy helping Wayne celebrate his twelve years with Manchester United while competing against his boyhood team.”
