The 2015 NBA Finals had over 98 million video views. There are 33 NBA players with more than one million fans on Facebook, led by LeBron James with 33 million fans; these are staggering numbers that the NBA could not ignore. Since working with Facebook in 2007, the NBA has been able to target more fans. And with social media becoming a major marketing tool for sports leagues, the NBA can now look forward to expanding their brand to a bigger audience.
Together, the NBA and Facebook will be hosting the first live sports broadcast on Facebook, “NBA Real Training Camp”. The program will highlight training camps in Minnesota, Milwaukee, Memphis as well as Cleveland Cavaliers who executed a broadcast today.
NBA TV’s Vince Cellini and Mike Fratello, a former Cavaliers coach, were the anchors of the Cavs training camp. The broadcast included interviews with players, coaches and front office personnel. Going forward, fans can expect insider information as the NBA season is beginning.
“We have a long history with Facebook and are excited to team up with them for another first of its kind initiative, as we bring the excitement of Real Training Camp with head coach David Blatt, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to an even broader audience,” general manager of NBA Digital, Albert Vertino, said. “Our goal is to provide the most compelling content for our fans any way they choose to consume it, and this initiative will expand the visibility of this quality daytime programming.”
“NBA Real Training Camp” will be made commercially available to the public. It will also run on NBA TV and on the NBA website. It will be a great opportunity not only for the NBA, but for other leagues to expand their name to more fans via Facebook’s worldwide platform.