Facebook has a new interactive hub for sports fans to huddle up during the big game.
Facebook Sports Stadium, available now on the iPhone app and due within the Facebook Web application by the Super Bowl, is a virtual live sports information center for chatting about sports and getting real-time updates.
"You can follow the action as the game unfolds with a live play-by-play, and even like, comment, and share individual plays," says Facebook product manager Steve Kafka in a blog post on Facebook's site. "You can also get up to speed quickly with live scores and the most discussed plays. It's a second-screen experience that we hope makes watching the broadcast even better."
Facebook has about 650 million sports fans and many "already turn to Facebook to celebrate, commiserate, and talk trash with their friends and other fans," Kafka said. The Sports Stadium "is a place devoted to sports so you can get the feeling you’re watching the game with your friends even when you aren’t together," he said.
Initially, the Sports Stadium will only tee up NFL games with the AFC and NFC championship games this Sunday and the Super Bowl, coming up on Feb. 7. But international coverage of basketball, soccer and other sports is planned. A version for Android devices is also in the works.
"Sports are inherently social, and major events like the World Cup, Super Bowl and NBA Finals drive massive social conversation on Facebook today," said Dan Reed, Facebook's Head of Global Sports Partnerships, in an email interview. "We’ve brought all your friends into one dedicated space, along with all of the best game-related content from across Facebook, to create a uniquely social, engaging and informative real-time second screen experience for every major sport across the globe."
Features include videos and a live scoreboard and game clock, statistics and scoring summaries and the ability to like, comment and share every play. A Friends tab lets you see what your pals are saying about the game; an Experts tab will have posts from analysts, athletes and others.
The inherently social nature of sports already drives fans to Facebook, which had 350 million users connect on the social network during the World Cup, Reed says. "The Facebook Sports Stadium is designed to further enhance this second screen experience on Facebook by giving sports fans the feeling they're watching the game with their friends in real-time, even when they’re not together," he said. "It’s a great way to stay connected to the game and the conversation no matter where you are.