Facebook will broadcast FA Cup tomorrow

SOCIAL NETWORKING OUTFIT Facebook will stream its first football match tomorrow night, the opening game of this season's FA Cup.

Hosted and funded by new FA Cup sponsor Budweiser, the match will be between non-league sides Ascot United and Wembley. Although the game does not feature high profile teams, it will make broadcasting history by being the first to be shown on Facebook.

Budweiser said on its Facebook page, "Budweiser is hosting the first ever live stream of The FA Cup on Facebook this Friday. Just come back here to watch."

The match will be streamed on Budweiser's Facebook page for free but being a producer of alcohol users must be ages 18 or above. The game could potentially reach over 700 million people, even though Ascot's ground only holds just over 1,000.

It is unclear whether any following matches will be shown on Facebook but it could be the latest way to watch football, especially if fans enjoy chatting about it online as it happens. There isn't much football to choose from tomorrow night so it could be worth a shout.

Mike Harrison, chairman of Ascot United told The FA, "To be involved in the first game of The FA Cup this season is an honour in itself, but to be part of a world first and have our match broadcast to a massive global audience is fantastic for our club." µ