The NFL has renewed its deal with Facebook through the '20 season, expanding further beyond its roots of in game highlights into new content ideas. Along with continuing the highlights, the deal calls for the NFL to create Facebook Groups for fans interested in particular content themes and post relevant video content there. The league also will host a weekly “Watch Party” around a game recap -- a live event built around game highlights where fans can analyze, debate and relive the prior weekend’s games together in real time. Facebook and the NFL first signed a content deal in '17. Since last year, consumption of the game recaps grew 30%, and the social media giant expects that trend to continue. Facebook believes the NFL is a crucial component to its further growth as a video streaming site, and the NFL has used Facebook to grow fandom in new markets such as Germany and the U.K. “Everyone knows the NFL is a core component of Americana,” said Facebook Head of League & Media Sports Partnerships Rob Shaw. The league will provide clips of NFL Network-produced news and analysis, video versions of NFL posts, “Around the NFL” and “Move the Sticks,” archived NFL Films content centered around the league’s 100th season.
