Facebook has recently announced its decision not to extend the agreement to broadcast the Copa Libertadores and the Champions League in Latin America. In the case of the Copa Libertadores, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) has officially awarded Facebook the rights to broadcast the competition in October 2018. The agreement was valid until 2022.

As officially reported from Facebook, the decision takes place due to a change in the platform’s  strategy. ‘Despite the results of our live sports content, we do not plan to extend our current large broadcast rights agreements. We remain committed to working together with our partners at UEFA and Conmebol to deliver excellent experiences for fans and brands until the end of the current Champions League and Copa Libertadores season’, reported Leo Lenz Cesar, Director of Sports Alliances at Facebook in Latin America.

However, despite the decision, the executive clarified that live sports will not disappear from Facebook. ‘We believe that live sports can and should have a place on the platform. Our new focus aims to expand the range of sports formats and content available on Facebook to help fans connect and interact, and companies to generate income through our monetization tools’, they reported from Facebook.

The social network also reported that more than 1.25 billion people use the Facebook Watch platform each month and views of live sports content on Facebook increased 74% in 2020 compared to the previous year. Likewise, audiences almost tripled during the Champions League final, which became the most watched football match in Facebook’s history, and saw a 48% growth in the number of views during the 2020 season of the Copa Libertadores.