Facebook buys real-time sports data company
Moves onto Twitter turf with start-up SportStream acquisition.
Facebook has acquired sports-related content tracking start-up SportStream for an undisclosed sum.
The move comes as the latest bid by the social networking firm to compete more effectively with rival Twitter.
SportStream collects real-time sports data from social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and then sells it to media companies, sports teams, leagues and others. These customers can then use this data on their media properties.
"We want to help people connect with their passion around sports, and the world more generally," Facebook's vice president of Media Partnerships and Global Operations Justin Osofsky wrote in a Facebook blog posting. "Through this acquisition, we expect to meaningfully improve the ability for all of our partners to access and utilise the insights from Facebook's tools and APIs."
"If there is something interesting going on, people are talking about it on Facebook. From favourite television shows to breaking news, these conversations are happening on Facebook," he added.
SportStream chief executive Bob Morgan wrote on the company's website that his company would continue to work with existing partners and "actively work with them on transition planning".
"We'll be scaling and further developing tools and resources to help many, many more partners going forward," he added.
Facebook has changed its service to users over the last few months in response to a growing threat from Twitter. It has introduced hashtags, trending topics and embedded posts in order to better compete with its rivals.
SportsStream was founded in 2012 and backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's venture firm, Vulcan Capital. The company's team will relocate to Facebook's Menlo Park campus.
-
Ransomware cartels are fragmenting into volatile splinter groups, warns Met Police cyber chiefNews Commoditized "cyber crime bazaars" and AI data mining are forcing law enforcement to rewrite its playbook
-
The channel is heading straight for an AI infrastructure wallIndustry Insights AI ambition is accelerating faster than channel infrastructures, however data architecture and enterprise readiness can support
-
B2B Tech Future Focus - 2026Whitepaper Advice, insight, and trends for modern B2B IT leaders
-
Future focus 2025: Technologies, trends, and transformationWhitepaper Actionable insight for IT decision-makers to drive business success today and tomorrow
-
B2B Tech Future Focus - 2024Whitepaper An annual report bringing to light what matters to IT decision-makers around the world and the future trends likely to dominate 2024
-
Six steps to success with generative AIWhitepaper A practical guide for organizations to make their artificial intelligence vision a reality
-
Who owns the data used to train AI?Analysis Elon Musk says he owns it – but Twitter’s terms and conditions suggest otherwise
-
The power of AI & automation: Productivity and agilitywhitepaper To perform at its peak, automation requires incessant data from across the organization and partner ecosystem
-
Operational efficiency and customer experience: Insights and intelligence for your IT strategyWhitepaper Insights from IT leaders on processes and technology, with a focus on customer experience, operational efficiency, and digital transformation
-
Sustainability at scale, accelerated by dataWhitepaper A methodical approach to ESG data management and reporting helps GPT blaze a trail in sustainability
