The biggest football stadium in the world will be mobile and social this June, Facebook Inc. said on Friday.

Ms Elizma Nolte, Facebook’s Head of Business Marketing for Sub-Saharan Africa, made the prediction in a statement.

According to her, the benefit of the mobile and social stadium to marketers is not only about scale but delivery to a massive audience.

“It will give an opportunity to get under the skin of football fans and engage with them directly,’’ the official said.

“It is an unprecedented opportunity for marketers to engage with people about a subject they are truly passionate about.

“Looking back at what happened in 2014 in Brazil, more than 350 million people on Facebook shared an astonishing three billion posts, comments, and likes related to the tournament.

“The final between Germany and Argentina remains the most talked about event on Facebook ever.

“This year’s event in Russia will no doubt be even bigger,’’ she said.

Nolte said that since 2014, global Facebook daily average users had grown by 60 per cent, with an impressive growth in Africa as more people connected to the Internet via smartphones.

“We know that users love interacting with sports, of which football is by far the most followed,” she said.

Nolte said more than 500 million people worldwide across Facebook and Instagram showed love for the beautiful game by following their heroes, football clubs and discussing the game.

“When it comes to sport, the television in the lounge or local pub is not the only screen that matters these days, sports fans are watching their favorite teams and tournaments on multiple devices, especially their smartphones.

“Because mobile has no off switch, users are engaging with sports, not just during the big matches or opening and closing ceremonies,’’ she said.
Nolte said that mobile was breaking down the barriers between people and their heroes.

She noted that mobile had also evolved into the largest video platform.

“This is especially true for sports, where fans are uploading and watching a huge amount of videos during major football tournaments.

“Videos uploaded to Facebook during Euro 2016 generated nearly 1 billion views.

“Video is how people today communicate with each other and how they expect brands to communicate with them, too.

“Short videos or even a moving image is the best way to capture attention at this point. (NAN)

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