Social media company Facebook has made the latest effort to step up its presence in the video content market by hiring Matthew Henick, head of the entertainment studio of internet media firm BuzzFeed.
Henick becomes head of content planning and strategy at Facebook’s media partnerships division. He will report to Nick Grudin, Facebook’s vice-president of media partnerships.
Announcing the move, Henick wrote in a Facebook post: “Facebook is just setting out on its journey to become a new kind of video platform for the world, and the opportunity to tag along was just too good to pass up.
“As media learns to wield the advantages of the digital world, a completely new video experience is emerging on mobile, with a potential for social and interactivity that we’re only beginning to tap. Facebook is in an amazing position to offer that. It’s a clear extension of the company’s mission to bring the world closer together.”
Facebook has been steadily ramping up its presence in the sports market. The company last month signed deals with Marca Claro, the joint digital media venture between the Spanish media group and the subsidiary of Latin American telco América Móvil, and international sports broadcaster Eurosport for the 2018 winter Olympic Games.
Under the Marca Claro deal, Facebook secured rights to the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games in Latin America. The deal covers Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Eurosport linked up with Facebook in a move designed to enhance its digital coverage of the Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Daily highlights, clips and interviews from Eurosport’s Olympic coverage were posted on the broadcaster’s official Facebook page in key European markets, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Norway.