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MLS unveils deal to stream games live on Facebook

Major League Soccer will stream at least 22 games live on Facebook this season.

The league announced a deal on Friday where the games slated to air on Univision Deportes in Spanish will also air on Facebook Live in English.

English announcers are already available on Univision broadcasts via the SAP button, but the games on Facebook will feature commentators specifically for the stream, as well as interactive graphics and polls.

In a statement, MLS Busiess Ventures president Gary Stevenson said the league is "working with all of our partners on making sure our games, and additional content, get to our fans anytime, anywhere, and on any device."

The first match to be streamed on Facebook will be March 18 as Atlanta United hosts the Chicago Fire.

As part of the deal, MLS will also produce 40 "Matchday Live" shows with highlights and analysis on game days.

The move to online streaming is the latest between sports leagues and social network platforms. It follows a similar one announced last month between Univision and Liga MX that will see 46 Mexican league games broadcast on the social network platform.

The NFL last year began streaming its 10 Thursday Night Football games live on Twitter.