Facebook scores streaming deal with Major League Soccer in its quest to build video empire

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Major League Soccer in the US is coming to Facebook.

At least 22 matches from the 2017 regular season will be live-streamed for free in the US via the Univision Deportes Facebook page, MLS announced on Friday.

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The streams will show specific angles for mobile phones and feature "Facebook-specific commentators, interactive graphics, and fan Q&A and polling features." The MLS Facebook page will also stream 40 Facebook-only "Matchday Live" shows that feature highlight reels of past games and commentator analysis.

Facebook's deal with MLS underscores the social network's effort to become a destination for longer, more premium video content. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described video as a "mega-trend" for the company, and Facebook recently released a standalone TV app for watching videos.

Besides inking sports partnerships, Facebook is seeking to bankroll original shows in categories like pop culture, science, and teens, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal and Digiday.

Facebook has pitched entertainment companies on creating shows around the 30-minute mark, a person familiar with the discussions told Business Insider. The social network wants to show shorter clips in the News Feed that drive viewers to watch longer shows in the Facebook app's standalone video tab, the person said.