via The Guardian:

Ascot v Wembley sounds more like a corporate ligger’s spring dilemma than anything else, but on Friday it will become a pioneering event. Ascot United v Wembley FC, an extra-preliminary FA Cup qualifying-round fixture, will be the first match to be streamed live on Facebook.

The clash between the Yellamen and the Lions, of the Hellenic Football League Premier Division and the Combined Counties League Premier Division respectively – both from the ninth tier of the pyramid – will take place at United’s 1,150-capacity home, within the grounds of the Berkshire town’s famous racecourse.

A Friday-night match between the two would normally attract about 90 paying spectators but now it has been picked by Budweiser, the FA Cup’s new title sponsor, to feature on the social networking site, it could reach an audience of 700 million.

The brewer’s UK marketing director, Iain Newell, said the company had chosen the match because it is keen to show the first peep of the referee’s whistle in the 2011-12 tournament, to mark the beginning of its £24m, three-year deal.

“The FA Cup started 140 years ago this year,” he said. “And what better way to demonstrate our commitment than by broadcasting the very first kick to a global audience via Facebook.”