*By Conor White*
Now that Portugal has been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo needs a new job, and Facebook could be stepping in.
The company is reportedly in talks with the soccer superstar for a 13-episode reality show on its 'Watch' platform, but not everyone thinks it will work.
"It's amazing to me that Facebook is willing to drop so much money on original programming," said Taylor Lorenz, staff writer at The Atlantic. "I think they're spending like $10 million reportedly on this. I don't think it'll bring people in."
In an interview Friday on Cheddar, Lorenz noted that even if this series happens, Facebook needs to reassess its approach to 'Watch'.
"To me, they're still trying to force this behavior of going there and treating it as a TV experience down users' throats."
With over 120 million fans on the platform, Ronaldo is the single most followed athlete on Facebook, so it's safe to assume a show starring him would at least attract international viewers, but they may not have the capability to properly watch it.
"One of the problems with international markets is they don't have the data streaming speed to watch these long shows," explained Lorenz. "Even my phone on my New York City WiFi can be buffering sometimes, I can't get through the whole show. So I think as they move into long form content, they really need to focus on the usability of it and making it work."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/welcome-to-local-twitter)
Professional hockey has recently been facing difficult questions about diversity and the treatment of its players. Commissioner Gary Bettman talked to Cheddar about the work the NHL is doing to reverse its problems.
Michelle McKenna, the NFL's first chief information officer, joined Cheddar to discuss sports, technology, and breaking glass ceilings in male-dominated industries.
Durant and business partner Rich Kleiman's VC, Thirty Five Ventures, has joined the strategic advisory board of cannabis-focused venture capital firm Canopy Rivers.
Jerry Jones and his storied football franchise, the Dallas Cowboys, are giving to the needy through the Salvation Army over the holidays, and hoping the team gets going in its traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
Sam's Club partnered with Allyson Felix and Usain Bolt to promote its updated proprietary technology "Scan and Go" that lets shoppers keep track of items they want to purchase and skip the checkout line.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, November 27, 2019.
J. Michael Prince, U.S. Polo Assn. CEO, told Cheddar that the brand is behind on growing in the e-commerce space, but have plans to change that.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, November 26, 2019.
The NBA is continuing its push into the sports betting market. The league announced on Cheddar Friday that it inked a deal with UK-based bet365, bringing its total partnerships with sports betting operators to five.
The NBA is continuing its push into the sports betting market. On Friday, the league announced on Cheddar that it inked a deal with UK-based Bet365, bringing its total partnerships with sports betting operators to five.
