*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)
It was a thrilling finish for American snowboarder Shaun White. The athlete made history Tuesday night by becoming the first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals. USA Today sports reporter A.J. Perez weighs in on the significance of this moment.
Transgender athlete Chris Mosier says that times have changed, and there's less at risk for LGBT athletes to be their authentic selves when they compete.
Chipotle announces a new CEO. Dominos and Tinder and teaming up for Valentine's Day. The Director of National Intelligence sounds the alarm on Russia and the midterms elections. Sarah Kauss is the CEO of water bottle company S'well. Her small idea has turned into one of the most successful female-run businesses. Legal technology platform CannaRegs is on a mission to make sense of the legal landscape of marijuana for stakeholders in this growing space. Vermont Governor Phil Scott is asking legislators in his state to speed up equal pay legislation.
After a snowmobile accident during a professional competition in 2008 resulted in the amputation of his leg, Mike Schultz knew there was only one thing to do: find a way to continue competing in the sport that he loves. Ten years later, Mike is now a first-time Team USA and Paralympic Snowboarder. Schultz joined us to share more about his story and what motivates him to get up and get started each day.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Adam Rippon & The Official Johnny G. Weir win the Olympics. With SB Nation, UNO, PCMag, and more.
This is a big year for the Olympics, and in particular, for the LGBT community. The U.S. has its first two openly gay male athletes competing in the Winter Olympics.
The 2018 Winter Olympics are making history for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest stories out of Pyeongchang is the records that openly gay athletes are breaking almost every day. Figure skater Adam Rippon and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics, and they are doing it in style.
Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. But they're doing more than bringing home medals -- they might be changing the way America perceives the LGBT community.
On Between Bells: Infrastructure, budget, and John Kelly's future. Plus, major Olympic moments and the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue of the #MeToo era. With The Young Turks, Rare Media, The Daily Caller, Royal Canin, and more.
First-time Team USA and Paralympic snowboarder Mike Schultz started out as a motorcross and snowmobile racer. But through developing his own prosthetic, he got into a new sport and was able to launch a new career.
