Facebook Breaks Into Live Video With Celeb-Only Streams
Video has become a priority at Facebook, and now the social network has entered the live streaming field, as well. Facebook isn't offering live video streaming for everyone, though—only the verified celebs. Yesterday, Variety broke the news that celebs including Dwayne Johnson and Serena Williams are streaming live.
The broadcasting feature is available in the Facebook Mentions app. When a verified celeb live streams the video appears in the News Feed of his or her Facebook followers, as well as anyone who has recently engaged with a post from that celeb. Once the live broadcast ends, it's automatically archived on the celeb's Facebook page. The celeb has the option of deleting it, however. Fans are able to ask questions during a live stream.
Facebook says that Luke Bryan, Martha Stewart, Michael Bublé, and others are planning to live stream with Facebook in the near future.
TechCrunch asked Facebook's manager for live video, Vadim Lavrusik, when the feature would be rolled out to all users. Expect it after Facebook gets feedback from both celebs and viewers so it can evolve the product.
Lavrusik said that one reason celebs should live stream with Facebook instead of Periscope or Meerkat is that their videos won't disappear. Periscope videos last for 24 hours and Meerkat videos are deleted immediately.
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