Facebook is getting ready to destroy Twitter’s new app, Periscope.
According to reports, Facebook has unveiled a new live-broadcasting feature for famous people like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Serena Williams as a new way to connect with their fans.
Currently, live-streaming video on Facebook is only available for celebrities and public figures who have been verified by Facebook.
According to the company, stars planning to hold live broadcasts on the service include the Rock, Serena Williams, Luke Bryan, Ricardo Kaka, Ashley Tisdale, Lester Holt, Martha Stewart, Michael Bublé and WWE’s Paul “Triple H” Levesque. Users can tune in to watch live, and ask questions during the broadcast — which the celebrity host can respond to immediately.
“Our goal with Facebook Mentions is to give public figures tools to connect with their fans authentically,” said product manager Vadim Lavrusik. “Video is some of the most authentic content we’ve seen, and being able to interact with a public figure in real time is such an intimate experience.”
The point of adding this service is to increase the time users spend on Facebook and therefore, add more ads.
Facebook has a created a strategy to expand video consumption, and recently announced a trial of a related-videos feature that will share ad revenue with publishers for the first time just like YouTube.
Celebrities live video will show in the News Feed of fans who follow these public figures on Facebook, and users who have recently interacted with their posts will also receive a message when a broadcast begins. After the broadcast has ended, the video will be saved. on a celeb’s page.
