Only available to people with a ‘verified’ page.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: Facebook introduced a new feature Wednesday that allows public figures and celebrities to live stream video to their fans.
The new facet of its social media empire is called “Live” and is part of the Mentions app that is only available to celebrities with a verified page.
According to Variety, 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.
“Our goal with Facebook Mentions is to give public figures tools to connect with their fans authentically,” said product manager Vadim Lavrusik in a statement. “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.”
If Live turns out to be a successful venture, it’s possible the social media giant may consider a roll-out for the public at large as well.
“We think this would be an awesome experience for both public figures and also users,” Lavrusik told TechCrunch as he evaded a question about when laymen will be able to live stream themselves. “We want to get feedback from both public figures and viewers as we evolve the product.”
Variety reported that Facebook is starting with celebrities because they’re huge sources of traffic for the website. According to the company, more than 900 million people are connected to actors, athletes, musicians, politicians, and other influencers on Facebook.