Facebook introduced a new feature today that will allow public figures and celebrities to broadcast live stream’s via the Facebook Mentions app.
Facebook Mentions is an app that’s only available to famous athletes, musicians, politicians and other influencers. Through this app these public figures can broadcast live video in a way that’s similar to Periscope and Meerkat.
You’ll be able to engage with the live broadcasts just as you would any other Facebook post — and you’ll be able to see when one of your friends is watching a live broadcast so you can jump in and watch it with them.
Facebook describes this new feature, called Live, as “an immersive and authentic way to connect with the public figures you care about, in real-time.”
If you aren’t able to watch the live broadcast you will be able to watch it later, as a recording will be kept on the person’s Page.
While this feature is only available to a very limited amount of Facebook users at this point, it does represent Facebook’s first step into the realm of personal live broadcasting.
If Live turns out to be a breakout success for Facebook, then perhaps the company will look to roll out live broadcasting to all users.
A move like that would certainly spell trouble for leading live broadcasting apps Meerkat and Periscope. On the other hand the Facebook app has always been a bit light on features for video publishers — live video recording might be the most natural next step to take.
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