Facebook is upping the ante to seal its share of the booming online video market. It is giving Facebook Live, which offers streaming video in real
ADVERTISEMENTFacebook is upping the ante to seal its share of the booming online video market.
It is giving Facebook Live, which offers streaming video in real time, more prominence on its app.
It is also adding new features like an expanded search and filters and making it easier for users to comment in real time.
The move is Facebook’s biggest challenge yet to online rivals, including Twitter’s Periscope live-streaming service and Snapchat’s video features, as well as a potential threat to broadcast television.
While Facebook’s News Feed has long had videos, largely shared from other websites such as YouTube, the company had not heavily pushed its own video products.
brianstelter</a> loves the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fblive?src=hash">#fblive</a> <a href="https://t.co/aGDAaQfuJq">pic.twitter.com/aGDAaQfuJq</a></p>— John Colucci (johncolucci) 6 April 2016
Product head Chris Cox hosted a live video session on Wednesday to advertise the product, and said Facebook hopes it will be used for everything from intimate family moments, such as a baby’s first steps, celebrity-hosted question-and-answer sessions and breaking newscasts.
Facebook’s app now features Live prominently in the display bar for many users on iOS and Android, across 60 countries.
