philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Facebook Building Cameo-Inspired Tool to Let Fans Pay Celebrities for Face Time

Facebook Inc. is building a new video product that will let people pay content creators or celebrities for the chance to interact with them during a live broadcast.

The tool, called Super, will let creators, entrepreneurs or celebrities host live, interactive video events. Viewers can tip creators by buying them digital gifts, or pay to “appear” alongside a creator during the livestream to ask a question or take a selfie, according to a person familiar with the new feature, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the product hasn’t been announced publicly. Creators will also be able to sell merchandise or other products alongside the livestream.

Super is being developed within Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team, an internal group that builds standalone apps and other products. Super is still unreleased, but the company is testing it internally, a Facebook spokeswoman confirmed.

The concept behind Super could gain importance as more public figures look to connect with fans digitally during the pandemic. Cameo, an app that lets people pay celebrities to send a friend or family member a personalized video message, was valued at $300 million in mid-2019, according to Axios. 

See the full story here: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-15/facebook-building-tool-to-let-fans-pay-celebrities-for-face-time