Facebook will now pay people to create Live videos

Facebook will begin paying people to use their video service.

(Image credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

published 21 June 2016

Some of your favorite celebrities will soon be coming directly to your Facebook timeline. Per a new deal between the social network and several content creators, including media companies and pop culture icons, Facebook will pay its partners to create content specifically for the burgeoning streaming interface of Facebook Live.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Facebook has signed "nearly 140 contracts totaling more than $50 million," including with outlets like The New York Times, Vox Media, and Tastemade. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and chef Gordon Ramsey are among Facebook's celebrity creators.

Facebook launched its Live feature in April, and the company is still tinkering with ways to monetize the medium, given that it does not quite adhere to the traditional advertiser model. "We have an early beta program for a relatively small number [of] partners," said Justin Osofsky, Facebook's vice president of global operations and media partnerships, in a statement. "We wanted to invite a broad set of partners so we could get feedback from a variety of different organizations about what works and what doesn't."