
On Wednesday, Facebook announced that the company will soon roll out a live streaming feature, allowing actors, musicians and other celebrities a way to connect with their fans. Facebook product manager Vadim Lavrusik said in a blog post:
"Starting today, public figures can share live video from Facebook Mentions, the app that makes it easy for athletes, musicians, politicians and other influencers to talk with their fans and each other. You can comment on, like or share the video while watching a live broadcast. You can also see when your friends or other public figures start watching."
He said that the new feature would be an immersive and authentic way to connect with the public figures you care about, in real-time. He added that the videos would be available for viewing later for fans who missed them.
Facebook Live Streaming service is being looked as Facebook's attempt to compete with live streaming from Twitter's Periscope and the independent Meerkat app, both of which launched this year.
The feature is currently being used by renowned celebrities including actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, tennis star Serena Williams, country music star Luke Bryan, Brazilian footballer Ricardo Kaka, actress Ashley Tisdale, NBC journalist Lester Holt, style maven Martha Stewart and singer Michael Buble.