Facebook’s Master Plan to Win the Game Streaming War
It’s not just about throwing massive contracts at top streaming talent
When Facebook launched its gaming creator program in January 2018, the reaction was muted. Facebook Watch, the company’s attempt to take on YouTube, had largely flopped, even in spite of increasingly desperate attempts to get users to click on the tab (the company eventually allowed users to turn off the infamous red dots in November 2019). And there was little indication that Facebook Gaming, even with influential players streaming their gameplay via the creator program, would ever be any different.
And yet two years later, Facebook is the fastest-growing live game streaming platform in the world, with 210% growth in the number of hours watched in the last year, according to StreamElements, a provider of livestream tools and services that regularly monitors the streaming market. It now has an 8.5% share of the game streaming market, compared to just 3.1% a year ago.
Facebook Gaming works like Twitch: Anyone can stream a game through the platform provided they have the right equipment and software, while a select number of streamers — those who belong to the creator program — can monetize their content by asking their fans to subscribe for $4.99 a month or give them “stars,” the…
