According to Business Insider, Meta is testing a new live streaming platform called “Super” for weblebrities. The new platform allows weblebrities to host live broadcasts, earn income and interact with viewers. The company has reportedly paid some weblebrities between $200 and $3,000 to use the platform for 30 minutes. Super entered development in late 2020 and is currently being built by Meta’s new product experimentation team.
A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an email, “Super is a small, standalone experiment being built by New Product Experimentation (NPE) and is currently being tested with a small group of creators.”
Business Insider reports that Meta recently reached out to multiple creators asking them to try out the new project. The platform, which looks similar to Twitch’s functionality, currently has less than 100 creators in beta testing, including tech influencer Andru Edwards and TikTok star Vienna Skye.
The platform currently operates on a tiered system where viewers pay for access to features in the stream. Viewers can also leave a tip for the streamer. The report notes that creators pocket 100 percent of the tips and revenue earned through the tiered system.
“Right now, it’s web-only,” a spokesperson for Meta told Business Insider. “They’ve been testing it very quietly for about two years. the ultimate goal of the NPE project is to eventually create the next standalone project that can be part of Meta’s product line part of the Meta product line.”
Meta’s early tests of Super come after the company recently announced that Facebook will shut down its live shopping feature on Oct. 1, shifting its focus to Reels. Live video shopping became publicly available on Facebook two years ago after a series of smaller trials and tests. The live shopping platform could eventually become a significant revenue stream for Facebook thanks to the sales fees charged at checkout.
Live shopping is becoming increasingly popular in Asia. However, as both Facebook and TikTok have retracted their live shopping plans, it appears that general consumer awareness and adoption of live video shopping remains low outside of Asia.
However, early testing by Super shows that Meta believes there is a market for a live streaming platform for weblebrities and creators. Meta is still in the early testing stages of the platform and may make adjustments based on feedback from creators.
