Facebook has been pushing hard into mobile video in a few big ways. Every realm of it, from ads to virtual reality, has gotten some attention from Facebook, even going as far as the creation of a brand new social VR team, with the key exception of mobile live streaming. In a world dominated by the likes of Twitch and Periscope, it’s not hard to imagine new entrants having a bit of trouble gaining traction. When the new entrant is somebody as big as Facebook, however, that could very well change. With the rollout of live video streaming to their Android app not long ago, Facebook made a splash entry into the space. Android users had been able to watch live video for some time, but only with this update could they make their own streams straight from the Facebook app.
According to a recent announcement, Facebook is adding live video streaming to their Moments app. Moments, used to catch photos and videos friends took of you during events, is getting support for live video streaming on a rolling basis. Details were sparse, but it will likely work in much the same way Moments works now. Friends can tag each other, fire up the app and start a stream, and Moments users will be able to watch it. This move will be quite a boon for those friends who may want to watch a concert friends are attending, or have to sit out Karate class when a friend finally gets their chance to spar with the sensei, as well as a host of other situations that would just be more epic when seen live.
This update reflects another increase in Facebook’s focus on mobile video, making it quite clear they aim to eventually be a dominant player. Stealing views from YouTube has become a common aim for many mobile video providers and, so far, it seems that Facebook may just be the app for the job. Though they’re not exactly taking the mobile video world by storm just yet, there’s no telling what position they’ll be in a few months or perhaps a year from now.