Meta is testing a new livestreaming platform for influencers called “Super,” according to a report from Business Insider. The new platform allows influencers to host livestreams, earn revenue and engage with viewers. The company has reportedly paid influencers 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.
“Super is a small, standalone experiment being built by New Product Experimentation (NPE) and currently testing with a small group of creators,” a Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch in an email.
Business Insider reports that Meta has recently reached out to multiple creators asking them to try out the new project. The platform, which looks to have similar functionality to Twitch, is currently being tested with fewer than 100 creators, 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 included in the stream. Viewers can also leave a tip for livestreamers. The report indicates that creators pocket 100% of the tips and revenue earned through the tiered system.
“Right now, it’s web only,” a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. “They have been testing it very quietly for about two years. The end goal [of NPE projects] is ultimately creating the next standalone project that could be part of the Meta family of products.”
Meta’s early testing of Super comes as the company recently announced that Facebook is shutting down its live shopping feature on October 1 to shift its focus to Reels. Livestream video shopping became publicly available on Facebook two years ago, following a series of smaller trials and beta tests. A live shopping platform could have ultimately served as a significant revenue stream for Facebook, thanks to selling fees applied at checkout.
Livestream shopping is becoming increasingly popular in Asia, and particularly in China. However, because Facebook and TikTok are both walking back their live shopping plans, it seems that general consumer awareness and adoption of live video shopping is still low outside of Asia.
However, the early testing of Super shows that Meta believes there’s a market for a livestream platform for influencers and creators. Meta is still in the early testing phase for the platform, and will likely tweak it according to feedback from creators.
Facebook is shutting down its live shopping feature on October 1
