Facebook Level Up Streaming Program Introduced in 21 Countries

• Facebook is continuing its efforts to dethrone Twitch with its new Level Up program.
• The program is designed to help streamers make extra money from their content.
• Virtual goods are up for grabs for fans who support their streamers.

When it comes to online gaming, Twitch is the undisputed king for streamers. With years of no real competition, Facebook seeks to step into the scene with its new Level Up program. The social media giant now has its presence in 21 countries and is trying to help streamers connect with the gaming community on Facebook.

Streamers who partner with Facebook will be to make extra money through Facebook Stars. Facebook Stars is similar to Twitch Bits. It is a form of virtual currency that can be used on any channel on the platform and users can donate as many bits as they want to their favorite streamers. Facebook’s Level Up program will offer the Stars feature only to partnered users similar to how Twitch offers many of its services to Twitch Partners only.

Level Up streamers will also be able to stream at 1080p/60fps while others will be restricted to lower resolutions. Partnered streamers will also get to customize their dashboard, get early access to unreleased features and products and the platform will actively promote partnered streamers as well.

Facebook’s past efforts in gaming have been less than promising. The social media giant signed a major deal with ESL One to broadcast a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament series, but it did not net particularly good viewership. Most fans blame the lack of traction on Facebook due to Twitch’s dominance. The Amazon-owned website has been at the top despite companies like Microsoft and YouTube trying to break into the video game streaming scene for years.

To be eligible for the Level Up program users need to create a Gaming Video Creator Page and stream for at least 4 hours on two days prior to a partnership request. Users also need to have at least 100-page followers and need to be from one of the eligible countries to be approved for partnership.

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