Facebook to pay about $2.2mn to celebrities for live content

In a bid to popularize its Live Video function, Facebook has put together a war chest of about $2.2 million to pay internet stars, besides celebrities, over several months to post videos on the platform.

Last month, Facebook agreed to pay nearly 140 media companies, celebrities—including Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown ($244,000), Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps ($224,000) and “Star Trek” actor George Takei ($114,000)—and others more than $50 million to create videos for Facebook Live. The bulk of the money is going to media companies such as BuzzFeed and New York Times Co.

About 15 percent of the recipients are internet celebrities, who have gained popularity on YouTube, Twitter’s video-sharing platform Vine, Snapchat,and Instagram. However, Facebook’s vice president of global operations and media partnerships Justin Osofsky clarifies that the deals are not meant to poach artists from other platforms, but is rather just to encourage experimentation on Facebook Live.

Of the $50 million, Facebook has committed to paying about $2.2 million during several months to these internet video creators, who have broadcast everything from the “dancing fountains” in Dubai to dance parties in the south of France.

Celebrities like Ray William Johnson, who is the highest-paid internet celebrity well-known for his YouTube series The “Equals Three Show”, stands to make about $224,000 in about 5 months with Facebook Live.

Internet influencers are paid as much as $150,000 for promotional posts on Instagram also. However Facebook, which owns Instagram, doesn’t get a cut of those deals. YouTube, in 2011, also paid more than $100 million to media companies, Hollywood production companies, and online-video creators to create “channels” on the site. YouTube no longer pays creators directly but offers them a share of revenue from advertising that accompanies their videos.