Facebook Live lets celebrities broadcast live video

Facebook has become much more than just a social network for connecting with friends and family, evolving into a way to get in touch with companies and even celebrities. Today the site announces that celebrities are now able to share live video from the Facebook Mentions app directly to fans.

Regular Facebook users need do nothing more than follow the celebrities they are interested in, and any live video that is broadcasting by someone they follow will appear in their news feed. While comparable to the likes of Periscope and Meekat, Facebook Live is not a direct competitor as it is only available to those with verified accounts -- but it also has features that neither of these services offer.

There is already the promise of broadcasts from the likes of Martha Stewart, Michael Bublé, and Serena Williams, but Facebook Live's killer feature -- apart from the massive audience possibilities -- is video archiving. While Periscope and Meerkat delete video streams immediately or after a short delay, it is down to the broadcaster to decide whether a Facebook Live video should be removed or not. By default, live video is stored so that it can be watched back at a later time by those who missed it the first time around.

Facebook Live is introduced as a more immersive way to interact with an audience:

Starting today, public figures can share live video from Facebook Mentions, the app that makes it easy for athletes, musicians, politicians and other influencers to talk with their fans and each other. You can discover these live videos from public figures you follow in your News Feed. You can comment on, like or share the video while watching a live broadcast. You can also see when your friends or other public figures start watching.

It's not clear if Facebook Live will ever filter down to the likes of you and I. For the foreseeable future it's a celeb-only zone.