Facebook Live was Facebook’s live-broadcasting feature launched in 2016.
Facebook Live allowed people, Pages, and public figures to transmit video in real time to audiences on Facebook. Viewers could react and comment during a broadcast, creating an interactive format rather than a simple uploaded video. The feature became available more broadly after earlier testing with celebrities and selected users.
Live video became part of Facebook’s wider push into online video. Facebook later added tools for publishers, businesses, events, gaming, and other broadcasters. Live broadcasts could also be saved and watched after the real-time event ended.
Facebook Watch is often confused with Facebook Live, but the two names describe different products. Watch was a video-discovery destination for shows, creators, and other video content. Live referred specifically to broadcasting in real time. Facebook Live also predates Meta’s later emphasis on virtual reality and other immersive media.