E! will launch today its first studio-based production created exclusively for Facebook Live, the social network’s nascent live-streaming platform.
The series, Live From E!, which launched online in 2013 and is hosted by a rotating group of E! News talent including Jason Kennedy, Maria Menounos, and Catt Sadler, will now broadcast via E!’s Facebook page, which currently counts about 9 million ‘likes.’ The 15-20 minute show will run daily at 12:30 p.m. and is also available on eonline.com and on the E! Online app.
Production for the series has been revamped for Facebook, said E!, which is owned by NBCUniversal. The single-camera show will be shot entirely on an iPhone 6s Plus with studio quality audio sent directly through the phone. Additionally, a new desk and 60-inch monitor have been added to the set to better suit a mobile format. Viewers can submit questions and comments on Facebook leading up to the show, which the hosts will address on-air.
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Facebook has been amping up its Live video initiatives exponentially in recent weeks. The company recently said it had tweaked an algorithm so that users would be seeing a lot more live videos, noting that users spend 3x more time watching a Live video that’s actually live.
Additionally, Facebook is offering certain celebrities six-figure sums to broadcast live on its service. COO Sheryl Sandberg reportedly met with talent agencies in Los Angeles earlier this month to cull roughly 100 Hollywood stars, comedians, and digital influencers to start using the service regularly.