Companies will now be able to monetize online events on Facebook, thanks to a new feature that the social network is launching today in the United States and 19 other countries.
In a phone call with reporters, Facebook app manager Fidji Sumo said that Facebook's Events feature was designed for in-person events, but with the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting social distancing orders, the company "pivoted very quickly" to support online events.
Sumo said that live broadcasts on Facebook pages doubled in June this year compared to the same period in 2019.
Sumo also outlined the new feature in a Facebook blog post. Businesses will be able to host larger events via Facebook Live, and the company is also testing the ability to host smaller, more interactive meetings in Messenger Rooms. The goal is to give entrepreneurs the ability to create the event, set the price, promote the event, collect payment and host the event from one place.
Apparently some of the paid events that have already been organized during early user tests include talks, trivia, podcast recordings, boxing matches, cooking classes, meet-and-greets, and fitness classes.
"With social distancing mandates still in place, many companies and creators are bringing their events and services online to connect with existing customers and reach new ones," Sumo wrote. "People also rely more on live video and interactive experiences when they can't physically come together."
Sumo said Facebook will not collect any fees from paid online events for at least next year. So, on the web and on Android "in the countries where we have implemented Facebook Pay," companies should be able to retain 100% of online event revenue. However, that won't be the case on iOS, and Sumo's blog post includes a surprisingly straightforward dig at Apple:
We asked Apple to reduce the App Store fee by 30% or allow us to offer Facebook Pay so that we can absorb all the costs for companies in difficulty during COVID-19. Unfortunately, they rejected both of our claims and SMEs will only receive 70% of their hard-earned income. As this is complicated, as long as Facebook waives its commissions, we will make all commissions clear in our products.
To that end, the post also includes an iOS screenshot ("which we sent to Apple today for approval") showing that the buy button will include a small text message that says "Apple takes 30% of this purchase" under the buy button (vs. "Facebook doesn't take a commission from this purchase" on Android).