Facebook Gaming announced today the launch of the Black Gaming Creator Program, with $10 million in funding over the next two years.
The effort will support the Black gaming community and equip its next generation of creators (that is, livestreamers or influencers) with funding and resources to express their creativity on Facebook Gaming, and a path to become a partnered gaming creator with the platform. It’s one of a number of programs to help Black game industry in the wake of this summer’s #BlackLivesMatter unrest and the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. This particular effort addresses streamers and content creators, as opposed to developers.
Among those participating is KingRichard, a Facebook Gaming creator, who said that growing up as a new streamer is tough. He said the support from family, community, and Facebook is really important. Most people in this category have to learn by doing, and advice and mentorship are really important for fostering and teaching creators.
The investment is designed to offer creators the opportunity to grow their communities and build businesses with access to funding, mentorship opportunity, and other resources. For those admitted into the program, Facebook can offer an official partnership to make these Black creators into partners, adding Facebook Partner Badges to their Facebook Gaming pages. It can also offer early access to new streaming features and tools designed to help creators grow their community on the platform.
Creators in this program will also take part in regular feedback sessions with Facebook’s product teams. The creators can also get access to a private Facebook Group with members of the Facebook Gaming team, access to exclusive Gaming Concierge Support, and invites to all digital and, eventually, in-person gaming events. Facebook will also hold bi-monthly summits focused on mentorship and training featuring established Black Gaming Creators.
And it will help creators with monetization using Stars, Fan Subscriptions & Live Ads (creators must meet the platform’s integrity based requirements for each product). And it will offer guaranteed monthly pay.
This announcement builds on the $200 million commitment that Facebook made earlier this year to support Black-owned businesses and organizations, which was part of a broader $1.1 billion investment in Black and diverse suppliers and communities in the US. It also comes on the heels of Facebook and Instagram committing $25 million to Black creators to better support the Black community through a broader Creator program, We the Culture.
Facebook’s Leo Olebe hopes this helps encourage more people to express their creativity through gaming. (Olebe is a speaker at our January 26 event on Driving Game Growth).
“I just want to help move the games industry forward and we do it by providing opportunities for people who have been previously underserved,” Olebe said.
