Facebook's new Venue app aims to connect fans, commentators during live events
The app will focus on sporting events, starting with NASCAR.
Facebook's app-focused New Product Experimentation (NPE) team on Friday released a second-screen companion app, called Venue, aimed at connecting fans and commentators during live events in a new interactive way.
During a live event, commentators can host a venue on the app where they can provide commentary and post interactive questions and polls.
Venue also lets commentators open up chats around event highlights by creating what Venue calls "moments." Fans are notified when a new moment is created so they can hop between the app and event.
The app is initially focused on sporting events, starting with NASCAR races.
"NASCAR has been one of the first sports to return to live action in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," product lead Manish Gaudi said in a release on Friday. "With fans currently unable to attend races, Venue is an excellent way for people to experience NASCAR together and share in all of the high-octane action."
Venue is available on iOS and Android in the US. The NPE team earlier this week also launched CatchUp, an experimental app for voice calls, and a Tik-Tok inspired music-making app called Collab.