*** ----> Facebook launches online portal to lure fans of eSports competitions | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Facebook launches online portal to lure fans of eSports competitions

Facebook has unveiled a portal devoted to streaming video game play and commentary as it ramped up its challenge to Amazon-owned Twitch and Google’s YouTube for eSports fans.

Gaming creator programme lead John Imah and product manager Nick Miller described the new venue online at fb.gg as a “gaming video destination” that Facebook recently began testing.

“People will be able to discover gaming video on our new destination based on creators and games they follow, pages they like and groups they belong to,” Imah and Miller said in a blog post.

Live and recorded gaming video are aggregated at the social network’s new portal, according to Imah and Miller.

They also announced new efforts aimed at cultivating and supporting people who create video game related video for viewing online. Facebook launched a gaming creator program at the start of this year. Digital content from video game industry events as well as eSports competitions will be among offerings at fb.gg.