How do Facebook Gaming streamers make money?

Facebook Gaming has grown exponentially over the past year. And with more people watching the platform than ever, there are several ways that content creators can monetize their page. 

But to make money through Facebook Gaming’s tools, you’ll first need to meet the requirements of the platform’s Partner Monetization Policies.

There are a handful of requirements to monetize on Facebook. They include:

• Creating content on an eligible Facebook page
• Residing in an eligible country
• Following Community Standards
• Following the Content Monetization Policies
• Sharing authentic content
• Sharing original content
• Monetizing authentic engagement
• Following payment terms
• Following Page, Group and Event terms
• Developing an established presence

Perhaps the most difficult of these for a budding content creator to prove is an “established presence.” According to Facebook’s policies, you must have a presence on the platform for 90 days to gain access to things like in-stream ads. 

In addition, streamers must maintain a “sufficient follower base, indicated by your Facebook followers.” Unlike the way Twitch’s monetization policies work, this is fairly ambiguous.

Also different from Twitch, to gain access to monetization tools on Facebook, you’ll need to apply once your page is considered eligible. 

Once you have access to Facebook Gaming monetization, there are a handful of avenues for actually making money. These include: 

• In-stream ads
• Brand Collabs Manager
• Fan Subscriptions
• Stars
• Online Events

In-stream ads on Facebook include pre-roll, mid-roll, and image ads. As a content creator, you can set them up on your stream in whatever way makes the most sense to you, your content, and your viewers.

The Brand Collabs Manager is a tool that gives streamers something similar to what they might gain from having an agent. By creating a profile, content creators can get discovered by and match with brands looking to form paid partnerships.

Similar to Twitch’s subscription model, Facebook also has a fan subscription tool that allows streamers to earn money from the loyalty of their fans. In return, content creators can give benefits to their most loyal fans by giving them access to content and opportunities that normal viewers don’t get.

“Stars” are Facebook’s equivalent to Twitch’s “Bit” system. Viewers can obtain Stars and use them on streams as a way to donate to the streamer. 

Each Star is only worth one cent to the streamer, just like Twitch Bits, so this form of income more closely resembles getting change in a tip jar. But every once in a while, you might get a high roller who throws a large number of Stars your way.