Facebook Paying Media Firms to Create Video for Streaming Service

Facebook Inc. FB 0.69 % is paying an array of media companies and celebrities to create videos for its live-streaming service and has signed nearly 140 contracts totaling more than 50 million, according to a document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The social network's partners vary widely. It includes established media outfits like CNN and the New York Times NYT -0.75 %; digital publishers like Vox, Tastemade, Mashable and the Huffington Post; and celebrities including Kevin Hart, Gordon Ramsay, Deepak Chopra and NFL quarterback Russell Wilson. The value of individual contracts varies widely, with 17 worth more than 1 million, according to the document. The document isn't a comprehensive accounting of all of Facebook's dealings with video creators, but it shows the broad scope of the tech giant's efforts to promote its nascent Facebook Live product.