Meta (formerly known as Facebook) is reportedly phasing out its Reels Play bonus program, which was introduced in December 2021 to incentivize creators on Facebook and Instagram to produce more content on Reels. The program offered creators monthly payouts if they hit certain view counts and other performance metrics. However, Meta has decided to pause the program, which promised top-performing creators payouts of up to $35,000 a month.
The move comes as Meta faces increasing competition from TikTok and seeks to boost its creator monetization programs to keep up with its rivals. Meta had initially introduced the program as part of a larger push to attract more creators to Reels and make it a more lucrative platform for them. The decision to pause the program has left some creators concerned about their earnings potential on the platform, particularly those who had come to rely on the Reels Play bonus program to supplement their income.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced that it is evolving its program for compensating creators who use its Reels feature. The company will no longer be extending new or renewed Reels Play deals to creators on Facebook and to US creators on Instagram. However, it may still offer bonuses to creators in more targeted ways, such as when Reels enters a new market.
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This move comes as Meta prepares to expand advertising on Reels, which will enable more traditional revenue-sharing arrangements for creators. Tom Alison, the head of the Facebook app at Meta, hinted at this shift in a recent blog post, stating that the company will continue expanding its ads on Facebook Reels tests to help more creators earn ad revenue and grow virtual gifting via Stars on Reels.
The head of the Facebook app at Meta, Tom Alison, did not provide a specific timeline for when the company’s ad tests on Facebook and Instagram’s Reels feature will expand. However, the decision to halt the Reels Play bonus program indicates that the expansion may be imminent.
The company’s shift away from the bonus program may be an indication that it is preparing to launch more traditional revenue-sharing arrangements with creators, enabled by the increased ad revenue that the expansion of Reels advertising would generate.
