Will Facebook's Live-Streaming Efforts Trump Twitter's Periscope?

Social media site Twitter Inc TWTR has been working to claw its way back into investors' favor over the past year after the site's user numbers began to taper off and analysts started to question whether the site had staying power. One of the Little Blue Bird's latest strategies has been a live-streaming platform called Periscope, which allows users to broadcast live videos for others to watch.

While many agreed that Periscope had the potential to help get Twitter out of its rut, Facebook Inc FB's recent entry onto the live-feed scene could complicate things.

Facebook Cuts In

As of this week, Facebook users in the United States with an iPhone are able to broadcast live videos using their Facebook page. The live-streaming offering was initially available to public figures only, but on January 28, the site opened up the feature to the rest of its users. For now, the live streaming is only available to U.S. users, but most expect it will make its way across the globe in the coming year.

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Sports Showdown

One of the biggest draws for live streaming is sports. Twitter has been working to capitalize on the public's demand for real-time sports updates for two years; the firm began covering the FIFA World Cup in 2014 to give those who weren't lucky enough to see the game live a way to keep up with what was happening.

Since then, Twitter has also created a curated space for the NFL, where video clips from things like warmups and locker rooms can be displayed.

Facebook is working to catch up in the sports world. The site launched "Sports Stadium" to give fans a way to see live game scores and news updates from the NFL.

With the two both working to capitalize on the sports space with their live-streaming platforms, this year's Super Bowl is likely to set the stage for a showdown between the two services.