• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, June 19, 2017

Facebook's push into the original content space has the company building on its presence at VidCon this year, which Google's YouTube has historically dominated. The company will host an expanded Facebook Creators Lounge near the convention center to woo content creators. The lounge will include a Facebook Live space, and Oculus virtual-reality demos.

With deep pockets, Facebook has begun to fund the creation of video series. The Hollywood Reporter reported last week that Facebook closed a deal for reality competition series Last State Standing. The reality show willfeature 50 contestants, one from every state in the U.S. They will compete in unique games for a chance to win a $500,000 cash prize.

Production on the series has already begun in Los Angeles with producer A. Smith and Co. leading the creation of the video series.  

Favorite canceled TV shows could find new life on Facebook. Reports also suggest that Facebook will take on Nicole Byer's comedy Loosely Exactly Nicole "four months after MTV canceled the low-rated series after season one."

Apparently the industry is experiencing the next wave of content creation as brands try to attract consumers on mobile devices. The strategy will likely build a series of creators that will drive drive searches from original content to brand sites or back to Facebook.

YouTube still has a strong showing at the event. Google's video site returns to sponsor the eighth annual VidCon. This year the company will stage its first live entertainment show with YouTubers on Wednesday night, prior to the first full day of the event. Then on Thursday, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki will deliver the keynote. Tyler Oakley will host YouTube OnStage. (You can watch it here at 7 p.m. pacific.)

The company also plans to screen YouTube original content such as episodes from "Escape the Night 2."

Original content has also caught the attention of Apple. Last week the company hired long-time Sony Pictures Television presidents Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, reporting to Eddy Cue, SVP of Internet software and services.

No word of Apple at VidCon 2017. Perhaps we will see them next year.