Facebook has launched a new platform for sharing videos online called "Watch" which will eventually replace its video tab.
Watch will also be competing with the popularised online video and film platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, HBO Now, etc. It is described as the home of wide range of shows from reality, comedy to live sports, and will only be presenting original video content in an episodic format exclusively produced by Facebook's partners.
The shows, published in episodes, will be either live or recorded, and will follow a theme or storyline.
Plenty of sites are now trying to partner with Watch. The partners will secure 55% of the revenues from the advertisement, while Facebook will keep 45%.To ensure a booming start the company has funded shows such as “Returning the Favor” hosted by Mike Rowe along with shows done with other partners including Major League Baseball, A&E, Billboard, National Geographic, and Nasa.
To ensure that viewers never miss an episode of their favourite shows, the platform will include a “Watchlist”. The content will be organised depending on what the viewers' community is watching which will, in turn, be arranged in sections titled “Most Talked About,” “What’s Making People Laugh,” and “What Friends Are Watching.”
Facebook is promoting Watch slowly in its initial stage, making it available to a selected group of users in the US. However, they will make Watch available to more people in the US and eventually worldwide.
Watch will be available on mobilephones and desktops, and Facebook’s smart TV apps.
With Watch, Facebook is trying to compete with several different websites.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
