Facebook has introduced Watch, a new tab on the social media network that offers a range of shows for users to view at their convenience.
Watch will be available on mobile, on desktop and laptop, and in a TV app, with a watchlist that lets you save episodes to catch later.
Although, some of the shows that would be rolled out with Watch have been funded by Facebook, independent creators can also sign up on the platform to get a Show Page (similar to Pages for brands), that fans can follow and find videos on.
Watch is personalized to help you discover new shows, organized around what your friends and communities are watching. For example, you’ll find sections like “Most Talked About,” which highlights shows that spark conversation, “What’s Making People Laugh,” which includes shows where many people have used the “Haha” reaction, and “What Friends Are Watching,” which helps you connect with friends about shows they too are following.
With Watch, creators and publishers can find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work. Facebook also plans to introduce ad breaks in clips to generate revenue on Watch.
All of these features, coupled with its with its massive user base of two billion people worldwide, Facebook would be posing as a serious competition for Youtube with this new service.
The new service will be introduced to a limited group of people in the U.S before being rolled out to worldwide.