A New Competition For YouTube And Netflix As Facebook Launches “Watch”; Its New Video Service

While Snapchat is still struggling to get on its feet after Facebook imitated some of its apps, the social media giant has decided to include a video service which can be viewed on mobile phones, smart TVs, desktops and laptops. Similar to YouTube, users can subscribe to their favorite channels on what’s called a Watchlist.

The social media giant said:

“We are introducing Watch, a new platform for shows on Facebook. Watch will be available on mobile, on desktop and laptop, and in our TV apps. Shows are made up of episodes- live or recorded and follow a theme or storyline. To help you keep up with the shows you follow, Watch has a watch list so you never miss out on the latest episodes.

Watch is personalized to help you discover new shows, organized around what your friends and communities are watching. For example, you will 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.

We’ve learned from Facebook Live that people’s comments and reactions to a video are often as much a part of the experience as the video itself. So when you watch a show, you can see comments and connect with friends and other viewers while watching, or participate in a dedicated Facebook Group for the show”

This is really going to be fun and mind blowing. Considering that Facebook already has millions of addicted subscribers all over the world, facing an already complex and crowded market wouldn’t be much of a challenge with already existing online services like YouTube and Netflix.

In a Facebook post, the social media guru, Mark Zukerberg said that “watching a show doesn’t have to be passive” and that “it can be a chance to share an experience and bring people together who care about the same things”.

However, Facebook isn’t new to offering video service. It was previously dominated by amateur clips from new organizations and after it added a video tab last year, it hinted that sooner, it would veer into the production of original contents- putting it against other producers like YouTube, Snap Inc., Twitter Inc.,  and TV networks (like Netflix).

Facebook is not the only social media giant that wants to own a big piece of the streaming pie. Disney announced yesterday, its intentions to pull its movies from Netflix and create its own streaming video service.

The new programme, Watch, is set to launch on August 28^th with 40 original shows. I can’t wait to tune in!