Who would’ve thought that the social media giant would turn into a video media company? Based on several sources, Facebook is reportedly planning to launch “Facebook TV”. They plann to launch around two dozen “TV-like” original programs sometime in mid-June.
It all started back in December. There were mere rumors about Facebook looking to follow Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix’s footsteps in the whole original content game. Now, multiple sources say that those plans are well on their way. According to a report, “They said the social network had been looking for shows in two distinct tiers: a marquee tier for a few longer, big-budget shows that would feel at home on TV, and a lower tier for shorter, less expensive shows of about five to 10 minutes that would refresh every 24 hours.”
“The new video initiative means Facebook would play a much more hands-on role in controlling the content that appears on its social network with nearly 2 billion members — and it comes as companies like Amazon, YouTube, and Snap are locked in an arms race to secure premium video programming.”
Source: Business Insider
These sources say that this push from Facebook is coming from the fact that they’re trying to pick up on the game of advertiser-supported entertainment and television as well as to catch up with Snapchat. With premium services like Amazon reducing the number of cable subscribers, other non-traditional ad-based media networks like YouTube saw this as an opportunity to grab more potential viewers. And while Snapchat still doesn’t have as much users as Facebook does, Zuckerberg fears that his company is starting to go behind the times when it comes to innovation and attracting younger audiences.
What Shows Can We Expect?
The transition to “Facebook TV” will involve a redesigned video tab and a lot of comedic shows 5-30 minutes in length. However, Facebook executives are also looking to produce more serious and higher quality content. Netflix’s “House of Cards” will be the network’s primary template. Facebook has also hired Ricky Van Veen, co-founder of CollegeHumor, to handle its original content.
Source: Business Insider
We’re not so sure what to expect from “Facebook TV”, and whether it’ll be a flop or a success. When asked why and how people will start thinking of Facebook as a video destination instead of a normal social media platform, sources say “Facebook hasn’t figured it out,” and another said, “That’s a needle they have to thread.”
Some A-list celebrities have been hinted but they’re just rumors for now.
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