Facebook[1] Watch, a video-on-demand service, was unveiled by the social media behemoth, Facebook, in August 2017. Initially, it was exclusively available to a limited number of U.S. users, but was later extended to all U.S. users, eventually gaining worldwide reach by August 2018. This service presents a broad spectrum of content, encompassing both short and long-form entertainment, as well as licensed content from renowned companies like 20th Century Fox Television. Facebook Watch, with a dedicated budget for content production, leverages ad-break revenue, keeping 45% and distributing 55% to partners. As of September 2020, the video offerings are anticipated to generate substantial revenue, drawing more than 1.25 billion visitors per month. Beyond its revenue-generating capabilities, Facebook Watch has the potential to reshape the digital content sphere and rival other streaming services.
Facebook Watch (currently rebranding to Facebook Video) is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and it was available to all U.S. users that month. Facebook Watch's original video content is produced for the company by others, who earn 55% of advertising revenue (Facebook keeps the other 45%).
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Type of site | Video-on-demand |
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Available in | English |
Headquarters | , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
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Industry | Internet |
Parent | Meta Platforms |
URL | www |
Commercial | Yes |
Launched | August 10, 2017 |
Current status | Active (Web, iOS and Android) Discontinued (TV App) |
Facebook Watch offers tailored video recommendations and organizes content into categories based on metrics like popularity and user engagement. The platform hosts both short and long-form entertainment. In 2018, Facebook allocated a $1 billion budget for content creation. The company generates revenue from mid-roll ads and also explored the introduction of pre-roll ads in the same year. As of August 30, 2018, Facebook Watch became globally accessible to all Facebook users.
As of September 2020, Facebook reported that Facebook Watch had more than 1.25 billion monthly visitors, 46% of its monthly active user base at that time.