After launching a tab for finding videos on its social media platform last year, Facebook is now unveiling a dedicated new platform for video discovery called Facebook 'Watch.' Watch will be available across mobile, laptop, desktop and TV apps, making it possible for Facebook uers to tunr into both live and recorded episodes with ease.
Watch offers personalized discovery tools that offer suggestions based on one's interests or activity from friends. Users will also be able to browse by categories like 'Most Talked About' and 'What's Making People Laugh,' based on users who have used the "Haha" reaction in response to a video. To help users stay on top of their favorite shows, Watch boasts a feature called Watchlist, which keeps tabs on the latest episodes.
With Facebook Watch, users will be able to tune into Nas Daily, broadcasted baseball games and even kid-friendly shows like Kitchen Little.
Social TV-Watching Platforms
Facebook 'Watch' is a Dedicated New Platform for Viewing Shows
Trend Themes
1. Personalized Video Discovery - New platforms like Facebook Watch offer personalized video discovery tools, creating opportunities for companies to offer personalized content recommendations.
2. Multi-platform Video Content - Multi-platform video content like Facebook Watch creates opportunities for companies to reach and engage with customers in various ways and on multiple devices.
3. Social TV Watching - Platforms like Facebook Watch that allow for social TV watching brings social media into the living room, creating opportunities for companies to develop more interactive and immersive social experiences for their customers.
Industry Implications
1. Streaming Services - Facebook Watch and other video platforms present a disruptive innovation opportunity for streaming services to rethink their content discovery and recommendation algorithms and reinvent the way they interact with their users.
2. Social Media - Social media companies can learn from Facebook Watch's model and develop new platforms that incorporate video content discovery and offer more personalized engagement opportunities for their users.
3. Television Networks - TV networks can leverage platforms like Facebook Watch to expand their reach and extend their programs to a new audience base, and also harness social media as a channel for audience engagement and interaction.