Earlier today, Facebook announced the launch of its video platform called Watch. The competition between Facebook and YouTube to be the king of online video has been going on at full throttle for the last couple of year. Facebook was often criticized for not taking down videos downloaded from YouTube. Facebook also made videos to auto play in the News Feed recently.
YouTube, earlier this week took a major stride in positioning itself as a video-centric social media. YouTube introduced new features such as direct sharing and messaging within its app. Now, with the launch of Watch, the contest between Google owned YouTube and Facebook has taken a new twist.
In a blog post by Facebook , Watch is described as the 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 Watchlist so you never miss out on the latest episodes.
Watch is also personalized to help you discover new shows, organized around what your friends and communities are watching. Which based on the huge repository of data Facebook has on its users.
In Watch, 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.
"Our goal is for Watch to be a platform for all creators and publishers to find an audience, build a community of passionate fans, and earn money for their work, says Nick Grudin, VP Media Partnerships at Facebook .
"We are also funding some shows to help seed the ecosystem, gather feedback, and inspire others", adds Grudin. Initially, Watch will be available to a limited group of people in the U.S. on mobile, desktop, and our TV apps, before we make it available to more people in the U.S. in the coming weeks.
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