Facebook Watch video streaming service has launched in the UK, just over a year after its US launch, and is seen as a potential rival to streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube.
Facebook has introduced this service amid the shift of viewing habits moving from traditional TV outlets to online platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, and with more people watching both professional and user content on services like YouTube, it was an opportunity not to be missed for the tech giant.
Advertising opportunities
The service will allow users to watch a range of shows from established brands and new content creators. Content creators will also have the opportunity to implement advertising breaks, however, the creator will need 10,000 or more followers, and to have attracted more than 30,000 views who stayed for more than one minute in order to do this. The revenue made from the advertisements will be split 55% to the creators and 45% to Facebook.
Watch together
Facebook believes that Watch is a differentiated platform compared to its rivals as the viewing service helps viewers interact with others. The idea is that watching a video doesn’t have to be a passive experience.
The service will allow users to have conversations with friends or even the creators themselves. Other features will also allow creators to run polls, challenges, and quizzes to encourage further engagement from viewers. Users will also be able to see what their friends have liked or shared which will encourage users to watch the same videos.
Unaware audiences
Watch was first launched in the US, and statistics suggest that the service appealed to a very niche audience in the first year. A study by The Diffusion group showed of 1,632 US adult Facebook users questioned, 50% has never heard of Watch, while 24% said they were aware but never used the service, and a mere 14% said they used it at least once a week. The question is, will the UK provide similar statistics?
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