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Facebook is Talking About Expanding Its TV-like Service, Watch, Into a Rival To YouTube (cnbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

Facebook is talking about expanding its TV-like service, Watch, into a rival to Google's YouTube by opening the platform to more individual creators, CNBC reports citing people familiar with the plans. From the report: This would increase the amount of long-form video content that Facebook can sell ads against, and could reverse a decline in the time users are spending on the site. Facebook wants to allow more people to create their own shows on Watch, according to three media agencies who asked they remain anonymous because the conversations are private. Instead of buying rights to these shows, however, Facebook wants to create a system where creators can upload their shows for free, then earn a cut of the revenue from ads placed on that content -- similar to how YouTube pays its online creators. Another source with knowledge of the situation said Facebook's ultimate goal is to create a sustainable ad-supported video platform, where it won't have to pay for the majority of content.

5 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder if FB will de-monetize... by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ....gun videos and more conservative speech related sites, much like YouTube does?

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    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    1. Re:I wonder if FB will de-monetize... by sl3xd · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The vlogger rants I've seen about YouTube monitization all stem from a sense of entitlement -- that they are "owed" something, just because they are popular. Popularity is good; it means more eyeballs, and that's kind of the point of advertising, isn't it?

      Well... the source of money is the people buying the advertisement, and they have the right to vote with their wallet and pull their sponsorship from any given content creator.

      Google is just the cashier.

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      -- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
  2. Yea.. right (just say no!) by fred911 · · Score: 2

    " Facebook wants to create a system where creators can upload their shows for free," except for those of us who haven't or won't ever bookface.

      At least I can watch whatever I want without an account on YouTube that is operated by a company with a significantly higher level of trust.

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  3. Re:Hmmm by Opportunist · · Score: 2

    How can there be an exodus from a platform you can leave as easily as North Korea?

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    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. And once again, thought eludes everyone by Voyager529 · · Score: 2

    "Facebook wants to allow more people to create their own shows on Watch"

    There are some incredibly talented Youtube content creators, for sure. Making long form, multi-episode stories, however, takes a LOT of people, a LOT of effort, and a LOT of resources. My buddy Rob did some work on Star Trek Phase II before Paramount got all lawyered up. They had a team of dozens of people who got together a few times a year for video shoots - lighting, staging, rigging, cameras, editors, actors, costume designers...and all of that was based on scripts written and storyboards exchanged over the internet. It was a massive undertaking for dozens of people to do 2-4 times a year, for some very dedicated fans with industry experience and a framework to build on.

    If Facebook thinks they'll be able to have user-generated content of any meaningful quality and monetize it on ad revenue, they're either starting Facebook Studios and handling the production on their end with users basically submitting basic scripts and maybe starring roles, or they're grossly overselling the number of people who can put together content with any level of efficacy in their spare time.