Watch tab is redesigning of the video tab that Facebook already provides to its users. The change of the Watch tab will start taking place for a small number of users in the US. The company will gradually roll out the changes to the rest of the world.
Watch Tab Features Facebook Video Programming
Facebook knows the kind of revenues YouTubers earns from the video streaming service. The new Watch tab will eventually get personalized for each user. The tab will replace the old video tab for web, iOS, and Android.
Facebook plans to include shows like Nas Daily during the launch. Other shows include Gabby Bernstein who is a motivational speaker and Kitchen Little about children making recipes. The social media giant also plans to stream one game of Baseball each week.
Facebook wants to diversify its ad revenues. Every big company has faced this dilemma at one time. If Facebook successfully pulls this off, it will have huge repercussions for other video publishing platforms. However, Facebook will have to ensure that people start taking videos seriously on a social media platform. The video watchers on social media platforms usually have a shorter attention span.
Facebook to Initially Make Payments to Video Creators
Facebook knows it will not be easy to create video content that becomes an instant hit. Similarly, the company realizes that it will have to rely on already famous video creators. Therefore, it will be paying these video creators to create fresh content for its Watch tab. However, with the passage of time, the company hopes to get the kind of traction that would help it earn its revenues. The social media giant will eventually take 45 percent of the ad income and give 55 percent to the content creators.
Facebook Aims to Strike a Conversation
Unlike many other video publishing services, Facebook aims that its users strike a conversation. When you see a video, you can discuss it with your friends. It will also lead to friends helping each other discovering new video content. The shows that will get showcased on Watch tab will also have a comment section.
Currently, you can only join Facebook Watch tab through invitation. However, Facebook will offer everyone the ability to publish and share content via this new tab. The number of shows will eventually increase as soon as the tab becomes available to users across the world.
Why Watch Has a Better Chance of Success?
There are many things going in Watch tab’s favor for success.
- A massive user base of more than 2 billion users.
- Support for several languages to ensure content availability in different languages.
- The native ecosystem of Facebook provides an easy to share advantage to the publishers.
- Many of the big brands already own a Facebook page so minimal effort is involved in sharing the video content.
Will it be Easy?
No, it will not be easy. There are many video streaming services already creating tons of amazing content. To name a few, we can look at Hulu, Netflix, HBO and now Disney also jumping the bandwagon to launch its services by 2019. Similarly, YouTube rules the world of user generated videos. The company will have to somehow create a robust busienss strategy to become successful in such a competitive market space.
