After launching the service in the US last year, Facebook is rolling out its Watch video service globally now with original entertainment news and sports content to compete with platforms like YouTube.
The social media giant is also expected to spend up to $2bn (£1.55bn) to produce content for Facebook Watch.
Facebook’s Head of Video Fidji Simo told reporters: “Every month more than 50 million people in the U.S. come to watch videos for at least a minute on Watch, and total time spent watching video on Facebook Watch has increased by 14 times since the start of 2018. With Watch … you can have a two-way conversation about the content with friends, other fans or even the creatives themselves.”
Facebook said eligible creators would be able to make money from their videos using its Ad Breaks service in Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand as well as the United States from Thursday, with many more countries set to follow.
“We know it’s been a long road but we’ve worked hard to ensure that the Ad Breaks experience is a good one for both our partners and our community,” Simo added.
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