They say good things come to those who wait. Well, we've waited – and now we're all getting Facebook Watch. Whether we asked for it or not.
Watch this Space
Facebook Watch, the platform's streaming video service which launched in the US over a year ago, is now available globally.
So what's in store? Well, Watch is something of a messy mix between YouTube and Netflix.
Which means it's a combination of YouTube's viral videos, influencer, and celeb content (hello Jada Pinkett Smith), plus more polished pieces from publishers like VICE.
Look and learn
Videos are available via the Watch tab in the News Feed, which includes features such as discovery, the ability to save videos to view later, and curate video feeds from friends and publishers.
Facebook recently added new features such as Watch Parties and Premieres.
However Watch hasn't exactly set everyone's world on fire. According to the BBC, a recent study of over 1600 adult Facebook users revealed 50% had never heard of Watch, while 24% of respondents were aware of Watch, but had never used it.
Other reports suggest some shows had promising audience figures initially, but these were difficult to maintain.
New beginning?
Still, Facebook is nothing if not very rich and very tenacious. Content creators and brands in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland will be able to insert advertising spots into their Watch shows, as long as they meet certain metrics.
Which means Watch could open up a new frontier for local marketers. Guess we'll just have to watch and see.
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