Facebook on Thursday announced its plans to launch Watch, its redesigned video platform aimed at rivaling YouTube. The new tab will offer a customised variety of shows based on the user’s preferences and what their friends are watching.
Watch will be released to a limited number of users in the United States before its international rollout.
Users will also be able to see comments and connect with friends and dedicated groups for shows. “Watching a show does not have to be passive,” said Facebook Founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg in a post on the social media platform. “It can be a chance to share an experience and bring people together who care about the same things.”
The platform will be accessible via cellphone, desktop, laptop and on television apps. “Shows are made up of episodes – live or recorded – and follow a theme or storyline,” the company’s statement said.
The new feature is more structured than its earlier platform with categories, including “What friends are watching”, “most talked about”, and “what is making people laugh”. The social media giant has roped in content from Major League Baseball, Tastemade’s Kitchen Little, parenting shows and a safari show from National Geographic, BBC reported.
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