Facebook Watch goes global with $2 billion content plan

Facebook Watch has been rolled out globally almost a year after it was launched in US. The social media giant will reportedly be spending $2 billion on content acquisition for global streaming.

In run up to the global launch, Facebook has made strong forays into sports media market in the last few months, acquiring the English Premier League in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, and Vietnam; Spanish LaLiga in the Indian subcontinent; and Uefa Champions League in Latin America and Brazil.

Facebook has also struck a sub-licensing deal with Sony Pictures Network India to broadcast select LaLiga games in India.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Networks confirms LaLiga broadcast deal with Facebook

According to Variety, Facebook is gearing up to spend up to $2 billion over the next one year on Facebook Watch content.

Facebook said in a statement that the service will be ‘available everywhere’, helping publishers and content creators around the world ‘make money from their videos’ on the platform and ‘better understand how their content is performing.’ Users will be able to pick from a selection of shows and have the ability to view clips saved from their news feeds.

Facebook Watch aims to offer users a specific place on Facebook to discover shows and video creators and open up conversations with friends and other fans. Facebook has said that since the launch, it has made the platform more social, including making it easier to see which videos friends have liked or shared, along with creating shows centred on audience participation.

Facebook has also expanded its Ad Breaks program globally, with initial launch in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, allowing Facebook partners to further monetise their content. Further roll-outs are expected in September.

Facebook added that it plans to allow all content creators to feature advertising breaks, so long as they hit certain metrics. Up until now, only select publishers had been able to do this.

Also Read: Sports Live Content: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Amazon lead digital players’ rise

The post Facebook Watch goes global with $2 billion content plan appeared first on InsideSport.

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