Facebook’s bought WhatsApp, they own Instagram, and even Oculus for God’s sake. But that’s not the end of Mark Zuckerberg’s appetite to rule the virtual space.
After seeing what Netflix and Amazon Prime Videos have done to the internet streaming space, the social networking giant is all set to push its luck with video content created by its partners.
The said platform, Facebook TV, is reportedly set to launch in August, which will cater to 15-20 minute shows that will be showcased straight to your newsfeed.
Going by the length of the shows, it feels Facebook is looking to rival YouTube for starters, rather than going for the big fish. Let’s not forget, Facebook has no dearth of money in its coffers, but strategically, they’d be better served by taking it one step at a time.
Internet streaming of content has grown manifold over the past 3-4 years, with countries like India now coming into the reckoning as well, thanks to Reliance Jio’s data explosion.
Bloomberg states that Facebook had change of heart with its content strategy, which explains the postponement of Facebook TV’s launch from an earlier expected time of June to August. Facebook hasn’t confirmed any of this, but this development surprises nobody.
Netflix and Amazon are already ahead of the curve by partnering with big production houses, who create exclusive content for the respective platforms. That seems to be the way to go for content and data providers across the globe.
With co-created video content, Facebook could expand its business horizons beyond content filtering on users Newsfeed. It remains to be seen how Facebook positions this so-called Facebook TV, a standalone platform, or an integrated service within its existing product base.
And if monetisation tops its strategy, then how do consumers function in the scheme of things, do they pay to watch the shows, or does it combine in a broader package?
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