Facebook Watch is Facebook’s video on demand service that was launched in 2017. It allows users to view videos that have been uploaded by individual users, media companies and content creators. While Watch has seen growth since its launch, it is not yet on the same level as established video platforms like YouTube or Netflix.
What is Facebook Watch?
Facebook Watch is a dedicated video platform within the Facebook app and website. It provides a space for users to watch videos that range from short-form viral clips to long-form episodic content. The goal of Watch is to offer a video viewing experience that engages users and keeps them on the Facebook platform.
Some key things to know about Facebook Watch:
- Watch features original shows from content partners like CNN, NBC, ESPN, as well as content from individual creators.
- Videos are organized into “Shows” which users can subscribe to in order to follow.
- There is also a “Watch Feed” that surfaces recent and relevant videos based on a user’s interests and follows.
- Watch supports monetization for qualifying Pages through Ad Breaks.
- It is available via the Watch tab in the Facebook app and website.
Facebook has invested $1 billion in acquiring content and marketing Facebook Watch. The idea is to become an entertainment destination that competes with the likes of YouTube, Netflix and cable TV.
How popular is Facebook Watch?
Facebook Watch has seen steady growth, but still lags far behind YouTube and Netflix in terms of daily viewership.
Some key statistics on Facebook Watch usage:
- More than 720 million people monthly and 140 million people daily spend at least 1 minute on Facebook Watch.
- The average daily Watch viewer in the US spends 26 minutes per day watching videos.
- There are over 75 million daily active Watch users in the US.
- 80 million people in the US tune into Facebook Watch’s livestreams each month.
While these numbers are growing, they pale in comparison to YouTube which has over 2 billion monthly logged-in users who watch over a billion hours of video per day. Netflix has over 220 million global subscribers who stream for an average of 2+ hours per day.
So while Facebook Watch usage is gaining traction, it remains a very small percentage of most people’s overall video streaming compared to dominant services like YouTube and Netflix.
What content can you find on Facebook Watch?
Facebook Watch offers a diverse range of video content including:
- Original episodic shows from media partners like CNN, Fox Sports, NBC, and more.
- Content from individual creators and publishers.
- Licensed TV shows and movies.
- News videos from news organizations.
- User-generated content that people post on their own Pages or in Groups.
- Livestreams from celebrities, athletes, public figures and publishers.
Some of Facebook Watch’s most popular shows have included Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith, Ball in the Family following LaVar Ball, and Human Discoveries an animated comedy series.
Watch aims to offer a diverse range of content that appeals to different audiences and interests. Both short entertaining clips and longer form episodic shows. The focus is on exclusives and originals you can’t find anywhere else.
How does Facebook Watch work?
There are a few ways to access and watch videos on Facebook Watch:
- The Watch tab – There is a dedicated Watch tab on mobile and desktop where you can browse and discover shows and videos to watch.
- News Feed – Videos from Shows you follow may appear directly in your News Feed. Simply scroll through and play them.
- Notifications – You can opt-in to get notifications when new episodes of your Shows are released.
- Facebook Page – Creators can upload videos directly to their Facebook Page which followers can then view.
- Facebook Groups – Users can share videos to Groups which members can watch and comment on.
- Live – Videos from livestreams are available on Watch after the broadcast ends.
Within Watch, each show has its own Page where you can view episodes, follow for updates, see info about the creators, and view comments from the community.
Navigation works similar to other video platforms. You can browse categories and genres, search for specific shows, or get personalized recommendations based on your interests and follows.
Can you make money on Facebook Watch?
Yes, Facebook offers monetization for qualifying Pages on Watch through different options:
- Ad Breaks – Video ads play during natural breaks within a video, and creators earn a 55% revenue share from them.
- Branded Content – Creators can be paid directly by brands to integrate or promote products in their shows.
- Facebook Stars – Fans can purchase Stars to support creators during livestreams and premieres of new content.
- Fan Subscriptions – Some Pages let fans pay a monthly fee for exclusive content and perks.
To be eligible to earn money, Pages must meet certain requirements around followers, previous views, content hours uploaded and adhering to Facebook’s content policies.
While monetization is still limited compared to a platform like YouTube, Facebook Watch does provide ways for qualifying creators to generate revenue from their content and audiences.
What are the benefits of Facebook Watch?
Some potential benefits of Facebook Watch include:
- Tapping into Facebook’s massive audience – Watch gives you access to billions of built-in viewers right within Facebook.
- New content format – Creators can produce long-form episodic content vs just short one-off videos.
- Better engagement – Fans can more easily follow and engage with full shows instead of just clips.
- New revenue – Ad Breaks and other monetization provide incremental revenue on top of Facebook Pages.
- Distribution – Videos can spread organically to non-fans as they get shared across Facebook.
- Managing videos in one place – Shows consolidate all videos instead of scattered cross posts.
For individual creators and media companies, Facebook Watch provides a new avenue to build engaged audiences around episodic content while earning money. It also gives Facebook a way to keep people staying on their platform longer.
What are the criticisms and issues with Facebook Watch?
Some common criticisms and challenges with Facebook Watch include:
- Small audience compared to YouTube and Netflix.
- Unclear value proposition vs just posting videos natively to Facebook Pages.
- Confusing navigation and UI makes discovery challenging.
- A lot of content feels non-exclusive and duplicated from other platforms.
- Limitations around monetization and lack of revenue data transparency.
- Strong competition from other video platforms with more established creators and content.
While Watch has grown steadily, many feel it has not yet differentiated itself enough from other options or made a compelling case for creators to invest in it heavily. The user experience also still feels disjointed from the rest of Facebook in some ways.
How does Facebook Watch compare to YouTube?
YouTube and Facebook Watch have some key differences:
| YouTube | Facebook Watch | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly active users | Over 2 billion | 720 million |
| Daily active users | Over 1 billion hours watched daily | 140 million |
| Content library | Virtually unlimited user generated and professional content | Still building, focus on exclusive originals |
| Advertising | Extensive ad formats and options | Limited to Ad Breaks |
| Creator monetization | Multiple programs for revenue share across ad, memberships, etc. | Primarily just Ad Breaks |
| Video format focus | Mostly short form less than 10 minutes | Emphasis on long form 15+ minutes |
YouTube has a massive head start in terms of user behavior, content variety and monetization features. However, Facebook Watch offers some differentiation with its focus on exclusive long form shows and tapping into an existing social media audience.
Will Facebook Watch rival Netflix and YouTube?
It is unlikely that Facebook Watch will truly rival Netflix or YouTube any time soon. Some key reasons why:
- YouTube and Netflix have over a decade head start establishing their platforms, content libraries and creator ecosystems.
- For most people, watching long form video content is a separate lean back experience compared to quick social media scrolling.
- Consumer video time is finite, and eats into time spent on services like Facebook’s core News Feed and Instagram.
- Facebook’s algorithms and monetization are still tuned more towards community engagement vs Watch view time.
Facebook will likely aim to carve out a niche for Watch around exclusive social and community oriented content. But it faces an uphill battle to rewire user behavior and take meaningful video timeshare away from Netflix and YouTube.
Facebook will likely need to significantly overhaul Watch to make it more competitive. More investment in hit shows, revamping UI, better integration with Facebook’s services, opening up monetization and continuing promotions to drive usage.
But in the crowded video space going against deeply entrenched giants, Facebook faces significant challenges in making Watch a true heavyweight competitor in streaming video.
How much usage and growth is Facebook Watch seeing?
Here are some key stats showing Facebook Watch’s growth since launch:
- In January 2018, Watch had 100 million daily users just 5 months after launch.
- By June 2018, Watch gained 50% more daily viewers reaching over 150 million.
- In January 2019, Facebook announced Watch had 400 million monthly users and 140 million daily users.
- By September 2020, over 1.25 billion people were going to Watch each month.
- As of January 2022, Watch reached over 3 billion monthly views.
While the growth trajectory has been positive, Facebook has not provided regular user metrics. Third-party estimates suggest Watch still makes up low single digit percentages of time spent on Facebook.
Facebook has also not shared how much time the average viewer spends on Watch per day. This is likely significantly less than platforms like YouTube and Netflix which see over an hour on average from users.
But Facebook has highlighted engagement stats for its top content like Red Table Talk generating over 6 billion views across Facebook. And celebrities like Dwayne Johnson getting 18 million views on a single interview.
So while Watch usage is definitely growing, it still appears to be a secondary activity for most Facebook users compared to the primary time sinks of feed scrolling, messaging, groups and events.
What types of video content works best on Facebook Watch?
Based on existing successes, these types of video content tend to resonate most on Facebook Watch:
- Episodic talk shows – Particularly celebrity- and creator-led interviews and conversations.
- Reality TV – Drama-filled episodic docs following interesting personalities and subjects.
- Comedies – Especially topical social commentary and light-hearted takes on everyday life.
- Inspirational content – Uplifting stories and messages around overcoming challenges.
- Behind-the-scenes – Providing insider access to interesting worlds like sports, music and movies.
- News commentary – Video analysis and takes on trending news stories.
Video that sparks conversation and engagement around personalities and timely topics thrives most right now. The focus is on shareable moments and topics that get people reacting across their social media feeds.
In-depth educational content, complex narratives, and technically advanced productions have not found as much traction. Light-hearted, relatable and authentic seems to resonate better than overly produced, serious or complex.
What’s next for Facebook Watch?
Facebook is likely to continue investing heavily in Watch in the coming years. Some initiatives we may see include:
- More exclusives and originals – Potentially billions per year on acquiring hot new shows.
- Expansion into new content formats like podcasts, audio rooms, and news.
- Adding ecommerce integrations for viewers to shop from videos.
- Expanded ad formats beyond Ad Breaks.
- Additional creator monetization options like channel memberships and Super Chat.
- Improved recommendation algorithms to better personalize Watch feeds.
- Deeper Watch integration and promotion across Facebook’s other apps.
- Potential acquisitions of video and streaming technology companies.
Watch is unlikely to truly challenge established players like YouTube and Netflix anytime soon. But Facebook will likely double down on trying to carve out a niche in long-form social video built around exclusive IP and community.
It remains to be seen how much video time and engagement Facebook can realistically gain while battling ingrained user habits on existing platforms. But Watch will continue evolving as Facebook looks to become a premier video destination both for consumers and creators.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook Watch has seen steady growth since launching in 2017 and now draws tens of millions of daily viewers. However, it remains small compared to the video dominance of YouTube and Netflix who each have over 200 million daily users watching over an hour on average per day.
Watch has succeeded most with episodic and talk show style content that sparks conversation vs more complex long form video. While Facebook will likely keep investing in Watch, major challenges remain around changing consumer viewing habits and competing with entrenched incumbents.
Watch still has potential to carve out a niche in social community-oriented video. But it seems unlikely Facebook will truly rival the streaming video giants any time soon. At best, Watch may become a complementary destination for a subset of exclusive social video, while YouTube and Netflix continue dominating overall time spent.