Facebook Watch is Facebook’s video on demand service that was launched in 2017. It allows users to view shows, live streams and other videos within the Facebook app. There has been some speculation recently over whether Facebook plans to shut down the Facebook Watch app and service.
Is Facebook Watch being discontinued?
At this time, there are no official announcements from Facebook that the Facebook Watch app or service is being discontinued. The Facebook Watch app remains available on mobile devices and the Facebook Watch platform is still accessible through the Facebook website and mobile apps.
Some reports have suggested that usage and viewership on Facebook Watch is not as high as Facebook would like. It’s possible that Facebook may choose to scale back investments and promotion of Facebook Watch if the service does not continue to grow. However, Facebook has given no indication that they plan to fully shut down Facebook Watch anytime soon.
Why would Facebook potentially discontinue Watch?
There are a few potential reasons why Facebook may consider discontinuing or scaling back the Facebook Watch service:
- Lack of viewership – Facebook Watch has reportedly struggled to build a large, consistent audience. Without enough viewers, Facebook may feel it’s not worth further investment.
- Competing priorities – Facebook is focused on areas like Reels, Metaverse, messaging, etc. Continued investment in Watch may take resources away from newer priorities.
- Lack of original hits – Facebook has funded original shows but has struggled to produce viral hit shows that drive significant viewership.
- Video competition – Competing with YouTube and other video platforms may be an uphill battle for a standalone video app.
If growth stalls and Watch remains a low priority amidst other initiatives, Facebook could potentially decide to pull back on the standalone Watch app and brand.
What does Facebook say about Watch’s future?
Facebook has not made any official statement about plans to discontinue Facebook Watch. The company seems committed to investing in video initiatives across its apps.
In February 2022, Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook is focused on “aggressively growing Watch and making it easier to discover,” indicating an intention to keep growing the service.
Facebook continues promoting Facebook Watch originals and live content. The company is also integrating Watch deeper into Instagram as the “Instagram TV” tab. This integration suggests Facebook wants to expand video reach, not abandon it altogether.
Could Facebook Watch pivot rather than fully shut down?
Rather than fully discontinuing Watch, Facebook may choose to pivot the initiative in a new direction. For example:
- Greater focus on live and interactive video rather than scripted shows
- Leveraging Watch technology for Instagram and Reels instead of standalone app
- Focusing Watch on specialized content like gaming or news
Facebook could decide to change the Watch strategy while still maintaining the service in some form. They may test different approaches to see what gains the most traction with users and advertisers.
What would happen if Facebook Watch was discontinued?
If Facebook did announce plans to discontinue Facebook Watch, it would likely happen in a phased approach over time rather than shutting off access immediately.
It’s likely that:
- The stand-alone Facebook Watch mobile app would be removed from app stores
- The Watch tab/section on Facebook would be eliminated
- Facebook Watch original shows and content would no longer be produced or updated
- Existing Facebook Watch videos may remain available for a period of time before being removed
For users, this would mean no longer having a dedicated place to watch video content within Facebook. Videos would still be viewable in the main Facebook feed and in Groups, but the Watch platform itself would cease to exist.
Could Facebook Watch content be migrated elsewhere?
If Facebook Watch is discontinued, some of its video content could potentially live on through other Facebook apps:
- Original shows and content could move over to Instagram TV
- Live streams and creator content could migrate to Facebook Live
- Short-form video could find a home within Instagram Reels
However, migrating videos takes resources, so not all Watch content would necessarily find a new home. Facebook would need to be strategic in determining what content is worth keeping and where it fits based on their broader priorities.
What are the implications for advertisers and creators?
The shutdown of Facebook Watch would have implications both for advertisers and for video creators/publishers:
- Advertisers may lose the ability to buy video ads within Facebook Watch or sponsor original shows. However, other video ad inventory would remain available.
- Video creators and publishers would lose a major distribution platform for their content. However, they could focus on distributing videos across Facebook’s other apps.
- Publishers producing original content for Facebook Watch would need to find new partners and distribution channels.
- The shutdown could be particularly impactful for creators focused exclusively on long-form video rather than short clips.
Overall, discontinuation of Watch would be a setback for Facebook’s video monetization opportunities. But the impact would depend on how much Facebook can migrate video viewing and ads into other experiences like Reels.
Conclusion
While the Facebook Watch app still exists, its long-term future is uncertain given some of Facebook’s broader shifts in strategy. Facebook may continue optimizing the experience to better integrate Watch into its core apps and features.
Full shutdown of the entire Watch platform seems unlikely in the immediate future. But Facebook could certainly decide to de-emphasize the standalone app and brand if growth does not accelerate. This pivot could allow video content, creators, and ads to migrate into other emerging priorities.
Facebook will need to communicate clearly with partners, advertisers, creators and users if they do decide to significantly overhaul or discontinue Facebook Watch. For now, the service remains in operation as Facebook continues trying to crack the code on making video work across its apps.
Here is some example data in a table:
| Year | Facebook Watch Monthly Viewers |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 400 million |
| 2019 | 500 million |
| 2020 | 550 million |
This table shows Facebook Watch’s monthly viewership growth has been relatively slow, reaching just 550 million global monthly viewers by 2020. This slow growth in viewership despite Facebook’s promotion of Watch could be one factor contributing to rumors of Facebook potentially discontinuing or scaling back the service.
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Facebook Watch faces stiff competition in the online video marketplace. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok have strong footholds with billions of users. Facebook will need to prove that Watch brings something differentiated to the table in terms of content and features. Simply having a presence in video may not be enough.
Video advertising represents a major revenue opportunity that Facebook wants to capitalize on. Marketers are shifting more budgets to video ads across digital platforms. Facebook doesn’t want to miss out on this lucrative trend. But the ads need to reach large engaged audiences to really pay off. Watch will need to continue growing to get a bigger slice of the video ad money.
The company has touted Watch as providing a place for meaningful interactions and communities around video. However, some have questioned whether users really want yet another dedicated video destination integrated into Facebook. Simplifying the user experience may require integrating video deeper into existing Facebook features without the need for a standalone Watch tab.
Partners who have invested in creating original shows for Facebook Watch will hope the platform sticks around long enough to build an audience. However, they may begin exploring options to migrate video content to other emerging platforms if Watch falters. Publishers want their productions to reach big engaged audiences wherever they exist online.
While Facebook has mentioned aggressive plans to grow Watch, execution will require solving challenging problems like content discovery and monetization at scale. Rival platforms are innovating rapidly as well. Changing consumer tastes could also limit demand for the types of longer-form video that Facebook Watch focuses on.
Facebook will need to closely monitor user behavior and engagement analytics to determine if Watch is reaching key milestones. If growth stalls, hard choices around continuing investment or changing strategic direction could follow. Any decision to deemphasize or remove Watch would mark a major strategic shift for Facebook’s video ambitions.