Facebook has become one of the most popular platforms for people to watch videos online. With over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of 2022, Facebook offers a massive built-in audience for video content. But what exactly are people watching on Facebook? In this article, we’ll break down the most viewed video content on Facebook and analyze the trends.
News Videos
One of the most watched categories of videos on Facebook is news. Many major news outlets have huge followings on the platform and regularly post short video clips covering the latest headlines. According to data from NewsWhip, the most engaged publisher on Facebook in 2021 was Fox News with over 3 billion video views. CNN also performed well with 2.3 billion views. People flock to these trusted news brands on Facebook to stay informed about current events through short, digestible videos.
Local News
Local TV news stations also see high viewership on Facebook. Local news affiliates for major networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox have millions of followers in their individual markets. They frequently post local weather updates, traffic reports, and city news that resonates in their communities. Pew Research found that around 60% of American adults regularly get news from local TV stations, so it’s no surprise that local news video posts thrive on Facebook.
Viral News Moments
Viral news videos are hugely popular on Facebook. Clips capturing a big news event or emotional news moment can quickly amass millions or even billions of views. For example, a video clip posted by CBS News of the explosion during the Beirut port explosion in 2020 gained over 230 million views on Facebook. These dramatic videos spread like wildfire through shares and views as people seek out footage capturing major news events.
Entertainment Videos
People also love watching entertaining video clips on Facebook. Media brands focused on entertainment, celebrities, pop culture, and lifestyle content have flourished by catering to this demand. UNILAD and LadBible are examples of brands that grew huge audiences on Facebook by curating and posting viral entertainment videos.
Funny Videos
Funny and humorous video clips are massively popular on Facebook. Meme compilation videos by pages like Unilad and 9GAG as well as funny clips from TV shows get lots of engagement. People enjoy these lighthearted, sharable videos for a laugh and momentary escape from more serious current events. Pages can gain loyal followings just by posting funny viral videos daily.
Movie and TV Show Trailers
Studios eagerly share movie and TV show trailers on Facebook to build buzz and anticipation. Franchise films and shows with existing fanbases like Marvel and Star Wars perform especially well. For example, the first teaser for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker gained over 112 million views on Facebook. Trailers give fans an exciting first look while spreading awareness to more casual viewers too.
Music Videos
Music videos are hot commodities on Facebook. Record labels and artists routinely post their latest music videos to their official Facebook pages where fans stream them millions of times over. Pop stars like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift in particular drive huge view counts. But lesser known indie artists also benefit from Facebook’s expansive reach to share their videos. Music discovery remains a big draw for Facebook users.
Instructional and Educational Videos
How-to videos, life hacks, and educational explainers have become very popular on Facebook as well. These instructional videos teach people useful skills and information in an engaging video format. Pages like 5-Minute Crafts and Tasty from Buzzfeed make clever DIY and cooking how-to videos that attract billions of views.
Recipe Videos
Cooking recipe videos thrive on Facebook, especially quick and simple recipes that everyday home cooks can replicate. Tasty finds viral success by condensing recipes into short step-by-step videos set to upbeat music. Their page has over 100 million Facebook followers. These videos spread widely as people tag friends and family to share recipes they want to try together.
Life Hack Videos
Life hack videos offer clever little tips and tricks for problems people encounter in daily life. 5-Minute Crafts leads this category with several billion video views per month. Their quick demonstrations of organizational hacks, cleaning shortcuts, and other DIY solutions appeal to viewers looking for ways to simplify and improve their lives. These videos also get high engagement as people tag friends with hacks they want to share.
Educational Explainers
For those looking to learn and expand their knowledge, educational explainers provide informative overviews of historical events, scientific concepts, and more. Channels like Discovery and National Geographic thrive on Facebook by simplifying big ideas into engaging and easily digestible videos. People enjoy learning something new in a short, captivating video format.
Sports Highlights
Watching sports highlights and commentary videos is another major draw for Facebook users. Sports leagues, news outlets, channels like ESPN, and team brands constantly post clips of big plays, previews/recaps, and analysis videos to serve eager sports fans. These video clips allow fans to stay on top of their favorite teams and players in real-time from their Facebook feeds.
Game Highlights
Clips of major games and events see massive viewership on Facebook. Pages will frequently post highlight reels of exciting plays and pivotal moments shortly after games end. For instance, NBA highlights routinely garner millions of views. The NBA YouTube channel drove strong viewership during the 2022 NBA Finals by posting highlight reels on Facebook recapping each game.
Athlete Profiles
Today’s sports stars have huge followings on Facebook for their personal highlight and promo videos. Soccer players like Neymar and Messi as well as basketball stars like LeBron James have tens of millions of Facebook followers. Fans eat up behind-the-scenes training footage, commercials, interview clips, and any videos offering insight into the lives of their favorite athletes.
Previews and Recaps
Pages keep fans engaged between events with preview and recap videos. ESPN does this exceptionally well, posting extensive previews breaking down key storylines ahead of big games and post-game breakdowns analyzing the most important performances and moments. These videos allow fans to stay immersed in the narrative arcs surrounding major sports events.
Gaming Videos
Facebook also serves as a popular hub for gaming content. Video game publishers and streamers share all forms of gaming videos to cater to their enthusiastic followings. Live streams of games have especially skyrocketed in popularity in recent years.
Trailers and Gameplay
Game studios rely on Facebook to share exciting new trailers revealing upcoming games and showcasing gameplay footage. Reveal trailers will frequently garner millions of views from eager gamers awaiting news of the latest installments in popular franchises like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto. Gameplay trailers also go viral as they offer a first look at the actual gaming experience.
Esports Highlights
Competitive gaming content is thriving on Facebook as esports continue to grow. Gaming leagues for games like League of Legends and DOTA 2 post highlight reels from major tournaments for fans to recap the biggest plays. Even individual pro gamers will share FB clips of their most epic moments and achievements to build their personal brand.
Live Streams
Live streaming gameplay has become massively popular on Facebook in recent years. Many pro gamers and influencers will live stream hours of their playthroughs of new game releases while interacting with fans in real-time. Facebook’s tools allow for seamless streaming with features like screensharing and live comment feeds to grow an authentic community.
Personal Videos
Beyond media brands and publishers, everyday users also share huge amounts of personal video content on Facebook. Front-facing “selfie” videos, family home movies, travel videos, and more personal footage make up a major portion of videos posted to Facebook.
“Slice of Life” Videos
“Slice of life” glimpses into users’ everyday lives make up much of Facebook’s video content. People share short clips showing their hobbies, pets, kids’ milestones, travel adventures, and random silly moments. Even if not made for a wide audience, personal videos let friends and family in on life highlights.
Live Videos
Facebook Live provides a simple way for individuals to share live videos with their connections. People use Facebook Live to broadcast special events and moments like weddings, graduations, birthdays, and holidays in real-time. The live interactivity creates a shared viewing experience between the broadcaster and audience.
Story Videos
Users also craft edited story videos combining multiple clips with text, captions, and music. Popular among teens and young adults, these creative videos document stories like road trips, summer adventures, memories with friends, and chapters of their lives. Facebook’s “Stories” feature also allows quick sharing of daily photo and video clips that disappear after 24 hours.
Facebook Video Statistics
Let’s look at some key statistics highlighting the massive role of video on Facebook:
| 300 million | Facebook users who watch video daily (Facebook, 2022) |
| 8 billion | Facebook video views per day (Hubspot, 2022) |
| 95% | Of video views that occur on mobile devices (Hubspot, 2022) |
| 65% | Of people who watch more Facebook video than one year ago (Socialbakers, 2021) |
As these stats illustrate, video has become deeply integral to the Facebook experience and continues to see explosive growth in viewership year after year. People flock to Facebook throughout the day to catch up on news, be entertained, learn new skills, stay connected to interests, and share personal highlights through video content.
Conclusion
Facebook has evolved into a dynamic video consumption destination. While news remains a top draw, people also come to Facebook for laughs, niche interests, life hacks, sports highlights, video game content and more. Media publishers cater to these appetites with short, engaging video posts designed to go viral. At the same time, personal user-generated content allows friends and family to share slices of life. Facebook’s vast scale, longevity, and video tools like Live make it the perfect ecosystem for video to thrive.