A year on from its global launch, Facebook Watch is to expand, with new video partners.
The social network has reported a monthly audience of 720 million. Its daily audience has also doubled over six months and now stands at 140 million, watching at least one minute a day, on average daily visitors spend more than 26 minutes in Watch every day.
As reported in Broadband TV News this week, Facebook will offer its users a wide-ranging catalogue of videos from German media group ProSiebenSat.1. There is also content from the ICC Cricket World Cup, which is currently being held in the UK, with previews, highlights, and insider commentary from every match.
In Australia, Seven Studios is adding a slate of new original digital series — and Australian sporting codes NRL, AFL and Cricket Australia will showcase a range of sports content spanning match highlights and live original programming.
Facebook Watch is also developing its originals, including its reboot of MTV’s The Real World and the News in Watch programme is also being expanded internationally.
Facebook says that rather than being a passive experience, viewers can also interact through comments, shares, reactions, polls, groups, messages and so-called Watch Parties. People who watch videos together with friends are 8 times more likely to comment on videos in Watch Party than when watching on their own.
Ad breaks are available in more than 40 countries; ad breaks have now been launched in Canada, and support is being added for Kannada, Marathi, Punjabi, Swedish and Telugu.
