Facebook is reportedly going to start showing original television-style shows and unique programming on its website.
Multiple sources told Business Insider that the social-media giant is planning to launch around two dozen original shows this June.
The report says that Facebook plans on offering long, traditional style shows with bigger budgets, as well as shorter, less expensive shows that last five or ten minutes.
“They said the social network had been looking for shows in two distinct tiers: a marquee tier for a few longer, big-budget shows that would feel at home on TV, and a lower tier for shorter, less expensive shows of about five to 10 minutes that would refresh every 24 hours,” Business Insider said in its report.
Facebook’s decision to enter the original content business comes amid a race in the online-media industry to secure premium video programming.
“The new video initiative means Facebook would play a much more hands-on role in controlling the content that appears on its social network with nearly 2 billion members — and it comes as companies like Amazon, YouTube, and Snap are locked in an arms race to secure premium video programming,” Business Insider added.
Facebook hired cofounder of CollegeHumor, Ricky Van Heen, in December as global creative strategy chief. Van Heen and his team have already met with production companies and receiving pitches for shows that would appear on a new version of Facebook’s video tab.
In December, Van Veen said:
“Earlier this year, we started rolling out the Video tab, a dedicated place for video on Facebook. Our goal is to kickstart an ecosystem of partner content for the tab, so we’re exploring funding some seed video content, including original and licensed scripted, unscripted, and sports content, that takes advantage of mobile and the social interaction unique to Facebook.
“Our goal is to show people what is possible on the platform and learn as we continue to work with video partners around the world.”