It’s only been a few months since we saw Snapchat-style ‘stories’ introduced into our newsfeeds, now Facebook are introducing yet another new feature – and this time, it is one that will rival YouTubeand Netflix.
According to an official statement released earlier today, Facebook are introducing a new ‘Watch’ tab into your feed which will allow you to watch both live and recorded shows. These shows will be divided into categories within the ‘Watch’ tab, and there will be a ‘Most Talked About’ section where you can scroll through all the trending videos at that time, as well as a ‘What’s Making People Laugh’ section (self-explanatory).
It doesn’t stop there; the Watch tab video integration has a series of features that are designed to ‘bring people together’according to Mark Zuckerberg. What you may ask? Well, by clicking on the ‘Shows Your Friends Are Watching’, you’ll be able to do just that (and once you’ve had a peek, it’s down to you whether you judge ‘em or join ‘em). Personal recommendations will also be available on the tab for the shows, and it’s not just YouTube and Netflix the new feature rivals – TV networks should also be threatened as they plan to stream live sports, too.
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One feature that sounds pretty interesting is the fact the video streaming feature will be connecting to pre-existing ‘groups’ on Facebook. So, for example, groups for TV shows which are made up of fans will immediately be able to access relevant videos and connect with other fans and Facebook users, and potentially users may be able to connect with the content creators themselves.
When will we get it? Well, the Watch tab is currently being tested on a small group of people in the US, but Zuckerberg states that it will be available to more people across the US in coming weeks.. and then comes the rest of the world!
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.