Facebook rolls out Watch to take on YouTube — and maybe Netflix
San Francisco — Facebook is rolling out a new video service offering professionally produced shows in a challenge to rivals, such as YouTube, and potentially to streaming providers such as Netflix. The Facebook service, called Watch, will include a range of shows, from reality to comedy to live sports, the social network said in its announcement late on Wednesday. The new platform offers an opportunity for social interactions via the Facebook community of some 2-billion users. It will be "a place where you can discover shows your friends are watching and follow your favourite shows and creators so you don’t miss any episodes", Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said. "You’ll be able to chat and connect with people during an episode, and join groups with people who like the same shows afterwards to build community." Facebook has funded some of the creators to get the service going. The launch shows include blogger Nuseir Yassin’s "Nas Daily", which includes videos of his fans from around t...
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