 have reiterated their commitment to focus on video content, announcing the launch of a video app for smart TVs.){kind=link}
Social media giant Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) have reiterated their commitment to focus on video content, announcing the launch of a video app for smart TVs.
In a news statement on its website, Facebook described the TV app:
“With the app, you can watch videos shared by friends or Pages you follow, top live videos from around the world, and recommended videos based on your interests. You can also catch up on videos you’ve saved to watch later, as well as revisit videos you’ve watched, shared or uploaded. We look forward to seeing how people use the app to enjoy Facebook videos in a new way.”
Facebook have in recent years made attempts to rival the undisputed King of Video, Youtube videos on the social media site began going viral. It has been heavily marketing its ‘Live’ tool, where users can record and stream activities as they happen for Facebook friends to see, and the company have been commissioning videos exclusively for the site.
Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his commitment to video in a conference call earlier this month:
“I see video as a mega trend on the same order as mobile. That’s why we’re going to keep putting video first across our family of apps and making it easier for people to capture and share video in new ways.”
The new Facebook app will be available on Apple TV, Amazon’s Fire TV and Samsung’s Smart TV range, where users will be able to watch Facebook’s user-generated videos directly on their television screen through an app similar to that of BBC iPlayer and Channel 4’s All 4.
In terms of revenue, the move further into video will attempt to capture a larger share of the $70 billion US television advertising market. The new app will include a new space for the company to show video ads, which are one of the main revenue channels for the Facebook company.
Facebook shares are currently trading down 0.15 percent at 133.85 (1001GMT).