That was quick.
Just a couple weeks after first introducing its new platform for TV shows, Facebook is now bringing the feature to everyone in the U.S.
Called Watch, the social network is now working with dozens of publishers on original programming that lives in a dedicated section of Facebook’s app and website.
Facebook began testing Watch earlier this month, but the feature was only available to a handful of users in the U.S. Whatever the company was hoping to gauge in the first few weeks apparently went well, though, because they’re now pushing it live for the entire country. (Facebook tells us the full rollout will take a few days, so if you’re not seeing it quite yet, keep checking.)
Even though it’s still early days for the platform, publishers have wasted no time in embracing Facebook’s biggest push into video yet. The company tells us there are already hundreds of shows available, with more regularly being added to the lineup.
The shows themselves run the gamut from weekly talkshow-style programs, cooking shows, animated comedy series, a VR dating show, and one-off specials that will air over the course of a few days. The programs are being created by major publishers and media companies like Condé Nast, Tastemade, BuzzFeed, and, yes, Mashable.
If you’re outside of the U.S., you’re still going to have to wait a little longer before Facebook’s Watch section is live. No word on exactly when that will be, but the company says expansion plans are on the roadmap.
If it’s anything like how quickly Watch expanded in the U.S., though, it will likely be sooner than later.
