It seems like Facebook wants it all. Shortly after announcing the Camera Effects platform and effectively becoming a future leader in Augmented Reality platforms, Facebook has now announced it's intention to go after mainstream Television and Streaming Video services. They've commissioned roughly 25 shows, the first of which will premiere in mid-June.
Facebook is reportedly looking for content in two distinct categories: a premium category for long format, high-budget shows that are like what you currently see on TV, and a lower category for shorter, less expensive shows of around 5-10 minutes in length that refreshes every 24 hours.
The Co-Founder of CollegeHumour, Ricky Van Veen, who Facebook hired in December of last year to be their Global Creative Strategy chief , is leading this initiative, with a clear focus to prioritise the teen market. The highly coveted teen demographic is where Facebook has lost the most ground and is currently locked in a constant tussle with Snapchat. This move then appears to be about getting teens to spend more time on Facebook.
What do you think? Would you watch a TV show on Facebook?