Facebook Watch: Facebook’s Video Streaming Service Coming Soon To India!

According to a report by The Ken, Facebook is soon going to launch their video streaming service Watch in India, sometime early next year.

The episodic video streaming service from Facebook was launched two months back in the US. Facebook is planning to bring the ‘Watch’ service to the country sometime between the months of January and March in 2018.

What is Facebook Watch?

Watch is an exclusive video streaming service from Facebook which includes shows from different genres like lifestyle, comedy, children’s entertainment content along with live streams of sports and events.

Being in its early stages, the platform is presently open to a small pool of creators and viewers. Each of the show has its own Page that fans can follow for news and updates.

India, Internet & Streaming Video

India has most number of Facebook users than any other country in the world. Back in the month July, Facebook had reported that they have over 241 million users here in India, while US trails behind with 240 million users.

The country has a huge English speaking population, with over 400 million internet users who are comfortable in watching  videos on their smartphones. In March, Financial Express estimated that India’s domestic streaming video market would be worth $272 million by the end of this year.

To top it all, India has one of the the cheapest data tariffs in the world. Facebook can easily target users with daily content on their platform, along with plenty of data points concerning the Indian demographics and interests. The Facebook app already plays videos automatically while scrolling through the news feed. There will also be options to download clips so one can watch them later, offline.

Youtube Vs. Facebook Watch

Facebook Watch will be a better place for creators to showcase their content, as opposed to dependence on YouTube’s algorithmic recommendation system. But, it will only work till the roster and duration of shows remains short. Youtube still has the advantage due to their wider presence and recognition.

Initially, Facebook Watch will be made available to the viewers in India with Western content. But the company is also planning to showcase and promote regional language content. This is a given, as every video streaming service in India, from Hotstar to Amazon Prime Video to Netflix and Youtube, offers content in multiple Indian languages.

Facebook Watch’s Future In India

Facebook is working hard to add more independent producers through their new Creator app. The app enables users to enhance their live videos with the help of professional graphics and deep analytics.

India already has an array of video streaming apps, and it will be interesting to see Facebook’s approach towards bringing more local content onto their platform as they explore the Indian market.

Facebook already has a massive presence in India. Watch is an open platform for video creators and viewers. Creators from India can leverage the platform to make a variety of shows catering different genres and tasted.