Facebook is paying 12 publishers for Watch shows starring video creators
By Sara Shaw • March 13, 2019
Facebook has confirmed a new program through which it will fund and license new shows for Facebook Watch. Facebook describes this program, which has no official name but is referred to by some executives as “Facebook match,” as a video incubator to fund collaborations between publishers and video creators.
This new funding program is expected to run for 2019 and beyond. Facebook is willing to spend up to $200,000 per show. These shows are also not Facebook-owned “originals,” which means Facebook is only licensing the programming for a certain amount of time, after which the producers are free to distribute on other platforms, sources previously said. Facebook’s role in this program is mainly to provide funding. The company is greenlighting projects that are in line with the type of programming that Facebook says is successful on Watch: short to mid-form formats that encourage conversation and use of other Facebook products and features such as Facebook Groups and Watch Party.