Facebook’s plan to roll out TV-like programming is taking shape, and those shows could begin debuting as soon as June.
According to Business Insider, Facebook is planning to have about 24 shows ready for its big move into programming. The social platform is reportedly looking for long-form marquee programming suitable for viewing on TV sets, and shorter videos that will cost less to produce.
RELATED: Facebook reportedly offering ‘premium digital rate’ for original series
News of Facebook officially kicking off its foray into programming come after months of reports outlining the social media giant’s plans to offer TV shows in an effort to find new ad revenue sources.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the social media company is focusing on soliciting 30-minute series based around sports, science, pop culture, lifestyle, gaming and teens.
Facebook is reportedly looking to pay for shows and is planning to offer a “premium digital rate” for scripted content, or about low- to mid-six figures per episode, according to the report.
Facebook’s pursuit of original programming coincides with the company’s efforts to license content, headed up by Ricky Van Veen, Facebook’s hired head of global creative strategy.
“Earlier this year, we started rolling out the Video tab, a dedicated place for video on Facebook. Our goal is to kickstart an ecosystem of partner content for the tab, so we're exploring funding some seed video content, including original and licensed scripted, unscripted, and sports content, that takes advantage of mobile and the social interaction unique to Facebook. Our goal is to show people what is possible on the platform and learn as we continue to work with video partners around the world,” said Van Veen in a statement provided to Recode.
While Facebook has been busy building a content slate worthy of larger screens, the company has also been working to ensure secure space on the type of streaming set-top hardware that will help that content make it to TVs. Facebook earlier this year confirmed that it is rolling out dedicated Facebook video applications for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Samsung smart TVs.
“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,” wrote Facebook in a blog post.
RELATED: MLB, Live Nation and more sign content deals with Twitter
Meanwhile, Facebook’s biggest competitor Twitter is ramping up its own content strategy. At Twitter’s first-ever Digital Content NewFronts presentation, the company unveiled new content partnerships with MLB, WNBA, Bloomberg, BuzzFeed and more.