App Store FacebookFacebook is actively developing around two dozen television shows with plans to premiere some of them in mid-June, according to a report on Saturday.

The social media company has big-budget marquee shows geared towards a TV audience in the works, alongside a tier of less expensive shows that will span about 5 to 10 minutes, according to sources who spoke to Business Insider.

The news comes amid an apparent frenzy of similar plans by companies like Amazon, Snap, and Apple, as the digital rivals compete for a piece of the emerging online video programming market.

According to the report, Facebook aims to play a more hands-on role in controlling the content that its nearly 2 billion members see on the social network. To this end, the company considers high-quality, scripted video as an important feature that will help it retain users, particularly a younger demographic that spends an increasing amount of time on the rival Snapchat network.

Facebook also hopes to attract big sponsors typically associated with traditional TV networks, but a question hovers over whether users will consider video that autoplays in Facebook's news feed as a destination for viewing longer-form content.

The report goes on to explain that a virtual reality dating show from Condé Nast is among the content that Facebook has in the pipeline. "A-list celebrities" are said to be in talks to appear in other shows, with one major star already having agreed to a deal.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has referred in the past to his desire to lure users to the social network with "episodic content". The latest information on the company's plans comes just a day after YouTube revealed it would be developing free-to-view original content supported by ads.

Top Rated Comments

VulchR Avatar
77 months ago
Does anybody remember when Facebook was actually worthwhile? As I recall, it just let you post messages and pictures to friends and family, as it was wonderful at doing that. Now it is a bloated, slow, ad-ridden mess. Facebook should be cutting features, not adding them.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6836838 Avatar
77 months ago
Have a good one for them - 'The Censor Ship'. Or perhaps 'Fake Book - Episode 1984'.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacNut Avatar
77 months ago
The first episode will consist of cat memes and family members arguing about Donald Trump.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nwcs Avatar
77 months ago
Geez, seems everyone is doing their own show programming now. I wonder when this video creation bubble will burst?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
77 months ago
Facebook’s first original show will be a remake of The Circle with Tom Hanks starring as Mark Zuckerberg. Total transparency FTW!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mr.bee Avatar
77 months ago
Does anybody remember when Facebook was actually worthwhile? As I recall, it just let you post messages and pictures to friends and family, as it was wonderful at doing that. Now it is a bloated, slow, ad-ridden mess. Facebook should be cutting features, not adding them.
True, Instagram is now the "personal" network, Facebook is a cold advertising network. Everyone is still there but it's not personal.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Feature

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 15 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Friday March 17, 2023 10:29 am PDT by
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro. If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
top stories 18mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Pricing, New iOS 16.4 Beta, Siri vs. ChatGPT, and More

Saturday March 18, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase? This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
iPhone 15 Pro Mock Feature Buttonless

iPhone 15 Pro Max to 'Break Record' for Thinnest Bezels on a Smartphone

Friday March 17, 2023 2:59 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will have the thinnest bezels of any smartphone, beating the record currently held by the Xiaomi 13. That's according to the leaker known as "Ice Universe," who has divulged accurate information about Apple's plans in the past. Both iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have thinner, curved bezels compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, potentially resulting in an Apple...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Launching This Year With These 11 New Features

Monday March 13, 2023 6:47 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 lineup is around six months away, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone 15 Pro models in particular, including a titanium frame and more. Below, we have recapped 11 features rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A17...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...