Facebook is working on becoming the next Netflix by expanding into the video arena. The social network has greenlit two new original series that will launch on the platform.
Returning The Favor features Mike Rowe (Somebody’s Gotta Do It) as he travels the country searching for people who put their community over themselves, and shines a spotlight on their contributions. A recently filmed episode, which Rowe teased on his Facebook page, focuses on a motorcycle mechanic who runs an operation helping vets with PTSD.
The second project is a yet-to-be-titled docuseries about the Ball family, whose sons Lonzo, Liangelo and LaMelo have taken the basketball world by storm. Freshman UCLA star Lonzo Ball was recently chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers as their No. 2 pick in the NBA draft. Liangelo and LaMelo are both stand-outs at Chino Hills High School.
The company is looking to seed an ecosystem of creators with the long-term goal of having creators and partners create their own shows in which a community can be built around. The company has been testing a new self-service tool called Audience Direct that lets publishers sell video ad space directly to advertisers using Facebook’s people-based advertising platform. The new series demonstrate the type of content that Facebook believes would do well on such platforms .
In addition to the new original content, Facebook also has been looking at streaming of live sports events, which could enable the company to connect better with younger audiences, and in turn, drive up advertising revenues, as well as offering more content from its media partners as well as individual creators.
