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
103 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
103 months ago
Have a good one for them - 'The Censor Ship'. Or perhaps 'Fake Book - Episode 1984'.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacNut Avatar
103 months ago
The first episode will consist of cat memes and family members arguing about Donald Trump.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nwcs Avatar
103 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
103 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
103 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)

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