Facebook previously hinted at its upcoming news video section in Watch, but we now have some more details about it. Sources told Axios that a daily news service should launch in the summer, with about 10 publishers (both digital-focused and conventional) currently testing partnerships. News clips in Watch would need to be at least3 minutes long, sources say, and that the feature would be available or “at least” one year while Facebook evaluates to see what’s working and what isn’t.
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Facebook changes details related to the section, even after the launch. The company has said that they’re unsure how it will measure the success. Though, Facebook does have plenty of incentives to add news to Watch. Facebook users are more likely to pay attention to videos than entertainment, and you’ll more likely to share and comment on real events than comedy or drama. Facebook also wants to tackle fake news, and this is a way for the company to bring news from trustworthy news videos to help counter the problem.
