Skip to main content

Facebook original programming may be coming soon, according to a new report

facebook original
Image used with permission by copyright holder
The digital distribution space is quickly becoming crowded, with some of the biggest tech giants deciding they want a piece of the pie. Everyone wants the next big hit original series, and Facebook may be throwing its hat into the ring, according to a recent report in the Wall Street Journal.

Following on the heels of Apple’s recent announcement that they also plan to invest as much as $1 billion in original programming, it’s unclear whether Facebook wants to develop actual scripted series or rely on their video-creation ecosystem. The Facebook Watch feature, with hundreds of shows ranging from scripted dramas to reality-TV offerings, is oriented towards community involvement, with Facebook and the content creators splitting the proceeds.

There are also many more shows on the way. “Over time, this will be completely open,” Dan Rose, VP of partnerships, said. “The teenager in her garage will be able to participate in this.”

However, that’s a long way from big-budget original programming that gets mentioned at Emmy time, and $1 billion is a drop in the bucket compared to the spending from some of the other companies currently enjoying commercial success and critical acclaim in the streaming video market. HBO, which often has the shows with the biggest buzz, spends around $2 billion yearly on original programming. Netflix spends $6 billion, and Amazon $4.5 billion. Jeff Bezos has made no secret of his desire to make Amazon the major player in the market, and has put pressure on his production company to come up with “the next Game of Thrones.”

We’ve got a rundown of all the major streaming services, if you want to know the pros and cons of each one.

It’s also not specified whether the $1 billion figure includes sports programming, another nascent enterprise for the digital distribution services. Twitter paid $10 million for Thursday Night Football broadcasts in 2016, but Amazon outbid them for the 2017 season in a deal reportedly worth $50 billion. Facebook recently began broadcasting MLB games, with a live streaming game available every week.

Expensive original programming is hardly a sure thing. Hulu hit it big with The Handmaid’s Tale, a critically acclaimed series that vaulted them it contention with Netflix and HBO in the streaming video market. On the other hand, Amazon’s costly and heavily promoted Z: The beginning of Everything flopped and was canceled after one season.

The Journal report is anonymously sourced and scarce on details, so it remains to be seen whether this marks a new venture for Facebook or an expansion of their current bubbling cauldron of user-created content. Still, it’s an indication of how much the television landscape has changed in just a few years, with major tech companies making inroads into an industry previously dominated by cable networks and broadcast companies.

Editors' Recommendations

Mark Austin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mark’s first encounter with high-tech was a TRS-80. He spent 20 years working for Nintendo and Xbox as a writer and…
Everything coming to Amazon Freevee in May 2023
John Wick 2

Who says the best things in life aren't free? With subscription prices for streaming services on the rise, it can be hard to find quality entertainment at a fair price. YouTube has some free movies, but in general, major streamers like Netflix and Apple TV+ require a fee to access their digital treasures.

That's not entirely true with Amazon though. For consumers who don't want to pay the Prime rate for movies and TV shows, it offers an alternative: Freevee, an ad-supported option that has a plethora of top-tier movies and shows, from dramas and comedies to sci-fi and thrillers. Like any other streaming service, titles come and go, so keep reading to find out everything coming to Amazon Freevee in May 2023.
May 1
Casa Grande season 1

Read more
Everything coming to Netflix in May 2023
A man walks away from a burning dumpster in Fubar.

After decades of mailing DVDs and revolutionizing the entertainment industry, Netflix continues to be the premier destination for streaming content. With recent hit shows like Wednesday, The Diplomat, and The Night Agent, plus blockbuster movies like The Gray Man and the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front, Netflix still dominates the streaming landscape like no other.

That domination is likely to continue with Netflix's May 2023 programming schedule, which includes the debut of the action movie The Mother with Jennifer Lopez and the arrival of Arnold Schwarzenegger's first TV series, Fubar. In addition, a Bridgerton spinoff, Queen Charlotte, will premiere as well as the hit Sony dramedy A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks. There's a lot for everyone, so we've highlighted our selections in bold below.
May 1
● Above Suspicion
● Airport
● Airport '77
● Airport 1975
● American Gangster
● Austin Powers in Goldmember
● Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
● Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
● Black Hawk Down
● The Cable Guy
● Captain Phillips
● Chicken Run
● Cliffhanger
● Conan the Barbarian
● The Croods
● The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
● Dawn of the Dead
● Flight
● For Colored Girls
● Girl, Interrupted
● The Glass Castle

Read more
Everything coming to HBO Max in May 2023
Two men sit at a desk in White House Plumbers.

There's no better cable network or streamer than HBO Max right now. The forthcoming name change aside, HBO Max is still celebrating its winter triumph, The Last of Us. The fourth and final seasons of Succession and Barry are currently in full swing, and a buzzy new limited series, Love & Death, just premiered to critical acclaim.

HBO Max's May 2023 schedule promises to keep the party going with a bevy of new releases that include the true crime comedy White House Plumbers with Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. In addition, the fan-favorite series The Other Two returns for a third season and the original documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer premieres at the end of the month.

Read more