There is no doubt that big brands now firmly believe that the television medium is the place to be over the upcoming decade. We have already seen Amazon make a big splash in the world of entertainment, even managing to win an Oscar award for one of their movies so early into the game. This must have been an encouraging sign for other big brands because Facebook and Youtube have both thrown their hats into the ring as well, and have made their intentions crystal clear.
We now have more details from Facebook regarding the type of shows they may tackle and the strategies they could employ in order to distinguish themselves from the competition (read as Netflix and Hulu).
Originals blended with fan favorites
Facebook will not be employing a singular strategy in terms of creating content for their audiences. They want to examine the type of shows that audiences enjoy and possibly create something in the vicinity of those areas. A relationship drama called 'Strangers' and a game-show called 'Last State Standing' will be one of the first few shows being premiered by the platform.
The social media behemoth will also look to revive two fan-favorite shows with the help of other networks. These include the canceled Mindy Kaling show 'The Mindy Project', and a cult-classic that Netflix didn’t have too much success reviving: 'Arrested Development'.
Big budgets, wider audiences
Facebook has already been a phenomenon around the world for well over a decade now, and it is quite fitting that they use its influence and reach in order to further attract and please their audiences. Unlike most networks and streaming services, Facebook will look to target a wider audience with their content, aiming for the 13-34 demographic instead of the regular 18-49. This allows the company to acquire content like 'Loosely Exactly Nicole' from MTV after the show was canceled after its first season.
Facebook will also flex its muscles in terms of finances and spend a shocking amount of money on the development of each of their episodes. Since they will not be using the “binge” format that has been so popular today, they can spread out their resources on a weekly basis and create content without too many time constraints. A recent report suggests that Facebook has already begun to spend nearly three million dollars on some of its episodes, a number that is staggeringly high, even when compared to the likes of BBC or HBO.
There is no doubt that the television space is being hotly contested at this point, and the two new contenders Facebook and Youtube cannot be taken lightly by established names. The good news for fans seems to be that the golden era of television will probably continue for a significant period into the future.