Facebook discontinues Watch app on Apple TV

Source: 9to5Mac

The Facebook Watch app on the Apple TV is no more. The company confirmed with 9to5Mac that it no longer supports the tvOS platform, even though, strangely enough, it gets a new logo, and the app still appears on the App Store. If you update to the latest app version, you'll no longer get access to it. Instead, you see a message saying the app "is no longer available." It'll mention that you can watch the videos on Facebook's site. However, since tvOS doesn't have a browser, you can only watch Facebook videos when you use AirPlay from another Apple device.

Justin and Hailey Bieber now have a reality show on Facebook Watch

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If you were curious about the life of celebrity couple Justin and Hailey Bieber, then their new show on Facebook Watch might be something you'll want to check out. The Biebers on Watch premiered on Monday, May 4, at 9 a.m. PT exclusively on Facebook's platform. It's a 12-episode series that will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with Facebook Live session on Fridays. The couple will bring fans into their home and their married life through conversations and hangouts with friends and family. The show is shot using GoPro cameras positioned around the Biebers' home near Toronto as well as with some segments shot by the couple.

With Justin and Hailey both having big social media followings, it might draw more people to check out Facebook Watch and its offerings on the platform. The Biebers on Watch comes a few months after Justin's original YouTube docuseries Justin Bieber: Seasons, which focused on his first new album in over four years called Changes. It set the record of most-watched YouTube original in the first week of release. Facebook might be hoping to draw an audience with this new show.

Source: Variety

MLB games streaming on Facebook are down to 6 this season

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From 25 games exclusively aired on Facebook last year, this year only six Major League Baseball games will be streamed on Facebook Watch. It’ll be available in the US (except for regions where the games air on local stations) and several international markets. With this new one-year deal, Facebook and MLB haven’t said which games will be streamed, but these will be a one per month affair. They also promised there will still be recaps of every game and weekly recaps for each team. The MLB network will also produce dedicated Watch broadcasts that offer “interactive and social elements.”

"We look forward to testing a new model for live games, which should help the league continue to reach a younger and more global audience," Rob Shaw, Facebook's sports partnerships lead for leagues and media, told Morning Consult. According to Facebook, the games streamed on the service reaches an average viewership that’s almost 20 years younger than the usual MLB TV audience.

YouTube competitor Facebook Watch launches globally

One year to the month since it officially launched in the US, Facebook is bringing its video-streaming service Watch to its users around the world. The service wants to make it easier for its users to find new videos to watch and keep them away from competition like Google’s YouTube. Facebook is bringing the attention to features like being able to easily discover and watch new videos that range from sports to news to entertainment. Watch will also be curated to match your interests. If you want to check out the new stuff, Watchlist section will show you recently-uploaded videos from creators you’ve chosen to follow. And like Facebook’s read later function for links, you can save videos for later viewing, too.

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