Facebook set-top-box TV video app tipped in development

Facebook is actively developing an app for set-top-boxes, according to sources, with the aim of bringing video content from its platform to the average living room. This video content would include, assuming reports are correct, long-form video with the same quality as what you currently get on television. The move will enable Facebook to pursue television advertisement revenue.

The information comes from the Wall Street Journal, which reports that people 'familiar with the matter' revealed Facebook is eyeing premium content that'll help make the company a video-first operation. Facebook has been pushing its video capabilities in recent months, not the least of which is the addition of live streaming video content.

The sources went on to say that Facebook is talking with unspecified media companies about licensing TV-grade long video content, but information on that wasn't provided. With this video content will obviously come video advertisements, but also fierce competition from YouTube, Twitter and more.

Facebook employees are reportedly regarding the company as a future platform for mobile TV, a move that's not surprising considering the shifting tides among general Facebook social network users and the uptick in mobile video consumption. As people abandon Facebook for more myopic alternatives like Instagram and Snapchat, the company has to figure out a new way to rehash its existing product.

Facebook is, indeed, full of videos at this moment, but they're not the kind of videos that draw any significant attention or television ad dollars. Sources state Facebook is looking for something more robust than the short clips that dot the social network's landscape, instead looking for items that are somewhere closer to ten minutes long. This may end up including exclusive entertainment, scripted content, sports shows, and more.

SOURCE: Wall Street Journal