Facebook announced in a blog post Wednesday morning that Watch, its video platform that launched in 2017, is now reaching 140 million people that spend at least one minute a day with the platform. That is up from the 75 million the company reported in December. Monthly, 750 million users that spend at least one minute with the platform, up from 400 million in December.
The new stats come nearly a year after Facebook launched Watch in the global market, which has helped contribute to its daily and monthly active user based. Along with its global expansion, Facebook has made ad breaks available in more than 40 countries and announced Wednesday that it is launching ad breaks in Canada. As a result, the number of Watch pages actively using ad breaks has more than tripled– and the number of pages earning over $1,000 in payouts per month has increased by more than 8X, while the number of pages earning over $10,000 in payouts per month has increased by more than 3X, according to Facebook. The company did not disclose specifics around the numbers, such as the number of creators in each category or how many videos they are making to hit the $1000 or $10,000 threshold.
Launched in 2017, Facebook Watch has struggled to find footing among consumers and publishers. Some have criticized the platform for its clunky discovery features, lack of consumer awareness, and revenue potential that makes investing in original content for the platform “not mathematically justifiable.” Part of the issue, according to publishers who have worked with the platform, is that many Facebookers are not accustomed to watching longer-form content in a feed-based environment. However, 750 million people now visiting the platform at least once a month could be an early sign that viewing habits are starting to shift.
In addition to viewership numbers, Facebook announced premiere dates for upcoming shows including season two of “Five Points,” which launches August 5, “Ball In The Family” (Season 5) – Aug. 18, and “Sorry For Your Loss” (Season 2) – October 1. “Limetown,” a drama starring Jessica Biel that was announced last year, will premiere October 11, followed by Crypt TV’s horror series “The Birch” on Oct. 16.