Facebook users will now be able to sign up and stream SVOD services from CollegeHumor, BritBox, Tastemade and MotorTrend directly from the Facebook platform, the social media giant announced Thursday morning.
Users will also be able to host Watch Parties with the services, allowing two subscribers to watch the content at the same time from anywhere in the U.S. The initial partner set is part of a new initiative by the social media giant, which aims to keep users on the platform for longer periods of time.
This test is available in the U.S. only and will be rolling out to people over the coming weeks.
“We’re testing video subscriptions on Facebook, starting with a limited set of partners,” a Facebook company spokesperson said. “We’re excited to bring more of people’s favorite shows and videos to Facebook, where subscribers can enjoy the content together with other fans. We’ll be listening to feedback from our community.”
The SVOD services launching on the platform will launch at their normal price, with CollegeHumor’s DropOut charging $4.99 a month, BritBox TV at $6.99 a month, Tastemade at $2.99 a month, and MotorTrend costing $4.99 a month. Facebook says it may add additional partners in the future, but didn’t disclose who those future partners might be.
Facebook will process payments on behalf of the SVOD partners but did not say if it will be taking a cut of the revenue made during the test period. It’s partners also declined to comment on the subject.
The news follows reports that Facebook was gearing up to launch its own streaming hardware device, putting it in direct competition with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.