Facebook is making its Watch video service available worldwide, expanding it out of the U.S. where it launched a year ago.
Viewers will be able to watch a range of shows and clips from large brands and smaller video creators. It will also create Watch Parties, where members of Facebook groups can watch video together in real time — this might include hosting a Q&A between a group leader and an audience about hobbies or home improvement.
Jada Pinkett Smith's "Red Table Talk" show is one of the most popular on Facebook Watch, with a recent episode about her mother's one-time heroin addiction attracting 22 million views.
Facebook is also expanding its ad breaks option for publishers and people who make videos. It had previously tested these with certain publishers but now those who meet its eligibility criteria will be able to include ads.
Creators with at least 10,000 followers can make money from ads within three-minute videos that have had more than 30,000 views lasting at least one-minute in the past two months and meet Facebook's monetization standards. Ad revenue will be split between Facebook and the creator.
U.S. revenue from digital video ads is set to hit $19.81 billion by 2020, according to researcher eMarketer.
Google's ad business made $28 billion in revenues in the second quarter, but it does not split out financials for YouTube. Facebook made $13.04 billion in ad revenues in its second quarter.
Ad breaks will be available in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, New Zealand and Australia and from September video-makers in some of South America and Europe, as well as Mexico and Thailand, will also be able to put ads in their content.
In July, Facebook announced that it would launch Brand Collabs Manager, a platform connecting video creators with sponsorship opportunities.