Facebook Watch Adds News Shows From European Publishers to Its Menu

Facebook inked deals with publishers in France, Germany and Sweden for news shows for its Facebook Watch video destination, after doing the same in Australia last month. Director of news partnerships for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Jesper Doub said in a blog post that, just as in the Australian agreements, publishers will have full editorial control over the shows they produce, and they will collaborate with the social network to help determine the stories, topics and formats that are resonating with their audiences. He added, “Our goal is to allow publishers to experiment with new formats, engage new audiences and build sustainable revenue streams on our dedicated video platform.” Facebook reached similar deals roughly one year ago for two global news shows—Uncovered from Channel 4 News and Cut Through the Noise from the BBC—and Doub said the social network is in conversations to continue those shows. The new shows coming to Facebook Watch under the agreements revealed Thursday are: Germany: Bild Daily, from Axel Springer, is a daily general interest show in which journalists from Bild will break down the hottest topics and headlines in politics, business, entertainment, sports and lifestyle. It will run Monday through Friday. Life Hacks, from Hubert Berda Media’s Focus, is an interactive show in which viewers will seek advice from experts including vloggers, celebrities and special guests. NewsStories, also from Focus, is a weekly news show that will cover topics including politics, sports, viral videos, urban myths and fashion. Klaudia Saves the World, from Hubert Berda Media’s Bunte, features Germany’s Next Top Model winner Klaudia Giez in a 25-week educational travelogue, during which she will meet with influential figures aiming to solve complex problems in modern society. Superluminar—Das Social Wissensformat is a 15-episode weekly science show from Gruner + Jahr, hosted by Hannes Holtermann. Der Fußball, mein Leben & ich, also from G+J, is a 15-episode sports biography show hosted by Philipp Köster, editor in chief of soccer magazine 11Freunde. Local Heroes—Food Heroes Deutschland is a 15-episode weekly food series from G+J highlighting little-known places to eat and featuring chefs and restaurateurs. Rücken an Rücken—Promikochen, another G+J effort, is a 15-episode weekly studio cookery show in which celebrity guests cook dishes with instructions from professional chefs. France: Pendant ce temps là is a Monday-through-Friday breaking news show from Brut that will aim to bring new perspectives to the news of the day. Weekly series Plan B, from Le Monde, will feature inspiring people preparing the world for a sustainable future, with established journalists reporting from across the globe. Bonsoir Bruce, from BFMTV, is a daily vertical video news show hosted by anchor Bruce Toussaint, who will discuss the day’s top headline, interview guests, take questions from viewers and fact-check trending stories. Sweden: Bara Nyheter, from Expressen, is a Monday-through-Friday show summarizing the most important news. Anchor Jennie Pierrou will host.