Facebook introduced its Watch tab for video content in 2017. The company announced Facebook Watch in August 2017 and began rolling it out to U.S. users that month.
Watch was Facebook’s dedicated video hub, designed to organize shows, live broadcasts, creator videos, and other programming in one place. Rather than relying only on the News Feed, users could browse video categories and receive recommendations based on popularity, engagement, and viewing behavior.
The launch was part of Facebook’s broader push into professionally produced and original video. The company funded programs from publishers and creators, while also building advertising formats such as mid-roll ads. Facebook later expanded Watch internationally in August 2018.
The year can be confused with 2016, when Facebook was already heavily investing in video and experimenting with live broadcasting. It can also be confused with later years because Watch’s availability expanded over time. Meta discontinued the original-programming operation in 2023, and the Watch web destination was subsequently redirected toward Reels.