14 DAY TRIAL // UK broadcaster Five is on its way of becoming the first TV station to make its programs available on Facebook. The two companies have come to an agreement which will bring Five’s TV-on-demand player to the social network.
Under the deal, according to NewMediaAge, Facebook users will be able to watch any of the programs available on Demand Five, including The Gadget Show, CSI Miami, Neighbours and Home & Away, on the social network. The agreement is a done deal, according to sources and the implementation is already being carried out.
The launch of the Facebook Five video player is expected to come within a week to 10 days. The embeddable player will allow users to view any video Five already makes available on the site and on other platforms.
The broadcaster is said to be working on a revamped Demand Five, to be launched this fall. Five has been looking into expanding its reach online and also at signing syndication partners for its web platform.
Five already has a deal with Google-owned video site, YouTube which enables UK users to watch the programs on the giant video site rather than on Five’s dedicated site.
The content is free to watch for UK viewers and Five supports it through advertising deals. It sells its own ads for the content available on YouTube and has been looking to do the same with Facebook. It’s unclear if Five has been successful, but the broadcaster is likely to get a special deal for its content.
Facebook hasn’t traditionally been interested in content and has been working on expanding its audience and getting more advertising deals. But as Facebook fan pages become more popular and more organizations and brands establish a Facebook presence, people are getting accustomed to finding new content on the site as well.