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Facebook Introduces Its Own YouTube

In what might be the most comprehensive addition to its video effort since it started urging you to livestream your life 24/7, Facebook is in the process of rolling out a comprehensive overhaul of its video product, now called Watch. The new Watch tab lets you follow video-makers, follow their pages so that you’re alerted to new episodes, and build a queue of stuff you want to watch later.

If that sounds kinda like YouTube it’s because, well, it kinda is like YouTube. But it’s also a new approach for Facebook, which is centering itself around video as it tries to move past being primarily a feed of what your friends are doing. Now, you can watch all of that great viral Facebook video without having to quickly scroll past your cousin’s wedding photos.

Mark Zuckerberg describes the new section of Facebook’s app as “a place where you can discover shows your friends are watching and follow your favorite shows and creators so you don’t miss any episodes. You’ll be able to chat and connect with people during an episode, and join groups with people who like the same shows afterwards to build community.” So in addition to YouTube, Facebook is trying to grab some of the extreme fandom that mostly congregates on Twitter and Tumblr as well.

The company is reportedly working on producing longer television-like series, but for now, there are short clips from places like Tastemade and A&E, a show from Mike Rowe — and, full disclosure, some stuff from New York’s own Vulture and the Cut.

Facebook Introduces Its Own YouTube