• Facebook’s new video feature, “Watch” will allow users to search for videos, unrestricted from their timeline.
• It will have many similar features to YouTube, including the ability to follow specific organizations and artists.
• “Watch” will extend its services to a limited number of users before adding the feature entirely.

Facebook (NASDAQ:$FB) revealed on Wednesday that it would be releasing a new forum, integrated with its core platform, in which users can watch videos.

Although TV-like shows had been the rumored media market that Facebook was looking to penetrate in the past few months, their new feature, “Watch” resembles more of a competitor to YouTube. Much like YouTube, Watch will allow users to search for a base of videos not limited to their newsfeed, give users the freedom to create “watchlists” of videos they enjoy, and also have a function to track the activity of their favorite artists or brand and publishers like Tastemade, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association.

Although Facebook did not disclose any dates regarding the release of its new feature, it will first be introduced to a limited number of Facebook users and video creators around the U.S.

However, the wait may not be long, as TechCrunch has reported that the launch to limited users could commence as early as Thursday this week. Other details reported by TechCrunch also highlight the significant 55% portion of “ad break revenue” (Facebook keeps 45%) that creators can make on original content created solely for facebook.

In an interview following Facebook’s most recent quarterly update, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told CNBC in an interview, “We are making some early investments to create episodic content.”

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