Is your iPad or iPhone not suitable enough for you to fully enjoy the Facebook videos you watch?
Not to worry, Apple consumers: Facebook has rolled out the ability to stream its videos on your TV.
In an online Oct. 13 announcement from Facebook product director Brent Ayrey, the social media giant revealed that individuals with an iOS-powered device now have the option to stream Facebook videos through Apple TV or Google Chromecast.
Ayrey says those with Android devices will soon be able to stream videos to Chromecast.
How does one watch a video from Facebook on a TV?
It simply involves find a video one wants to watch on a phone or PC, and pressing the “TV” symbol in the top right corner. Users will then be prompted to select the device they wish to have the video streamed to. It will then appear on a television.
While the video appears on TV, users can return to their Facebook News Feed on the device the video is being streamed from, with no interruption.
Should users be streaming a Facebook Live video — something that is gaining in popularity among radio hosts — to their TV, real-time reactions and comments will appear on-screen. Users can engage in the real-time conversation, thus bringing “social TV” together on a united screen.
Indeed, the ability to view Facebook videos on an HD TV, instead of a smartphone or tablet device, is likely designed to elevate the Facebook Live platform — instead of viral videos posted by Facebook users’ friends. Even with a recent “average duration of video viewed” metric miscalculation for Facebook, marketers have largely labeled the situation as “highly embarrassing,” rather than a spend-impact scandal.
Thus, AM and FM radio stations now have a highly lucrative tool on their hands, given the ability to now bring their most popular hosts via Facebook Live to a TV. This presents new branding opportunities, such as a sponsored studio allowing for highly visible logos seen throughout a Facebook Live video. It may also be handy for live remotes, or native advertising opportunities.
At the same time, it could be a handy “behind-the-scenes” tool for television broadcasters, as a source of bonus content that also may provide additional branding and marketing opportunities.
