Facebook wants to play a larger role in television so it is launching an app on devices such as Apple TV and Amazon FireTV. The app will bring Facebook’s library of videos to the big screen.

Facebook on your television
Facebook confirmed the news at the Code Media conference. The app will not include the classic news feed but instead give users access to the vast library of Facebook videos.

Think of it a little like YouTube, just built on Facebook’s platform. You will be able to save videos for later on your phone and watch them on the TV when you have time. You can also just explore the video catalog.

- "With the app, you can watch videos shared by friends or Pages you follow, top live videos from around the world, and recommended videos based on your interests. You can also catch up on videos you’ve saved to watch later, as well as revisit videos you’ve watched, shared or uploaded," the company wrote.


The app will launch in the next few weeks on Apple TV, Amazon FireTV and Samsung Smart TV "with more platforms to come", the company said.

In early 2016, Facebook announced that its users are watching more than 100 million hours of videos every day. The company is also negotiating with content creators to bring original - and longer - videos to the platform.

The app could help Facebook build a presence in television and potentially give the company a new revenue stream from video ads. However, at this time the app will not include any ads, says Facebook.

The app will be free and launch in a few weeks.

- Source: Facebook via Recode