Facebook Watch Pairs Publishers & Public Figures in Content Push

Facebook Watch has established a new initiative to pair digital publishers with creators and public figures who have established communities on Facebook as part of its efforts to bring more content to the platform.

As an initial test in Europe, the idea is to take the “creativity and savvy” of digital publishers making content and couple it with celebrities, influencers or personalities that have built up their own fan bases.

“We will then fund these collaborations to create exclusive content for Watch,” said Matthew Henick, global head of content planning and strategy for Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook Watch unveiled its initial roster of partners in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain and Italy. “Publishers will have full editorial control of these shows, with close consultation and collaboration with our dedicated teams at Facebook,” Henick added.

From the U.K., Tastemade’s Date Fails with Conor Maynard is a dating-meets-cooking format, which sees Maynard help individuals find love through food. LADbible’s Custom with Graffiti Kings is a competitive reality series that sees talented graffiti artists go head to head customizing a different item per show, judged by Graffiti Kings. COPA90’s Matchday Menus with Adam Richman uses football stadium food as the jumping-off point to explore some of the coolest places in the world.

In Germany, Brainpool’s (Myspass) Fake Date with Joyce Ilg sees unsuspecting guys on dating apps given the worst date ever as they get pranked with manipulated matches, controlled through in-ear commentary by Ilg. Burda’s (Bunte.de) No Drama, Mama with Monica Ivancan, Isabell Horn and Natascha Ochsenknecht watches as the three celebrity mothers participate in a spirited group call where a viewer gets answers to his or her parenting question, with the experts offering real-talk advice. Brut’s In Da Club with Fary and Panayotis follows step-by-step the opening of the pair’s own comedy club in Paris.

From Italy, Ciaopeople has a number of new projects coming to the platform. These include The Tales of the Trades with Saverio Tommasi, in which the host interviews tradesmen and spotlights their lives and careers, and the tales they have to tell; Founder with Marco Montemagno, which takes audiences on a tour of the past to understand the present and future trends of everyday life; and Braveheart with Roberto Saviano, looking at people and moments that demonstrate great courage, all over the world and through the years. 2btube has a host of projects as well, among them Menú a 20 with La Pelo, Amor superdotado (Gifted Love) with La diversión de Martina and Epic Roomates by Academia Play and voiced by Destripando la historia.