Facebook Groups users can now watch videos together in real time with the new Watch Party feature.
Users can invite friends and family to watch live and recorded videos, like a personal TV channel others can comment and react to as the broadcast plays out.
Watch Parties can serve as a useful way to host Q&As for specialist hobbies, make-up tutorials or a way for users to swap tips and tricks.
Watch Party on FacebookPosted by Facebook Media on Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Facebook has been testing the feature with a number of communities. The Dogspotting Society Group used Watch Party to share funny and heartwarming dog videos together, while royal enthusiast groups hosted Watch Parties to watch and discuss royal wedding videos in May.
The person who starts a Watch Party can also designate co-hosts, while an option known as Crowdsourcing lets anyone in a Watch Party suggest videos to be added to the stream.
To celebrate the launch, a number of special Watch Parties will take place this weekend, ranging from Jamie Oliver’s 5-day Veggie Challenge where videos of the chef’s favourite recipes will be shared, to a broadcast by Female Travel Bloggers, a community of like-minded women who will host videos on travel and women’s empowerment.
