Facebook launched its mobile-native video experience today. Kind of a big deal.
Snapchat is already a mobile-native video heavy platform.
Vine too.
On the TV side, we’re looking at Netflix, Amazon TV, Apple TV, ChomeCast, and many more, all building TV-OS platforms.
There has been a long history in technology for waves of innovation to come when new platforms come to market as developers build apps that are native to that platform. So what are the “apps” for these video channels. They are shows and channels. Every cable channel, every magazine, every show will have a mobile-video native analog.
Based on history, most incumbents will struggle to make the platform jump. Microsoft struggled with the platform jump from desktop software to the internet. Zynga struggled with the platform jump from Facebook to mobile. There are few examples of the incumbents smoothly navigating the change. Too often they try to port what they have from one platform to another, rather than imagining a ground up experience for the new experience and the new user base.
As Zuck told Buzzfeed:
“We’re entering this new golden age of video. I wouldn’t be surprised if you fast-forward five years and most of the content that people see on Facebook and are sharing on a day-to-day basis is video.”
Good cable channels trade for billions of dollars, and they are typically tentpoled by a handful of shows. The new mobile-native and TV-OS native shows are getting started now. Examples include:
Reality TV: Facebook Live, Snapchat* stories, Beme*
Food Network: Tasty, TasteMade, Nom
CNN: Facebook Live, Snapchat* Live Stories, Buzzfeed News, Mic*, NowThisNews
CNBC: Cheddar*
ESPN: Twitter NFL deal, FloSports
We’re going to see so many more of these. I’m super excited about this category and would love to meet teams who have launched and are showing engagement and growth building mobile or TV-OS native shows.
* A Lightspeed portfolio company
Follow me on Twitter: @jeremysliew
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