Facebook has approached Disney, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon and other media companies about developing apps for their respective streaming services that would play on a new OTT device.
Facebook’s new streaming player (codenamed “Catalina”) would provide access to major SVOD, AVOD and live-streaming services, just like Roku or Amazon Fire TV. However, the device would incorporate the same camera and videoconferencing technology found in Facebook’s Portal device.
The report comes courtesy of subscription news site The Information, citing unnamed sources.
Portal was released in October of last year. Facebook hasn’t released any sales figures. But judging by the $120 erosion of the MSRP since that introduction (the entry-level Portal with 10.1-inch screen is now only $80), sales can’t be all that brisk.
According to The Information, Facebook is aiming to release the Portal-infused OTT player in the fall.
As the news site noted, Cheddar first reported that Facebook was developing an OTT player. But the data about media companies being approached is new.
