Facebook to spend up to US$1bil on original shows? Social giant wants to stay on Hollywood’s radar

DO YOUR BIT: Facebook Inc said users would now have option to donate directly to various Ebola relief charities through a button at the top of their News Feeds.

LOS ANGELES: Facebook is signalling that it’s ready to spend a bundle on original TV-style content – upwards of a billion bucks in the next year, according to an anonymously sourced report in the Wall Street Journal. 

Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal also reported that Apple has earmarked US$1bil (RM4.20bil) in spending on original entertainment over the next year. So perhaps the main takeaway here is that Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg simply wants the market knows he’s willing to play in the same league as Apple, the world’s biggest tech company.