Facebook has approached Disney and Netflix about bringing their content to its upcoming TV video chat device, according to a report from The Information.
The outlet says the social network is working on a device that uses the same technology found in its Portal camera-equipped smart speaker. Portal launched in the U.S. last year and made its way to Canada in June.
The new device, codenamed Catalina, is said to connect to a TV to allow for video chatting right from the screen. Further, The Information reports that Catalina will have Apple TV-like features, including a physical remote and support for streaming services.
The latter feature is of particular note since The Information says Facebook has already met with Amazon, Netflix, Disney, HBO and Hulu to bring their streaming services to Catalina. However, should Catalina come to Canada, it’s likely that some of these services would not be on the device here.
While Amazon Prime Video and Netflix are already in Canada, HBO has an exclusive deal to stream its content on Bell’s Crave platform. Meanwhile, Disney+ is confirmed to come to Canada at some point and the Disney-owned Hulu is currently only available in the U.S. and Japan.
Regardless, The Information‘s report doesn’t mention if any of these companies have struck a deal with Facebook.
For now, The Information says Facebook is aiming to release Catalina this fall. It’s currently unclear where Facebook may launch the device or how much it will charge for it.
Source: The Information
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