Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is closing its Facebook Watch originals group, including its breakout hit show, “Red Table Talk” hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith.
A Meta representative confirmed the closure but declined to provide further comment. The move comes as Meta is focused on creating virtual-reality experiences in Meta Horizon Worlds that can also be accessed across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
None of the Facebook Watch originals will be returning for new seasons, and Mina Lefevre, head of development and programming for the group, is leaving the company.
Facebook Watch’s originals began with a mix of scripted and unscripted shows, but the company shifted entirely to unscripted fare in recent years. “Red Table Talk” had 11 million followers on Facebook and spawned an active Facebook discussion group with 600,000 members.
The series was produced by Westbrook Studios, co-founded by Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, and the company is said to be looking for a new distributor now that the Facebook Watch deal is done.
The closure of the Facebook Watch originals group follows Meta’s decision to cut 10,000 jobs across the company, coming after it laid off 11,000 staff at the end of 2022.
However, despite the job cuts, the company announced first-quarter 2023 earnings that beat Wall Street expectations, as its revenue grew 3% for the period after analysts had forecasted a decline.
Meta’s entertainment content is now centered on Meta Horizon Worlds, a free app for the Meta Quest VR headsets. The company has launched VR specials and series, including “The Notorious B.I.G. Sky’s The Limit: A VR Concert Experience” and Eli Roth’s “Haunted House: Trick-VR-Treat” starring Vanessa Hudgens.
Earlier this month, Meta launched the Peacock app on Meta Quest in partnership with NBCUniversal, marking the first time the streaming service is available on a VR headset.
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