In April, Meta made a significant announcement regarding the termination of its original show support on Facebook Watch, marking the end of its streaming ambitions. This decision was part of broader cost-cutting measures, which also included layoffs within the company. Recent court documents, unveiled as part of an antitrust suit against Meta, shed light on the factors influencing this decision. The documents suggest that Meta’s relationship with Netflix, one of its major advertising customers, played a pivotal role. Allegations within the documents claim that Facebook provided Netflix access to private messages of Facebook users in exchange for ad spending. While Meta has denied these claims, the documents hint at a close business relationship between the two companies, with Netflix allegedly influencing Meta’s strategic decisions regarding streaming video competition. Despite Meta’s earlier intentions to invest in original content and compete with platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, its streaming efforts, including Facebook Watch, failed to gain significant traction. As a result, Meta shifted its focus away from original content and towards virtual reality (VR) experiences. It is reported that Meta drastically reduced its streaming budget by $750 million in 2018, redirecting resources to other areas deemed more promising for the company’s future growth and success.