David Farnor | On 11, Dec 2018

Facebook is turning to Sofia Vergara for its latest attempt to woo users to its video platform, Facebook Watch.

The streaming service, baked into the social network, was officially launched internationally earlier this year, but has struggled to gain any traction as a viable rival to YouTube, Netflix or other video entities. That is not stopping the company from investing in content, though, with the latest project to get the green light hailing from Sofia Vergara’s entertainment company Raze.

365 Days of Love will star and be exec-produced by the Modern Family star, and will showcase a range of personal stories about human connections from around the world. Episodes, as the name suggests, will air daily throughout the year, starting on New Year’s Day 2019.

Co-produced by digital studio New Form, the series is part of Facebook’s ongoing funding of specific shows to bolster the line-up of content on its fledgling platform. With 9 million followers on Facebook, Vergara’s appeal to the social network is easy to see, as it tries to bring together videos with its built-in audience and foster a community of streamers on its own site. Vergara will be the subject of several episodes in the series, reports Variety.

It marks a notable step forward for Raze too, which was founded by Vergara in 2016 with Luis Balaguer and Emiliano Calemzuk, to provide a place where people can share passionate stories and make a difference.

“The 365 Days of Love daily documentary series does just that by allowing us to create a movement that challenges the world to contemplate the things that make us connected as humans,” she commented.

As well as influencers and industry talent, users are being invited to share their own stories for inclusion in the series via the show’s Facebook page at facebook.com/365daysshow.

Kathleen Grace, CEO of New Form, devidsed the concept for the show.

“We’re finding really amazing, interesting stories that are not just about romantic love but all forms of love,” she told Variety.

Facebook is funding the show, which is part of its investment strategy to boost programming and viewing on its Facebook Watch platform. Facebook has also recently experimented with longer-form content and traditional TV, by acquiring the rights to stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly in the USA only, shows that it hopes will spark some social interaction while people stream.

Here’s the trailer:

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