As expected, Facebook this morning launched a new mobile news platform that will allow some of the industry's biggest publishers to more easily post stories to the social network.
Rolling out to iPhone users, Instant Articles will initially be supported by The New York Times, BuzzFeed, National Geographic, NBC, and The Atlantic. Articles from international partners like The Guardian, BBC News, Spiegel, and Bild are expected over the coming months
"As more people get their news on mobile devices, we want to make the experience faster and richer on Facebook," product manager Michael Reckhow wrote in a blog post.
When a publisher like PCMag posts something to Facebook, it takes an average of eight seconds for that story to load—"by far the slowest single content type on Facebook," Reckhow said. The new Instant Articles, however, makes the reading experience up to 10 times faster.
"Instant articles load using the same fast tools we use to load photos and videos in the Facebook app," according to Facebook's FAQ.
"Fundamentally, this is a tool that enables publishers to provide a better experience for their readers on Facebook," Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said in a statement. "Instant Articles lets them deliver fast, interactive articles while maintaining control of their content and business models."
It also introduces a suite of interactive features. Zoom into a high-resolution photo by tilting your phone, for example. Or watch videos automatically play as you scroll through an article. Instant articles also supports interactive maps, audio captions, and the ability to like and comment on individual parts of an article.
"We designed Instant Articles to give publishers control over their stories, brand experience and monetization opportunities," Reckhow said.
Publishers have the choice of selling in-article ads to boost revenue, or using Facebook's Audience Network to monetize unsold inventory. Either way, they can track data and traffic through a handful of available analytics tools.
Publishers don't have to create original content for Facebook, and stories shared on Facebook will be published on partners' websites, too. Facebook insisted that Instant Articles will not be required going forward; "standard articles links will remain accessible from Facebook via the standard mobile browser for publishers that decline to participate."
Right now, Facebook is only working with a select few publishers, but will open up the program at a later date.
The New York Times, which this week launched a free version of its NYT Now iOS app, is hoping this move will expand its number of Facebook followers.
"We have a long tradition of meeting readers where they are and that means being available not just on our own sites, but on the social platforms frequented by many current and potential Times users," CEO Mark Thompson said.
The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper, meanwhile, said it was "keen to test how the new platform can provide an even more engaging experience for our readers," according to Tony Danker, international director of Guardian News & Media.
For those not on Apple's iPhone will be directed to the regular, mobile version of an article.