The report says Facebook doesn't mind earning almost nothing from the arrangement, because this project was never meant to earn the company money -- it's more of a tactic to get people to stay on the website for longer hours. The social network is hoping users would prefer reading posts and watching videos on their news feeds over loading website links, which apparently takes around eight seconds every time.

Despite the enticing offer, some publishers aren't too keen on being more tightly integrated with the social network. They're not happy with the thought of giving the social network control over their content and not having access to their readers' info. In fact, the WSJ says Facebook is still in the midst of closing the deal with its three launch partners, so Instant Articles' debut could still be moved to a later date.