NBC is serving up the video news for which it is known – but doesn’t mind if you don’t get it through your TV.
NBC hopes a rising generation of news junkies will turn to its new streaming-video service for the long and short of it all. The new offering, NBC News Now, provides minutes-long news updates called “Briefly’s” as well as in-depth reportage that expands some of the stories TV viewers might see on “Today” or “NBC Nightly News.”
But there’s no morning show, no Sunday public-affairs program and no evening news.
“We want to be the premiere place for viewers who are news junkies – news savvy, digitally savvy, but may not be watching on traditional platforms or have access to cable service,” says Rashida Jones, senior vice president of specials for NBC News and MSNBC, and the executive who is overseeing the new effort. These viewers, she says in an interview, don’t tune in to watch a specific show at a certain time. But they want to keep up on the latest news stories and even spend time watching longer videos about important topics
The free, ad-supported OTT service will be available between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m. eastern Monday through Friday, says Jones, noting that the time-frame fits the pattern of when people tend to turn most heavily to OTT content. Citi has signed on as a sponsor. NBC News also intends for “Now” to also be up and streaming when big breaking events take place and people want information quickly. And it will feature content from across NBC News as well as other NBCUniversal-owned outlets, says Jones.
Via: Various Sources
