NBCUniversal Launches Mobile-First News Service with Premium Video Content
Image credits: Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is working on a mobile-first news outlet that it expects to launch in the fourth quarter of this year, according to Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal’s news operations. The service will feature short-form and long-form video from NBC News anchors and correspondents, as well as live streams and on-demand access to top programs such as “Today” and “Meet the Press”. This new service is part of the organization's efforts to create products that cater to a new generation of viewers who get more information from video services such as TikTok or YouTube.
The new service will offer nearly two dozen live streams in English and Spanish, including programming tied to lifestyle topics, true crime, and international news. It will also feature original video content from NBC News talent around the world, as well as access to a library of NBC News podcasts. Executives see the new service as a “premium” offering, which will add to a recent series of subscription products from NBCU news properties. CNBC recently launched a subscription-based streaming outlet, and “Today” debuted an app that offers content tied to fitness and nutrition.
The service is being readied as a younger generation gets more information from digital sources. According to Pew Research Center, about 52% of TikTok users say they regularly get news on the platform, and about one in five Americans, and 37% of adults under 30, indicated they regularly get news from influencers on social media. NBC News has launched an array of different offerings in recent years, many of them tied to new behaviors from younger audiences, including a streaming outlet devoted to the morning-mainstay “Today” program, and a live-streaming service called “NBC News Now”.
Here are some key features of the new service:
- Short-form and long-form video from NBC News anchors and correspondents
- Nearly two dozen live streams in English and Spanish
- Original video content from NBC News talent around the world
- On-demand access to top programs such as “Today” and “Meet the Press”
- Access to a library of NBC News podcasts
NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde said the network is planning to launch a premium subscription service for news as soon as late 2025, which will be “laser-focused” on premium video, “in all shapes and forms, short-form, long-form.” Conde maintained that some news content will remain free and ad-supported, but pointed to the success of the network’s free streaming news channel, NBC News Now, as evidence of consumer demand for high-quality video. The new service will be a significant addition to NBCUniversal's news offerings, and will likely be a major player in the digital news landscape.
nbcuniversal nbc mobile new premium video form first service launch
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