ABC News will increase the amount of original programming across its digital live stream properties as part of an overall retooling of its Internet strategy, according to a report.
When it launched in 2014, ABC News Live mainly repurposed broadcast news content for its live stream with occasional cut-ins for breaking and developing news stories like severe weather and political events. Over the years, original programming on ABC News Live has comprised a meager amount of the network’s live stream schedule compared to rivals offered by NBC News, CBS News and Fox.
Now ABC News is aggressively scheduling more original programming with the goal of programming around 18 hours of original content a day, according to trade publication Digiday.
An advertisement agency executive told Digiday the strategy made sense as original programming is easier to monetize online compared to breaking news stories, which can be streamed in dozens if not hundreds of places both on and off the Internet.
“Breaking news is available on lots of different platforms, and it’s hard to get consumers to change their habits,” the executive said.
ABC News Live has around 7 million unique viewers each month, Digiday said, citing an ABC News spokesperson. The service has added around 1 million unique viewers every quarter. The company is looking to add more investigative reporting shows and documentary films as part of its overall focus on increasing original content, Digiday reported.
ABC is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company.
Digiday: ABC News Live to increase original content output by end of year
