This Major News Network Announces Plans to Launch Streaming Service
By Movieguide® Contributor
It looks like NBC is joining the streaming wars. The network announced it is working on a new subscription-based streaming service for its news content.
Cesar Condé, the chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, revealed these plans at a summit hosted by Semafor last week.
Condé did not share many details but did tell the audience that the company is “targeting a fourth quarter launch” and that the new platform would “complement [NBC’s] other streaming offerings,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
The platform is envisioned as “a mobile-first service with about two dozen live streams in both English and Spanish, featuring on-demand content from MEET THE PRESS, TODAY, NIGHTLY NEWS and DATELINE as well as access to NBC News’ podcast archives,” THR reported.
NBC isn’t the only news organization that is working on its own streaming service. CNN recently shared its plans for a streaming platform — almost three years after shuttering its last attempt, CNN+, just one month after its launch.
In this new version of a CNN streaming platform, CEO Mark Thompson said it will give viewers the option “to stream news programming from us on any device they choose.”
“It’s early days but we’ve already established that there’s immense demand for it not just in America but across much of the world,” Thompson wrote in an internal memo obtained by The Verge. “We’ll have more to say about this new digital product in the coming months, including content plans and how we will work with our existing and future distribution partners to bring this to market.”
CNN’s new platform would also mean splitting from parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, who shares the news network’s content on their streamer, Max.
READ MORE: WHY WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY HALTED PLANS FOR PREMIUM SPORTS PROGRAMMING
It’s not surprising that many news networks are looking for non-traditional ways of gaining new viewers. Short-form video content is very popular with Gen Z, who regularly use apps like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts.
“Roughly 64% of Gen Z users admitted to using TikTok as a search engine, according to an Adobe study released in 2024,” The Wrap noted. “Google was still the reigning champion of the study when it came to platforms users found most helpful when searching for information with 91% of users saying they used the search engine for that purpose. But TikTok came in fourth place at 17%, following behind YouTube (39%) and Bing (21%).”
READ MORE: GEN Z GETS THEIR HEALTH ADVICE FROM TIKTOK—HERE’S WHY
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