Disney+ is getting into the news business. Starting later this month, the streamer will launch a daily short-form news program produced by ABC News called “What You Need to Know.” Anchored by James Longman and Rachel Scott, each episode of the show will launch at 6 a.m. on weekdays and will run 8-10 minutes in length as Longman and Scott recap the biggest news headlines.
Each episode will be available to stream for 24 hours until the next new episode comes online. It’s a notable move as news remains one of the few television categories where streaming isn’t dominant.
“This new effort expands ABC News’ significant footprint on Disney+, allowing us to reach and connect with new and diverse audiences,” Almin Karamehmedovic, president of ABC News, said in a statement.
“What You Need to Know” will join several offerings from ABC News that are already on the streamer including all hours of “Good Morning America,” “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir,” “ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis” and “Nightline.”
Longman is currently the chief international correspondent for ABC News. Previously, he worked as a general news reporter and as well as the Beirut correspondent for BBC. As for Scott, she’s currently the senior political correspondent for ABC News. She started her career at ABC, starting as a production associate for “ABC News Live” before becoming a producer for the digital vertical of “GMA.”
“Our goal is to cut through the noise, break down the top headlines and bring viewers up to speed on the top stories of the day,” Longman and Scott said in a statement. “We come from different corners of the newsroom, from the frontlines of foreign conflicts to the halls of power in Washington D.C., so we’ve got all the bases covered.”
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