U.S. convention coverage kicked off this week, and millions of viewers will turn to both ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations Group to get updates and information on each respective political party.
Catering to all types of viewing habits, ABC News announced a partnership with Facebook for live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 2016 conventions, bringing ABC News’ extensive reporting from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia direct to users’ news feeds.
Facebook will provide ABC News with exclusive, real-time data during the major speeches to be used across broadcast and digital platforms. Throughout each day, and between speeches, ABC News’ curated Facebook feed will provide its audience with livestreams from around Cleveland, then Philadelphia, and interviews with a multitude of voices to provide an in-depth and holistic look at what’s happening in and around the convention area. In addition, ABC News’ anchors and correspondents will incorporate viewers’ comments, questions and conversations in the Facebook Live coverage.
“Our livestream strategy is all about bringing users a wide variety of unique moments they may not otherwise see on television,” said Colby Smith, vice president, Digital, ABC News. “For the conventions in particular, Facebook Live is the perfect platform to reach and engage with our audience, delivering a 360-degree perspective of what’s happening on the ground.”
ABC Owned Television Stations also announced a collaboration with POPSUGAR Inc., a globally renowned media and technology company, to provide political convention coverage and reports on issues, candidates and political influencers most relevant to millennial women.
Annie Gabillet, POPSUGAR Editorial Managing Director, and Lisette Mejia, POPSUGAR News Editor, will be embedded with ABC Station news personnel at both the Republican and Democratic conventions. They will report stories and curate ABC-reported stories for sharing on POPSUGAR.com and its social channels. They will also provide millennial women’s insights for ABC Stations, which will also share selected POPSUGAR reporting across its broadcast, online and social channels.
“By combining our efforts and areas of expertise, our goal is to provide the most comprehensive coverage to our audiences in what we all know is one of the most unique political seasons of our time,” said Wendy McMahon, senior vice president, Digital Media, ABC Owned Television Stations, about the collaboration.