Apple News and ABC News will join forces to offer consumers up-to-the-minute coverage of the 2020 presidential election in the United States, the company has confirmed (Dec 16).
Launching in February during the Democratic primary debate, the Apple News app will feature content from ABC News, including videos and live-streaming coverage, as well as polling data from FiveThirtyEight, infographics, and in-depth analysis of key moments.
Apple has said that its partnership with ABC will extend through ‘Super Tuesday’, the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the general election debates, election night and the 2021 presidential inauguration, offering Apple News readers an all-access look at one of the biggest moments in US political history.
Speaking of the news, Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News, said: “Access to quality news and trusted information is always important, and never more so than in an election year.
“We’re proud to partner with ABC News to present the millions of people who use Apple News each day with dynamic live coverage and responsible analysis during the major news moments of the 2020 election.”
“This election is one of the most consequential in modern history, and this unprecedented partnership with Apple News will deliver our world-class political journalism to more people than ever before, added James Goldston, president of ABC News.
“It will enable millions more people to have a deeper understanding of the key issues, candidates and events by providing straightforward information, insight and context during the entire 2020 cycle — reaching our audience anywhere and anytime they want breaking and in-depth news.”
The coverage will be offered for free via the Apple News app and consumers won’t have to subscribe to Apple’s premium Apple News+ service for the majority of the content.
Additional coverage and analysis will, of course, be offered by premium publishers, which will only be accessible to Apple News readers if they subscribe to the $9.99/mo Apple News+ service.
Are you looking forward to seeing Apple’s coverage of the 2020 presidential election? Do you think it’s right for the company to partner with ABC News, or should Apple invest in original programming? Let us know your thoughts on social media and check back for more.