ABC News Live

For American Broadcasting Company's overnight news program, see World News Now. For the Australian news channel, see ABC News (Australian TV channel). For the radio service, see ABC News Now (radio network).

ABC News Live (a.k.a. ABCNL) is an American streaming video news channel for breaking news, live events, newscasts, and longer-form reports and documentaries operated by ABC News since 2018. The channel is available through various streaming device apps such as Roku, Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Pluto TV, Xumo, FuboTV, Haystack News, Samsung TV Plus, and the news division's other streaming platforms. Justin Dial is the senior executive director of ABC News Live.

ABC News Live

Broadcast area	Worldwide
Programming
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Ownership
Parent	ABC News
History
Launched	ABC News Now July 26, 2004; 18 years ago (2004-07-26) ABC News Live March 2018; 4 years ago (2018-03)
Closed	ABC News Now April 27, 2009; 13 years ago (2009-04-27) (4 years, 275 days)
Links
Webcast	https://abcnews.go.com/Live

History

As ABC News Now

After having attempted a 20-minute online news program three times a week hosted by Sam Donaldson in 1999, ABC News launched a forerunner of ABC News Now (ABCNN)^[1] in March 2003. The service was fee based except for the customers of America Online, Comcast, and a few other Internet providers. Later, mobile phone users could access the programming through Sprint's MobiTV.^[2] The ABCNN service launched on July 24, 2004, with extended coverage of the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention. It was offered via digital television, broadband and streaming video at ABCNews.com^[3] and on mobile phones. It delivered breaking news, headline news each half hour, and a wide range of entertainment and lifestyle programming.

On January 31, 2005, ABC News removed ABCNN from owned and operated and affiliated TV stations' subchannel as the channel ended its experimental phase originally expected to end after election day but extended past inauguration. The channel would continue on the internet and wireless devices. 20/20 senior broadcast producer Mike Clemente was then hired as executive producer to head up the channel as a part of an increasing capacity being developed for the channel to returns a permanent channel in the Spring.^[4] The channel was relaunched as a digital terrestrial television network,^[5] cable channel,^[5] and broadband service in early April 2005.^[6]

On November 5, 2007, Disney-ABC International Television announced plans to launch the channel in international territories, including Germany, Spain and Belgium in 2008 on IPTV service Zattoo, with more territories, including the United Kingdom, planned for the next 6 months.^[7] This marked the second international channel launched under ABC branding, the first being the United Kingdom general entertainment channel ABC1 which closed on September 26, 2007.

On October 28, 2013, ABC News launched a new cable news channel, Fusion, as a joint venture with Univision^[8] and contributing its ABC News Now operations.

As ABC News Live

With news channels getting high ratings from the 2016 election and ABC News having exited its joint venture news channel,^[9] ABCNL launched exclusive on Roku in March 2018^[10] then added to Facebook Watch and ABC apps and websites. Also on October 26, 2018, the channel was added to Hulu with Live TV^[11] followed by Hulu streaming on March 20, 2020.^[12]

On April 21, 2020, ABCNL launched on YouTube TV and Amazon's news app on Fire TV.^[13]

On January 23, 2020, ABC News announced an expansion of staffing for the streaming channel and changes in programming to add newscasts and long form reports and documentaries being roll out over a month's time. Justin Dial, formerly of Vice News Tonight, was hired as senior executive producer of ABCNL. Tom Llamas would anchor breaking news coverage at the time of the Iowa caucuses, while Linsey Davis would anchor two weekday one-hour evening newscasts.^[14] ABC News planned as of March 2020 that ABCNL would air 18 hours of programming daily.^[12]

Programming

Current Programming

As ABC News Live

• ABC News Live, six weekday 30-minute daytime newscasts hosted by Diane Macedo, Kyra Phillips, and Terry Moran.
• ABC News Live Prime, two weekday 90-minute evening newscasts hosted by Linsey Davis (February 2020-)

• ABC World News Now, a daily half-hour early morning newscast
• GMA3: What You Need to Know, a weekday, hour-long daytime news program on ABC. It premiered in March 2020 as Pandemic: What You Need To Know, as a temporary replacement for its talk show Strahan, Sara and Keke to cover the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It has since replaced it indefinitely. The program is anchored by Amy Robach and GMA correspondent T. J. Holmes.^[15] In 2022, Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez became interim replacements the two after an affair allegation.^[16]
• ABC World News Tonight, a rebroadcast of the ABC news program hosted by David Muir on weekdays, Whit Johnson on Saturdays, and Linsey Davis on Sundays. Nielsen ranks the show as the most watched evening news program on American television since 2016.^[17]
• What Would You Do?, a hidden camera show, weekend rebroadcasts started in 2022 hosted John Quiñones
• The View, an all-women talk and viewpoints show that airs middays on ABC anchored by Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro, and Alyssa Farah Griffin
• 20/20, a weekly hour-long true crime program hosted by Amy Robach and David Muir.
• Nightline, an hour-long late night news program that normally airs weeknights on ABC after Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Hosted on rotation by Byron Pitts and Juju Chang

Former Programming

As ABC News Now

• Tech This Out! -- Technology news and a consumer guide to gadgets, hosted by Daniel Sieberg.
• Good Morning America Health -- GMA Health is a third hour of Good Morning America and also is themed toward health news and other health-related topics, airing 2pm/ET. Its predecessor was Good Morning America Now which was canceled due to lack of viewers. Its final broadcast was October 2008.
• Inside the Newsroom -- 2x times daily.
• Money Matters -- Financial and economic news and tips right after the NYSE opening bell.
• Good Money -- Personal finance information for everyday consumers and small business owners.
• The Daily Download -- feature stories, viral videos and stories from off the beaten path.
• Popcorn with Peter Travers -- An interview-based movie show, with stars talking to Rolling Stone movie reviewer Peter Travers.
• Amplified -- Indie music and interviews, brought to you by ABC News anchor Dan Harris.
• TopLine -- Inside the political arena with Rick Klein.
• What's the Buzz -- celebrity entertainment news.^[7]
• World Piece — featured one international news story^[7]
• World View -- Round-up of headlines from around the world.
• Now You Know -- Living Advice and News Briefs along with Weather, Now You Know was ABC News Now's morning program.
• Chef's Table

As ABC News Live

• Around the Table (September 10, 2019 -?) - an irregular presidential candidate interview program in which Democratic candidates are interviewed by three voters and moderated by anchors and correspondents around a table. Episodes would be used as a part of that night's Nightline. In the first episode, Byron Pitts moderates Beto O’Rourke with the second episode being Linsey Davis moderating Senator Cory Booker.
• Guardians of the Amazon (February 2020) - a documentary regarding rainforest destruction, produced by the Nightline team.

References

1. "DocPlayer" (PDF). docplayer.net.
2. "ABC News banks on digital, despite small audiences today". USA Today. AP. September 4, 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
3. "ABC News". Retrieved December 30, 2016.
4. Kerschbaumer, Ken (January 24, 2005). . Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
5. News, ABC. "How Can I Watch ABC News Now Where I Live?". ABC News.
6. "ABC News Now: The Announcement". tV Newser. April 4, 2005. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
7. Welsh, James (November 5, 2007). "ABC News Now to launch in the UK". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
8. Allen, Greg (October 26, 2013). "Fusion Wants Young Latinos To Turn On Their TVs". Weekend Edition. NPR.org. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
9. Atkinson, Claire (November 20, 2016). "ABC is exploring a 24-hour digital news channel". New York Post. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
10. Roettgers, Janko (April 24, 2018). "ABC Launches New 24/7 Online News Network 'ABC News Live' Exclusively on Roku Channel". Variety. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
11. Spangler, Todd (October 25, 2018). "Hulu Adds ABC News Live, CBSN to Live TV Lineup". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
12. Spangler, Todd (March 20, 2020). "Hulu Adds ABC News' Live-Streaming Channel for All Subscribers, Citing Coronavirus Crisis". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
13. "America's #1 Streaming News Channel to Launch on Amazon's News App and YouTube TV". ABC News Public Relations. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
14. "ABC News to bolster streaming service with live programming". AP NEWS. January 23, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
15. Johnson, Ted (September 18, 2020). "T.J. Holmes To Join Amy Robach As Co-Anchor Of 'GMA 3: What You Need To Know'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
16. "T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach's GMA3 Absence Addressed by Temporary Hosts Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
17. [e-mail], Geoff Herbert | (2022-09-20). "Syracuse native David Muir wins TV ratings season again with historic feat". syracuse. Retrieved 2022-12-12.