The Associated Press and Streamworks, a global streaming company, is offering Associated Press Television News (APTN Direct) to digital publishers as the first high-quality online stream of the live video news service. The service began Oct. 3.
APTN Direct covers and supplies breaking news to nearly 200 broadcasters worldwide. AP was the first news agency to launch a live coverage service in 2003, covering the invasion of Iraq in real time. Until now, the service was only available to customers via satellite.
The new Streamworks solution will make the live service available via online, mobile and tablet devices to meet the demand for live content from digital platforms.
Users will have live access to AP’s service of breaking and scheduled news events, including elections, summits, natural disasters and protests. The service includes up-to-the-minute detail on footage being transmitted and advanced planning information of upcoming video coverage.
The streaming will be available through customizable desktop, online and mobile interfaces. Uninterrupted feeds will be delivered in multiple bit rates, including high-definition, and distributed across multiple content delivery providers to ensure efficient global reach, as well as to guarantee reliable and stable delivery.
With integration into any existing workflows and partnerships, the video feed provided is embeddable, platform-neutral and supported with data traffic analytics.
Associated Press is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar upgrade to its video business, which will see the agency switch its entire newsgathering, production and distribution systems to HD. The investment will provide AP customers with a wider range of options in how they receive video content, both in the traditional broadcast market and on digital platforms.
