While this opportunity for cognitive dissonance doesn’t seem to be going anywhere fast, if you want to learn about a particular event or bit of “entertainment buzz,” you’ll only have one day to do it. Episodes of What You Need To Know premiere at 6 a.m. and will remain on the streamer for 24 hours before refreshing with the next day’s news and headlines—sort of like a Snapchat post or an Instagram story. (Or, if we want to get really old school, a show before DVR. At least audiences can rewind and have a slightly bigger window to watch this time.)
“What You Need to Know is reimagining what a news experience can look like for Disney+ subscribers—delivering smart, bite-sized commentary on the stories that matter most,” said Alisa Bowen, president of Disney+, in a statement. “With the trusted voices of ABC News at the helm, this show marks an exciting evolution of our news offering.”
Disney+ does currently have some news programming available, such as replays of shows like Good Morning America and World News Tonight, but nothing so clearly designed specifically for streaming. The Hollywood Reporter points out that the future of news on other platforms is also in flux; Peacock has programming from NBC News and HBO Max has CNN, but both of those partnerships may be affected by their respective companies’ impending splits.
“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,” hosts Longman and Scott said in their own statement. “Wherever we go, we’re excited to bring you with us.” Just remember that you’ll only have 24 hours to visit.
