STAMFORD, Conn.—Spectrum Networks has launched its Spectrum News connected TV app for Roku and Apple TV streaming devices.
The new connected TV app, which complements the Spectrum News mobile app launched in 2020, provides Spectrum customers access to Spectrum News’ from its 30-plus local TV news networks, as well as original news content created exclusively for the app.
The connected TV news app, like the mobile app, is free to anyone for a 30-day trial, after which it will be available to all authenticated Spectrum customers at no additional charge – including Spectrum internet-only customers, the company said.
“While the way viewers consume local news continues to evolve, the essential role local news plays in the communities we serve has not wavered,” said Mike Bair, executive vide president, Spectrum Networks. “At a time when Americans rank television as the most important source for local news, our unique style of community-based, local journalism is even more essential than ever. That’s why we continue to find ways to make our local news more readily available and accessible to our audience on whichever platform they prefer, including streaming TV devices.”
The app features the live streams of all of Spectrum’s local linear TV news networks; curated video-on-demand content, including timely local news updates and major headlines; and full episodes of Spectrum News specials, the company said.
The connected TV news app also features exclusive on-demand national news updates that provide local context on nationally relevant news and headlines of the day.
The app is fully accessible for customers with disabilities utilizing the screen reader feature, and Closed Captions are available for both the live TV and on-demand video player and respect the user’s settings from their phones in terms of customer appearance for the caption text.
The launch of the app is part of a larger strategy of expanding its news operations.
In the last few years alone, Spectrum Networks has launched linear TV news networks in seven states; introduced a mobile news app that has more than two million downloads; debuted three digital-only local news operations; and launched podcasts hosted by Spectrum News journalists. Among Spectrum customers, Spectrum News consistently outperforms the major cable and broadcast news networks, averaging more than 2.6 million viewing households each month across its linear and digital platforms in 12 states, the company said.
Spectrum News has local news networks that span across the country in California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin.
