- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Verizon Media is expanding its shortform video business with the launch of the In the Know Network, which will offer up bite-sized updates on everything from the latest on positive news stories to what new gadgets to buy.
The initiative, part of the growth of the existing In the Know brand, is the latest effort by Verizon Media, a division of the telecom giant formerly known as Oath, to build up its video business following a reprioritization around 5G technology and a round of layoffs in January.
“You have to take a lot of bets in this world, and I think we’re taking a lot of smart bets,” Alex Wallace, general manager of news, entertainment and studios at Verizon Media tells THR. “In the Know is something where we’ve seen real success, so we’re doubling down on it.”
Related Stories
In the Know Network programming is being distributed across social platforms as well as Verizon Media-owned sites including Yahoo and AOL.
More than a hundred videos will be released each week, offering up news-focused series, unscripted stories and commerce-centric series that feature shoppable technology.
In the Know will offer seven news series that span topics such as movies, tech and celebrities. There is also In the Know Gaming, which will update viewers on the latest in video games and e-sports; In the Know News with Yahoo News, which will follow politics through the perspective of first-time voters; and In the Know Good News, which will offer only positive news updates. Additional international series are launching in India, Taiwan, Mexico and Nigeria.
The unscripted projects, which Verizon Media is calling miniseries, include In the Know Next Gen, which will follow change-makers from Gen Z who are reshaping the future, and Holistic Home, about finding ways to detox your life.
In the Know Network will also utilize Verizon’s technology capabilities and work with sister brands like immersive media studio RYOT to produce projects like In the Know Fitness x RYOT, which will feature Jeremy Sry guiding the audience through workouts. In the Know is also offering three series — In the Know Finds, Add to Cart and You Need This — where viewers can purchase products as they watch. `
In the Know videos are already available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Philippines will be expanding to India, Mexico, Taiwan and Nigeria.
Verizon Media is the division of Verizon that operates AOL and Yahoo. In December, Verizon took a $4.6 billion write-down on the business and then laid off about 7 percent of the staff at the company. In a memo to staff at the time, Verizon Media CEO Guru Gowrappan said that among the company’s priorities was creating “must-have” mobile and video products and expanding the supply of video.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day