News aggregator Flipboard launches video service

News aggregation app Flipboard has launched a new curated video service, entitled Flipboard TV on Samsung Galaxy S20 phones. 

The new service will feature content from publisher partners and local TV stations. It debuts with 16 interest-based channels, featuring professional video from major publishers including The Associated Press, Bonnier Corporation, Bustle Digital Group, Digital Trends, Hearst Magazines, Lonely Planet, Mansueto Ventures and McClatchy. It also features videos from other partners such as Dow Jones, Hearst Television, Penske Media, American Media, Bloomberg Media and The Recount.

The service will be available to Samsung users for US$2.99 per month after a three-month trial.

Flipboard said that its partnerships with media firms such as McClatchy will spread across a large number of newsrooms to provide more localised content.

Similar to the core Flipboard app, Flipboard TV is curated around topics, from news and entertainment to health and tech. Flipboard TV’s interest-based channels feature videos curated through a mix of editorial selection and topic-driven algorithms. Users can also follow individual publications’ video feed.

Angela Lunter, senior director, business strategy and operations at McClatchy, said: “We are excited to expand our partnership with Flipboard and congratulate them on this innovative launch. Flipboard is well positioned to build on its knowledge of delivering curated content by adding video to its offerings. We appreciate the team’s efforts to elevate local news in this new service.”

Claus Enevoldsen, Flipboard’s vice president of business development, said: “The interest we’re getting from publishers to collaborate to develop an ad-fee subscription service for video content is encouraging. Today, almost all publishers produce high-quality video they’d like to make more discoverable and there is an appetite to explore and experiment with new business models. Users, on the other hand, are getting used to paying for premium content, which makes me bullish about our model for Flipboard TV.”