When the Versant Media-backed outlet launches a new subscription-based app this week, it does so with the vow to help new members communicate not only with MS NOW anchors and correspondents, but with each other. The MS NOW “Membership” comes with two different opportunities each day for subscribers to speak directly with top personalities during live Q& A sessions; a regular suite of new content aimed at wellness; and the opportunity not just to watch MS NOW programming, but to be part of a community of like-minded people “We are turning a one-way news experience into a two-way conversation,” says Marcus Mabry, senior vice president of content strategy for MS NOW, in a memo issued Tuesday. MS NOW will seek $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually for subscriptions to the new offering.
Each day at noon and 6 p.m. eastern, MS NOW “Membership” subscribers will be able to join regular live video conversations with anchors and reporters. Each Monday at noon, for example, subscribers can ask Rachel Maddow questions ahead of her weekly Monday-evening program. On Tuesdays, MS NOW will hold a “Morning Joe Family Meeting” — a discussion with the hosts of that show about the stories and issues of the week.
Other noontime exchanges will be held with Stephanie Ruhle and Ali Velshi; Michael Steele; Jen Psaki; Jackie Alemany, Jonathan Capehart, and Eugene Daniels; and Rev. Evenings will be reserved for 6 p.m. In some ways, MS NOW is late to the game.
Fox News and NBC News have been in the market with subscription products for months, and NBC, CBS News and ABC News offer free, ad-supported services. CNN has launched two different subscription products (the first was scuttled). With that in mind, executives seemed motivated to find a different offer.
MS NOW found over the course of a year of research that viewers craved places where they might engage with like-minded news consumers. An offer of “community” was a key driver of preference for subscribing to a news app. Membership gives us an opportunity to invite them into the conversation,” says Mabry.
MS NOW will also offer subscribers ways to find balance in their lives, touching on subjects ranging from mindfulness, relationships, and healthcare to caregiving, and parenting. The idea is to give subscribers other topics toward which they might gravitate when news headlines aren’t as pressing in daily life. MS NOW has struck a partnership with Calm, the company that offers an app centered on meditation, and has tapped a group of experts who will host their own showcases.
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