Theโ New York Timesโข Bets onโฃ Immersive Video with “Watch”
The New Yorkโ Times is expanding itsโค video strategy with the launch of “Watch,” a new tab within its flagship News app designed to deliver short-form, vertically-oriented video content.This โmove signals a significant โinvestment in immersive formats and aโ deliberate effort to โขcontrol content distribution, moving โawayโฃ fromโ reliance on third-party platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
“Watch” isn’t simply โreplicating theโ tiktok experience. Instead, it’s โenvisionedโค as a content revelation engine, leveragingโข previews of longer-form content – stories, podcasts, โคand full-length videos – already available within the NYT ecosystem. Users canโ click directlyโ from โthese vertical video snippets to access โคthe original, in-depth reporting. This recirculation strategy aims to boost engagement and expose users to the breadth โฃof the Times’ journalism.
The feed will be curated by human editors, a key differentiator from algorithm-driven platforms. This editorial approach reflectsโ The Times’โค commitment to journalisticโ judgment and a desire to broaden user exposure beyondโค personalized recommendations. Theโ content will span investigations,โ visual essays, cultural commentary, and lifestyle coverage, showcasing the full range of the publication’s reporting.
Advertising will be integrated into “Watch” beginning in 2026, following aโ beta program. The Times anticipates high โขviewabilityโข rates – mirroringโข the 80-90% achievedโค with vertical interstitial ads inโค its Games app – and significant brand lift for advertisers. NYT Advertising aims to offer a streamlined campaign launch process,allowing brands toโค repurpose existing social assetsโค and go live within 48 hours without extensiveโข custom builds.
Industry experts believe this โคformat could be highly attractive to marketers. “As audiences spendโ more time in immersive, short-form environments, marketers are seekingโ formats that deliver both engagement and performance, not just reach,” says Matt Fanelli, chief revenue officer โatโค Digitalโ remedy. “For publishers, it opens a โคnew avenue for monetization, pairing storytelling โwithโ inventory that’s native,โ high-impact, and built for howโ people actually โconsume content today.”
The launch of “Watch” comesโ as The Times sunsets itsโฃ standalone audio app, Listen, consolidating audio and video content within the News app. This strategic shift underscoresโค a broader philosophy of slow, deliberate growth, prioritizing quality and owned distribution. โ
According to Robins, the success of The Times’ advertising business without significant video โคinventory demonstrates the potential forโ disciplined growth. “This represents aโ disciplinedโค prospect to โgrow, one that followsโค our โขproduct evolution and gives both consumers and advertisers a quality place to watch.”