NBC just released a trailer for their new news concept: NBC Left Field. It's not quite clear what it is yet, but as a long time follower of Casey Neistat and Beme it sure reminds of something i picture in my head when i first heard that CNN had bought Casey Neistat's Beme for $25 million: A way of distributing the latest news in a visually interesting way that will appeal to young millennial who spend more time watching VLOGS on YouTube than News.
If you don't feel like watching the video above, let me give you a quick rundown by quoting a job posting from NBC earlier this year:
“NBC will soon launch a new digital-first team of reporters, filmmakers, animators, tinkerers, engagement producers, and video journalists tasked with rethinking what video news features and documentaries could and should look like in 2017."
As a long time follower of Casey Neistat and Beme, it's clear that NBC won't be waiting on Casey and his team to finish whatever they have been working on before figuring out how to compete with it.
Whatever Casey Neistat is brewing on, he must be starting to feel the pressure to finish up and get something launched. In my opinion it will be about time. For a social media personality who has paved the way for modern VLOGing, I'm quite surprised regarding all the secrecy around the new Beme. I would have expected more transparency and user involvement.
Now i don't know what NBC Left Field will turn out to be. Or whatever Beme is becoming. They might be two completely different things. One thing is certain though: Interesting times are ahead for how news will be distributed and consumed through video platforms and social media.