• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, May 10, 2017

April is the coolest month, at least for Time Inc. The nation’s largest magazine publisher reported that its properties generated 1 billion digital video views last month, nearly doubling the video viewing volume during the same month last year.

For the full year, Time Inc. is predicting its various online media outlets will generate a total of over 8.5 billion digital video views.

While that is a huge number, for comparison’s sake, a year ago in April 2016, Facebook revealed it was generating 8 billion online video views per day – that’s per day, not per year.

That figure was also achieved by fast-growing rival Snapchat around the same time.

To help power future growth, Time Inc. is planning to produce over 50,000 videos, including more than 1,500 hours of live programming this year, according to CEO Rich Battista.

On that note, the publisher recently announced a slew of new video series and live streaming programs, as well as a new video-on-demand streaming network. The company will launch a sports-focused streaming video on demand service from its Sports Illustrated brand.

The Sports Illustrated network will produce long- and short-form sports programming, including original series, documentaries, analysis from Sports Illustrated’s experts, fantasy sports shows and live on-demand programming from sports and entertainment events.

Time Inc. is also launching "The Pretty," a new standalone social-video brand targeting millennial and Gen Z beauty fans, set to debut this summer, sponsored by L’Oréal Paris and Maybelline New York. 

The publisher also announced it will launch two other social video brands: DIY-focused "ReMade" to come this fall and wine, cocktail, beer and beverage-focused "The Barrel," which will debut by year's-end.

Additionally, the company will produce a second "People Now" live daily talk show for the afternoon, an Essence partnership with Twitter and a new mobile video advertising product called Adapt Video.