• by Alex Weprin , November 5, 2018

This year’s midterm elections present a new opportunity for both consumers and marketers.

For the first time, almost every major news organization will be providing live video coverage of the elections.

The explosion in streaming coverage is another way in which news has become more like sports. Just as digital streaming options have proliferated in the last few years in the sports world, this year’s elections mark a turning point for the sheer number of options consumers have to follow results in real time.

That presents an opportunity for voracious news consumers looking to get their political fix, and for marketers looking to maximize their reach. More people will be watching, and more inventory will be open.

Still, streaming coverage of the elections is not new. Indeed, even the midterms four years ago saw every TV network supplement their on-air coverage with streaming pre-and post-shows.

What is new this year: Digital coverage isn’t restricted to just supplemental coverage that won’t interrupt the TV programming. This year’s digital coverage presents a full-on alternative to traditional TV news programming. And TV companies won’t be the only ones playing the game.

Of course, the TV news networks will still be prioritizing their TV coverage, but this year, that coverage will be streamed online, to reach viewers who may not be home when the results come in.

Also, a number of TV news organizations have invested in streaming news operations, and this year’s midterms represent a singular opportunity to showcase them.

CBSN, which launched just after the midterms in 2014, will kick off its coverage three hours ahead of the broadcast network, at 5 pm. It will simulcast some of the network’s coverage, but it will also keep going beyond the 11 p.m. window the network has blocked off for coverage.

Likewise, ABC News Live will kick off its coverage at 4:30, p.m. hours ahead of prime-time network coverage.

NBC News has just launched its NBC News Signal streaming network; it is banking on the midterms to provide a boost to the service. Stephanie Ruhle will anchor from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the service, ahead of the network coverage.

However, this year, it won’t just be TV networks hosting live video coverage. The Washington Post will host its program, ”Election Night Live,” starting at 7 p.m.

WaPo's coverage will be streamed on its website, but also on the video platforms Twitch and YouTube. It will have reporters, anchors and contributors in-studio, but also reporters in the field across the country, comparable to coverage on TV networks.

Former CNN reporter Peter Hamby will host coverage on Snapchat starting at 6 p.m., updating throughout the night.

Yahoo News and HuffPost will also have live streams, combining their hosts and reporters in the studio with reporters in the field covering races around the country.