AP Will Move Online Video Service To NDN

The Associated Press is planning to move its hosted online video operation over to a digital platform provided by Atlanta-based News Distribution Network (NDN), a shift that AP believes will allow the news service to offer the broadest offering of video news available anywhere.

The AP plans to make the transition from its current Online Video Network (OVN) to NDN in the first quarter of 2011.

Nick Ascheim, general manager of AP Digital said in a statement that OVN and NDN are similar in that they both provide a turnkey or hosted solution for customers who want video news on their sites but may not have their own video player and video content management system.

"Each network works with affiliates to promote its video player, aggregating hundreds of sites into a distributed network supported by the sale of advertising," Ascheim said. "This agreement between AP and NDN offers the opportunity, in effect, to combine these networks, increasing our reach and scale."

Ascheim also noted that as a result of the move, "members will continue to receive AP's unmatched video coverage of breaking news and now have the opportunity to reach new audiences with engaging content from other news providers."