The New York Times and Samsung are jointly launching The Daily 360, a Times-produced project that will kick out at least one 360° video every day.
Starting today, The Daily 360 will be published to NYTimes.com and its mobile and VR apps, as well as to Samsung VR, the company’s virtual reality content service. Samsung 837 is also building an “evergreen experience” to feature Daily 360 content.
Samsung will be providing Gear 360 cameras and equipment to Times journalists around the world to use while reporting out in the field. The first video, shot by NYT photographer Tyler Hicks and Middle East correspondent Ben Hubbard, will feature footage of the conflict in Sana, Yemen.
The Times will also be offering footage from the campaign trail in the days leading up to the presidential election on Nov. 8.
RELATED: NBA, NextVR to livestream weekly NBA games in VR
“It’s because of Samsung’s support and filming technology that we’re able to give global audiences a true sense of what it means when The New York Times is covering the breadth of what’s happening in the world,” said Meredith Kopit Levien, executive vice president and chief revenue officer for The New York Times Company, in a statement. “Last year we delivered the VR experience to the masses, along with dozens of VR films since then, but now it’s time to make 360 video a part of the daily news report, as common as text or interactives.”
“Virtual reality storytelling isn't just exciting and immersive, it can forge a lasting and empathetic connection between viewers and subjects,” said Marc Mathieu, chief marketing officer at Samsung Electronics America, in a statement. “In collaborating with The New York Times, we want Samsung’s innovative products and services to show how coverage of the world's most important stories can be made richer, more useful, and more human when augmented by 360-degree experiences.”