(From left) Voice of Ireland host Kathryn Thomas, newscasters Aengus MacGrianna and Eileen Dunne, and RTÉ GAA analyst Kevin McStay
Ireland’s State broadcaster RTÉ has gone live with a revamped News Now app optimised for iPhone devices running iOS 7 that includes synchronisation across multiple devices, quick streaming of audio and video, and the ability to edit news preferences.
The update to the news app, which has attracted some 1.16m downloads, aims to offer richer media content, greater interactivity, and an even better app experience for users.
The app will feature live video and audio news reports from RTÉ News Now, RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2fm, as well as pre- and post-match analysis, live match trackers, and the latest sports results, weather reports, and a new entertainment review section.
The app will provide access to 28 content categories across news, sport and entertainment.
Users will also have the ability to personalise their news feeds, save stories to read later, and sign in and synchronise news feeds across multiple devices.
Users will also have the ability to browse photo galleries, and to send photos and video directly to RTÉ journalists from their phone or tablet.
According to RTÉ, an Android version of the app is within weeks of launch, as is an iPad version of the iOS 7 app.
The RTÉ News Now app now accounts for 70pc of RTÉ app traffic and of the 1m Irish adults who have used a news app, more than four in 10 have used the RTÉ News Now app. That’s an estimated 440,000 people.
According to the latest research by Behaviours & Attitudes (January 2014), the RTÉ News Now app is the most used and recognised news and entertainment app in Ireland.
The app also has a strong international following, with international users accounting for more than one-fifth of the 1.16m downloads. Some 24pc of RTÉ News Now app users use the app on a daily basis.
