ABC’s Localish Expands With Diginet Rebrand

Localish, the digital native lifestyle brand from ABC Owned Television Stations, will have a broadcast home on Feb. 17, it was announced Tuesday by Wendy McMahon, president, ABC Owned Television Stations.

Building on the success of the brand and demand for authentic local storytelling on digital and broadcast, the Live Well Network, a multicast network in the ABC owned markets, will be rebranded as Localish.

As a broadcast network, Localish will expand its short-form series of local storytelling into long-form programming to reach approximately 14 million households across America. The brand will also continue to debut stories on localish.com, ABC digital platforms and social media platforms, as it “transcends city limits and inspires its audience to live like a local wherever they are,” according to the network.

“We first launched Localish as a reflection of our deep commitment to the communities we serve,” said McMahon. “The resonance of Localish’s storytelling has enabled us to forge connections with a new generation of viewers. We’re excited to start this next chapter of the brand and give our viewers even more ways to live like a local.”

“Over the past 18 months, it’s been incredible to see how our communities have embraced this unique style of storytelling that authentically reflects the best parts of America,” added Jennifer Mitchell, senior vice president, content development at ABC Owned Television Stations. “Our storytellers and content creators have really been able to unlock innovative ways of storytelling, and we’re thrilled to share their work with even more people on every platform.”

ABC OTV introduced Localish in 2018 as a digital-first national lifestyle brand featuring locally sourced yet nationally relevant stories, targeting a younger audience and bringing out the good in America’s cities. In Localish’s first year, ABC’s owned stations produced more than 700 pieces of digital video, totaling more than 240 million video views, with 65% of its audience under the age of 44.

Most recently honored with the 2019 Innovator Award — the highest distinction among TVNewsCheck’s annual Social Media Excellence Awards — Localish was credited for its forward-minded ideas, sleek execution and all-around positive impact. The ABC Owned Television Stations group was selected for the award from among 30 eligible nominations, which were identified by data partner Social News Desk’s live database of 12,000 local news Facebook pages.

In 2019, Localish secured a digital content partnership for the ABC Owned Television Stations with Hiscox Insurance, focused on telling the stories behind unique small businesses. Hiscox has extended the sponsorship through 2020 and will serve as the presenting sponsor of Localish series Secretly Awesome with ownership positions within the long-form episodes, as well as with short-form segments and promotional content distributed across ABC’s digital and social platforms.

The 10 series that will make up the initial programming on Localish are:

• More In Common —Inspiring stories of Americans who come together despite their differences

• All Good — Escape from negative news and discover the people trying to make a positive change in their communities.
• Secretly Awesome — Whether you’re a local or a visitor, we introduce you to spots the locals love.
• My Go-To — Your go-to places to be, people to see and things to do
• Bite Size — Highlighting the most unique dishes from local restaurants, bars and festivals
• Worth the Wait — We’re seeking out the longest lines in America to determine if they’re worth the wait.
• Pumped — Uncover the latest and greatest fitness trends across America.
• Glam Lab —  Watch us test out the newest products and trends in beauty and self-care.
• Out of Office —  We are currently out of office; enjoy watching these vacation videos on your work computer.

• Stroke of Genius — Finding the inspiration behind America’s most talented artists.