ABC News has launched what is being described as "a major foray into over-the-top set-top boxes and connected TVs," kicking off ABC News on Apple TV, B&C reports.

The service was set to go live today, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at 10 a.m. ET. The new service from ABC News "will include a wide array of content, including highlights from its major TV news programs, access to live and on demand video, news updates, over 50 years of archival footage, original content and local news from ABC affiliates in nine major markets," B&C reports.

Providing live news was considered one of the keys to the success of the new app, according to Joe Ruffolo, senior VP of ABC News Digital.

"Ruffolo says the Apple TV launch is part of a larger effort to bring more content to connected TVs and over-the-top streaming devices," the story reports. "He expects the ABC News offering to become available on more devices. 'We’re absolutely looking at others and you will see them continue to roll out during the rest of the year,' he said."

The report notes: "The app will feature four separate live video streams that allow users to move between live events and breaking news throughout the day. Outside of time periods in the middle of the night, the goal is to offer 'as much live news as we can,' adds Doug Vance, VP of product development at ABC News."

Eight ABC-owned stations and one Hearst station, WISN-TV in Milwaukee, will provide the local news updates. The ABC-owned stations are WABC in New York, KABC in Los Angeles, WLS in Chicago, WPVI in Philadelphia, KGO in San Francisco, KTRK in Houston, WTVD in Raleigh and KFSN in Fresno.

"Full episodes of ABC News network TV programming like 'ABC World News with Diane Sawyer' will continue to be available only on ABC Watch to authenticated pay TV subscribers, but highlights of all these programs will be available on Apple TV," the report adds.