B-Roll
Supplemental video footage provided to media for use in television or digital video coverage.
Definition
B-roll is supplemental video footage—separate from interview content—that illustrates stories visually. In PR context, B-roll packages provide broadcast and digital journalists with footage of facilities, products, events, or activities they can edit into their coverage.
Professional B-roll is shot broadcast-quality, includes variety (wide shots, details, action), and comes without embedded graphics or branding that limit usage. Providing B-roll removes barriers to video coverage for outlets that can't send crews.
Why It Matters
Television and video journalism require visuals. Stories without good footage often don't get made, regardless of news value. Providing quality B-roll enables coverage that might otherwise be impossible.
B-roll also gives some control over visual representation—your footage shows what you want shown.
Examples in Practice
A manufacturing company's B-roll enables coverage by outlets that couldn't justify sending camera crews to distant facilities.
A product launch B-roll package results in video coverage across dozens of outlets using the provided footage.
An event's B-roll capture enables post-event broadcast coverage beyond the outlets that attended in person.