MSNBC Signs Agreement to Provide US Audiences With Sky News Coverage
MSNBC and Sky News have teamed up to provide US viewers with worldwide reporting, which will debut on all platforms on October 1.
As part of a larger initiative to bolster its news operations, MSNBC said on Wednesday that it had inked a multi-year deal with Sky News to deliver the British broadcaster’s worldwide reporting to American viewers.
MSNBC will eliminate its recognizable peacock emblem and change its name to My Source News Opinion World (MS NOW) as part of the redesign. The modifications take place as Comcast, the parent firm, proceeds with its plan to split up a number of NBCUniversal cable networks later this year.
Beginning on October 1, the agreement will make Sky News’ coverage—supported by 11 foreign bureaus and over 500 journalists—available on all MSNBC platforms.
“We are honored to bring Sky News’ premium, on-the-ground reporting and roster of top journalists to the MSNBC community at this time of historic and consequential news events occurring around the world that are rapidly reshaping our collective future,” stated MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler.
In a strategic move toward expansion in the streaming era, Comcast, which paid £30.6 billion ($41.14 billion) to acquire the British pay-TV firm Sky in 2018, intends to spin off its cable channels, including USA Network, CNBC, and MSNBC, into a new public business called Versant.
Journalist Ian Sherwood was named MSNBC’s Director of International Newsgathering concurrently with the rebranding. Sherwood, who has worked for both BBC News and Sky News in the past, adds more than ten years of experience in leadership positions with NBC News’ international teams.
By utilizing Sky News’s global experience and rebranding, MS NOW is better positioned to compete in a news environment that is changing quickly.
