NEW YORK—NBCU News Group is significantly expanding its streaming and digital operations with plans to add 200 new positions and several new hours of live, original programming to NBC News Now.
The company is expecting to fill the jobs over the next few months. The new slate of NBC News NOW programming will debut this fall.
The investment is being made at a time when streaming news operations are seeing rapid growth and new organizations have been making significant investments to expand their streaming operations.
NBCU News is hoping that new staffers and programming will help it build on the success NBC News Now has seen since its launch in 2019.
NBC News Now currently averages more than 44 million views and 14 million hours watched per month, the company reported.
“When we combine the power of our portfolio, across our many platforms, our reach and impact is unmatched,” said Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCU News Group. “Our core focus is to consistently innovate in how our brands deliver distinctive, high-quality journalism. This substantial investment in streaming and digital allows us to meet the needs of news consumers in a rapidly-changing digital media industry.”
In addition to launching NBC News Now, NBCU News Group also debuted Today All Day and The Choice from MSNBC on Peacock in 2020, making it the only news organization with three major streaming channels.
The NBCU News Group reported that the majority of the 200 new jobs will be in NBC News Now’s growing streaming operations and programming. Those new jobs follow a recent investment of more than 70 new hires.
The news group also noted that it would be doubling the Today newsroom, growing NBC News’ successful breaking news and beat reporting, expanding the MSNBC digital footprint and continuing the momentum of commerce and CNBC Pro. All of this will be underpinned by continued investment in mobile, video, social, product, engineering, etc.
The new NBC News Now live, original programming will include a daily, primetime news program anchored by senior national correspondent, Tom Llamas; a daily evening show and weekly special newsmagazine series hosted by senior Washington correspondent and anchor, Hallie Jackson; and an evening news analysis and explainer program, hosted by anchor, Joshua Johnson.
NBC News Now will also continue to expand its weekday live programming throughout the fall and add to its weekend live, original programming beginning in Q1, 2022. The streaming network will also begin its international distribution later this year.
