MSNBC has signed a multi-year agreement with Sky News as the network transitions to the MS NOW brand.
The US news channel is being will be part of the new VERSANT business that is being spun off from Comcast’s NBC along with much of its cable and digital channels business. It means that NBC News’ own network of reporters will not be available to MS NOW.
The first reports from Sky News will be seen from October 1.
Sky News runs 11 international bureaus, including Beijing, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, and Moscow, and a team of more than 500 journalists.
“In this moment of consequential and historic news events happening around the world that are rapidly reshaping our collective future, we are honored to bring Sky News’ premium, on-the-ground reporting and roster of top journalists to the MSNBC community,” said MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler. “This partnership marks a new chapter for us at MSNBC and emphasizes a key element of the network’s new brand promise as MS NOW, My Source for News, Opinion, and the World, bringing global reporting to our audiences.”
“Sky News journalists across the globe deliver award-winning journalism every day. This partnership with VERSANT will put that eyewitness reporting in front of even greater audiences in the U.S. and around the world. We’re delighted to get to work with their creative and entrepreneurial team,” adds Sky News Group Executive Chairman David Rhodes.
The deal aligns with Sky News 2030, a five-year transformation project that will reshape the newsroom to broaden out from its TV channel to a premium, video-first operation built for digital platforms. This includes shifting beyond an ad-sponsored business model, embracing multiple revenue streams, including pay, partnerships, and premium content distribution deals such as this one with MSNBC.
Veteran journalist Ian Sherwood will serve as the network’s Director of International Newsgathering. Most recently, Sherwood spent ten years in leadership roles with NBC News international newsgathering and reporting teams, including as Executive Editor of the Richard Engel Unit. He has previously worked with Sky News and BBC News.
