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BBC News is going streaming.
The cable news channel extension of the storied British public broadcaster will begin streaming — for free — on a handful of connected TV and FAST (free ad-supported streaming) platforms, beginning today.
BBC News will be available on Samsung TV Plus, Xumo, Sling TV, Plex, Vizio and Pluto TV, with other distribution partners to follow. BBC News will also continue to be carried through traditional pay-TV providers like Charter, Comcast and DirecTV.
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Executives at every cable news channel have been evaluating how to adapt to a streaming-first world. At CNN (the other global news brand), Warner Bros. Discovery have opted to put some live programming on the Max streaming service, combining some CNN International programming with CNN U.S. fare. Fox News and MSNBC sends their primetime shows to Fox Nation and Peacock the day after they air.
But BBC News is bringing its full, live, 24-hour schedule to free streaming platforms, seeking a real piece of the streaming pie and challenging incumbent offerings like NBC News Now, ABC News Live and CBS News streaming.
While those streaming news offerings, which combine original live news hours, replays of their respective broadcast shows, and long-form fare, the BBC News channel is a 24/7 live news offshoot of the larger BBC News organization.
Programs (er, programmes) include Verified Live, BBC News America, Influential with Katty Kay, and World Business Report. The channel is anchored out of the U.S., U.K. and Singapore.
“This is a significant milestone for the BBC as this launch will more than double the current reach and availability of the BBC News channel in the U.S. at a time when access to independent news and information is more important than ever,” said Tara Maitra, chief commercial officer, global media & streaming for BBC Studios, in a statement. “We’re proud to launch this channel with the support of so many of the leading CTV/FAST platform partners as we continue to expand the footprint of BBC News and bring the BBC’s journalism to wider audiences in the region.”
AMC Networks, the BBC’s partner in the BBC America joint venture, is handling distribution and advertising sales.
“What a profoundly meaningful addition to the rapidly growing CTV/FAST space, at a time when access to authoritative and impartial news could never be more important,” added Kim Kelleher, chief commercial officer of AMC Networks. “The BBC is one of the largest, most trusted and comprehensive news-gathering organizations in the world. The arrival of BBC News as a live, 24-hour channel on these free platforms is a landmark moment for global news, our partner platforms and the entire FAST distribution ecosystem.”
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