NBC News’ upcoming 24/7 streaming service, dubbed NBC News Signal, will launch in mid-2019, the company announced Wednesday morning.
The service, which was first mentioned by NBC News chairman Andrew Lack in March, will launch with the network’s new evening show, which is expected to debut later this quarter. The show will be hosted by Simone Boyce. Additional daily programming, including a yet-to-be-named morning and afternoon show, and hourly news updates called “Brieflies“ will also be available on the service.
Before its official launch, viewers can preview the service on Pluto TV, NBCNews.com, YouTube, and Twitter where it will stream special mid-term coverage. Leading up to the elections, Steve Kornacki’s “218: Race for the House” will air daily at 12 p.m. ET and on Nov. 6, NBC News correspondent Katy Tur will host a pre-show on the digital network from 7-9 p.m. ET.
After the launch of the official launch of Signal, content will continue to live across NBC News’ digital network including NBCNews.com, the NBC News mobile and over-the-top (OTT) apps, PlutoTV, YouTube channel, and its Twitter page.
“There is a growing segment of people who have never had a cable subscription, but who are just as hungry for smart news as the prior generations of news watchers who have consumed NBC News for decades,” said Nick Ascheim, SVP of digital at NBC News Group. “These consumers – who are up-to-date on the headlines but are seeking a deeper understanding of the news of the moment – are increasingly turning to OTT devices for ‘lean back’ news consumption or an on-the-go informative experience and that’s exactly what NBC News Signal will deliver.”
Erica Fink and Christine Cataldi will run the service and serve as executive producers for the network. Rashida Jones, SVP of specials for NBC News and MSNBC, is the executive in charge of programming for NBC News Signal and will lead it at launch.