NBC News Now gets U.K. distribution deals

NBC News Now will begin streaming in the United Kingdom, making it the first U.S. based streamer to gain direct international distribution on the continent.

The service will be offered through Sky UK, which NBCUniversal parent Comcast owns, and Virgin Media in the U.K. 

“We are proud of the immense success and audience growth we’ve had with NBC News Now in the U.S. and are excited to bring the world class reporting representing the best of NBC News to more international audiences,” said Satpal Brainch, chief commercial officer for NBCU News Group in a statement.

NBC News Now launched in 2019 and has grown to 60 million views and more than 20 million hours watched each month.

In recent weeks, with the mounting situation in Ukraine, NBC News Now has been attracting more viewers. “Top Story,” the streamer’s signature evening newscast, dispatched anchor Tom Llamas to the region, making him the only U.S. based streaming anchor to report from the country.

NBC News Now has also launched other original programming, including “Hallie Jackson Now” and “Now Tonight with Joshua Jackson,” joining its “Morning News Now” newscast and rolling anchored “NBC News Now Live” coverage throughout the day. The service also carries live coverage of breaking news and events.

Previously, NBC News Now’s most watched week was during the January 6 Capitol insurrection in 2021.

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NBC News Now is already available via the network’s Android and iOS apps in more than 175 countries, a number that is also planned to grow in the future. 

The network will remain free but ad supported for both domestic and international viewers.