MSNBC signs deal to bring Sky News coverage to US

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

(Reuters) -Cable news network MSNBC said on Wednesday it has signed a multi-year deal with Sky News to bring its global reporting to U.S. audiences, in an effort to strengthen news operations.

The left-leaning media company is set to rebrand to My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW, and drop the iconic peacock logo as parent Comcast presses ahead with the planned separation of many NBCUniversal cable networks later this year.

The deal will bring Sky News, which has 11 international bureaus and over 500 journalists, to all of MSNBC’s platforms beginning October 1.

“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.

Comcast is also the parent company of Sky News, following the U.S. group’s takeover of British pay-TV company Sky for 30.6 billion pounds ($41.14 billion) in 2018.

Comcast plans to spin off its cable channels, including USA Network, CNBC and MSNBC, into a new public company called Versant — a significant shift in its media strategy as the company repositions itself for growth in the streaming era.

MSNBC has named journalist Ian Sherwood as its Director of International Newsgathering.

Sherwood has spent ten years in leadership roles with NBC News international newsgathering and reporting teams. He is also a BBC News and Sky News veteran.

($1 = 0.7439 pounds)

(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)