NBCUniversal News Group Expands In Streaming, Hiring 200 Staffers; Tom Llamas, Hallie Jackson & Joshua Johnson Get New Daily Shows

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NBCU News Group is adding 200 new positions in a major expansion of its streaming and digital operations.

Describing the growth spurt as a “substantial investment,” the NBCU division did not put figures to it but said it would result in several new hours of live, original programming on NBC News Now. The streaming outlet, launched in 2019, now averages 44 million views and 14 million hours watched per month, the company said.

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NBC News Now’s expanded programming lineup will debut this fall. Among the new offerings will be a daily, primetime news program anchored by senior national correspondent Tom Llamas. Senior Washington correspondent and anchor Hallie Jackson will host a daily evening show and a weekly special newsmagazine series, and anchor Joshua Johnson will host an evening news analysis and explainer program.

In addition to launching NBC News Now, NBCU News Group also debuted Today All Day and The Choice from MSNBC on Peacock in 2020. The design of Peacock, which houses dozens of free, live and ad-supported channels in addition to its on-demand offerings, has positioned news and sports as bedrock elements.

NBC News Now plans to continue adding weekday live programming through the fall and increase weekend fare in the early weeks of 2022. The streaming service will also begin its international distribution later this year. Beyond Peacock, it is available via the Roku Channel, YouTube TV, YouTube, Fubo, Xumo, Pluto, Tubi and on NBCNews.com as well as NBC News apps on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.

“When we combine the power of our portfolio, across our many platforms, our reach and impact is unmatched,” said Cesar Conde, Chairman of NBCU News Group. “Our core focus is to consistently innovate in how our brands deliver distinctive, high-quality journalism. This substantial investment in streaming and digital allows us to meet the needs of news consumers in a rapidly-changing digital media industry.”

The 200 new hires follow a previous round of 70 new additions to the staff. Axios, which first reported on the streaming expansion, estimated the news unit will have nearly 300 streaming-focused workers across editorial, engineering, product, talent and production.

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