The NBC side of Comcast seem to have it’s eye on the future with the digital and streaming stuff they do, whereas Sky and quite a lot of news outlets around the world are lagging behind in evolving into a news service for 2025 and are stuck back in 2015.
It’s still a linear channel.
Not NBC the linear channel itself but the overall NBC suite with NBC News Now etc. They’re at least forward thinking more than others.
NBC News Now is still a linear channel. Sky News can be steamed in a million places too.
Agree its content appeals to a younger audience more than Sky. That’s down to the Americans knowing how to make news more dynamic than the Brits. Brits make news for 75 year olds.
You can find regional news channels in tampa Arizona and Utah doing more dynamic news for a younger audience than sky
Sky is known in the US. It’s carried on peacock. It’s treated on Xfinity. It’s streamed on rakutun, Roku and YouTube
They should change the format to be more like NBC News now, dynamic fast energetic - and target a younger demo and go after the massive US audience
I agree. But it’s going to be a monumental shift, given that:
a) Sky has made its reputation through live, breaking news* - this sort of content is, for better or worse, generally not considered premium.
b) Sky’s online content is generally middling-to-poor quality. Their website is full of clickbait and their podcasts are very ordinary. Again, not what you’d call premium content.
c) Despite being broadcast worldwide, Sky’s output is very much domestically-skewed - so unless they want to leave money on the table, that will have to change fast.
*indeed, their slogan for MANY years was ‘First for Breaking News’ - or in the industry, ‘Never Wrong for Long’
I think it will go this way - I think Comcast will have no choice but to pool NBC and Sky’s resources with the way financials are going. Obviously I’ve no clue of the specifics (and would be a fool to speculate exactly how it would look!) but I suspect your idea will come to fruition in some form. Probably this service will be some sort of shop window for whatever premium content they end up producing.
British TV execs seem to think news should be as boring as possible, otherwise it isn’t serious. I don’t like or understand it either but that’s how they think. You even see it on Pres Cafe, people who think if it’s remotely dynamic then it’s too American and thus not ‘grown-up enough’ (whatever THAT means).
And God help you if you dare criticise that vile glass box… CNN is a shadow of its former self, and it’s light on content, but at least the presentation, and the presenters, are at least a bit more engaging than the robots sat in front of a corridor on Sky.
Uk tv all has a very regional look and feel. Not regional as in Regioanl Australia. Regional as in outside London,
Nothing looks slick
I think the word I’d use to describe British TV is… pedestrian. It is all much slicker abroad. Even places like the Netherlands and Belgium, which used to be very similar to the UK, have moved towards a more American style in recent decades. TV-wise, the UK is very much an anachronism compared to the rest of the world.
Which is surely why pooling Sky into NBC News makes sense especially given MSNBC is going to be at an arms length now and surely Now is the future. Having basically a whole other part of it based in the UK would be helpful to broaden appeal for markets outside America for streaming and brand identity. And Sky would benefit from still having a news presence but a more dynamic one that isn’t stuck in the past.
I don’t think that makes sense.
NBC News now US channel is targeted completely at a uS domestic market.
Sky is targeted at Uk domestic market and people globally who may like us news.
Merging them makes no sense
That’s not what I suggested.
If you’re suggesting that Sky News should be more like NBCNees Now in format, programming and appeal - yes I agree.
It needs to be reinvigorated with a fresh dynamic energy
Yes, but also link up more with News Now for example simulcasting overnight where possible, and NNN could do the same. Potential savings to be made by trying to share more resources and talent too. Sky could have teamed with NNN for election coverage for example, just add a face or two from Sky to their coverage.
Anyway to keep a service going without completely ripping the guts out.
None, because they don’t have anything to do with AU…
Today was her last show.
I didn’t like her style. condescending and hypocrite during covid. She was likely on a salary that doesn’t make sense now Sky’s guaranteed funding is coming to and end and they are pivoting for survival.
Sadness in my eyes.
Yeah I can see what you mean. Though she did have her moments. I was a bit surprised they kept her on after COVID tbh (she broke lockdown rules, for anyone who didn’t know). Interesting she left today of all days - it’s Sky News’ 36th birthday, and she was there right from the start.