Yahoo News Comcast Abandons Plan To Launch International News Channel NBC Sky World News
Comcast has quietly abandoned plans to tap into the news resources at NBC and its British pay-TV broadcaster Sky to launch an international television news channel, named NBC Sky World News.
NBC News sources told Deadline that ambitions to premiere the channel over the summer have been shelved amid the coronavirus pandemic. They did not rule out revisiting the project, but it is not seen as commercially viable at this time.
More from Deadline
The Financial Times reported that more than 50 NBC Sky World News staff were told about the decision on Wednesday. They will now go through a period of consultation to determine their future within the Comcast empire.
NBC News chairman Andy Lack set out his vision for the channel in January, revealing that it would compete with CNN International and BBC World News. He planned to recruit a dedicated team of 100-200 staff, as well as drawing on the output of 3,500 journalists at NBC and Sky News.
The channel would have been overseen by Deborah Turness, president of NBC News International, and the former editor of ITV News in the UK. It was to be based at Sky’s Osterley campus in west London.
NBC News declined to comment.
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
