NBC News Now said it will stream a special on the increase in antisemitic activity since Hamas attacked Israel last month.

Correspondent Jacob Soboroff will host Epidemic of Hate: Antisemitism on the Rise on Thursday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

The special will feature a panel addressing the fears Jewish Americans have been facing as a result of growing antisemitism. 

The experts include Rabbi Jill Jacobs, writer Bret Stephens and Eric Ward of the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

Soboroff will also moderate a panel of U.S. college students who have faced hatred on campuses.

Additionally, the special will feature a group of Holocaust survivors talking about how current events compare to history and there will be an interview with Robert Kraft, CEO of the New England Patriots of the NFL.

Epidemic of Hate: Antisemitism on the Rise is the second in a series of specials hosted by Soboroff on NBC News Now. The first streamed in December.

NBC News Now is a 24-hour streaming news network. It is available on platforms including Peacock, Amazon Fire TV, Freevee, Fubo, Google TV, Hulu Live, LG, Local Now, Plex, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Xfinity X1, Xumo, YouTube TV, NBCNews.com and the NBC News apps.

Erika Josephson has been named executive producer of daytime newscast NBC News Daily. She comes from Andrea Mitchell Reports on MSNBC, where she was a senior producer. She spent six years on that show, and previously was a line and segment producer at MSNBC. 

Kate Snow and Zinhle Essamuah anchor the 2-4 p.m. block of the Daily newscast, which Josephson will produce. NBC News Daily airs on NBC News’s streaming platforms, including NBC News Now, and on owned stations and affiliates. The newscast launched as a one-hour program in September 2022, replacing Days of Our Lives, which shifted to Peacock. 

Josephson’s career began on the NBC News assignment desk, which led to roles as a producer at Weekend Today and Later Today. She also spent seven years at CBS News. 

While many participants in the FAST arms race seem fixated on launching as many free ad-supported streaming channels as they can, Comcast remains focused on the same collection of 20 channels. 

On Monday, the top cable operator said that NBC News Now and a library of 19 other FAST channels, all of them Xumo-branded and genre-themed, have been integrated into the program guides of Xfinity X1 pay TV subscribers. (See full list below.)

These same channels were already integrated into the Xfinity Stream app in April, as well as new skinny $20-a-month skinny vMVPD offering Now TV, which was launched in May. 

“Our strategy is centered around value not tonnage, and we are focused on bringing FAST channels into the experiences that are additive to the majority of our customers’ lineups,” said Vito Forlenza, VP of entertainment apps for Comcast, in a statement. 

Within X1, the channels will be searchable by name via voice remote. They'll also surface in areas of the UX menu including “Best of Live.” 

But Comcast will swell its ranks of FAST channels beyond a mere 20. The company said it’s “just the beginning” of its plans to enhance our customers’ TV subscriptions via FAST.

“We plan to bring additional FAST channels to our lineup in the future and will continue leveraging the innate power of our global technology platform to make all this new programming easier for our customers to discover and enjoy, ultimately providing them with a better, richer, and more valuable entertainment experience,” the company said. 

Comcast lost 614,000 pay TV customers in the first quarter. 

Here's the list of channels being added to X1 on Monday:

• NBC News NOW
• Xumo Action
• Xumo Black Cinema
• Xumo Comedy TV
• Xumo Movies
• Xumo Kids
• Xumo Game Show
• Xumo Bollywood & Indian
• Xumo Family
• Xumo Westerns
• Xumo Sci-fi & Fantasy
• Xumo Comedy
• Xumo Action & Drama
• Xumo Food TV
• Xumo Reality TV
• Xumo Crime
• Xumo Horror & Thriller
• Xumo Travel & Lifestyle
• Xumo Documentaries
• Xumo Her Movies

Allen Media Group said Local Now, its free streaming service featuring local news and entertainment, is launching three free, ad-supported streaming TV channels from NBC News.

The three channels are NBC News Now, Today All Day and Dateline 24/7.

“Adding these three excellent NBC News FAST channels is another milestone achievement for Allen Media Group as we continue expanding the Local Now channel content,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “NBC is an outstanding brand in both news and entertainment, so this collaboration is an obvious choice for Allen Media Group to give our viewers the ability to stream this amazing content for free, anytime on Local Now.”

Also: Roku Channel Expands NBCU News Lineup

Local Now offers 450 free streaming channels, including a Local Now channel for every market in the country. Users can also find 18,500 movies, TV shows and documentaries.

The app is available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xfinity, Vizio, Samsung, Android and iOS devices. ■

NBCUniversal said it is launching Dateline 24/7 a free, ad-supported streaming TV channel, on Samsung TV Plus, as part of an expanded deal with the TV set maker.

The deal also brings NBC News Now -- a live breaking news channel -- to users of Samsung TV Plus and other Samsung apps, in Canada.

“Samsung’s touchpoints across all devices are important destinations for viewers who rely on NBCUniversal brands as trusted places of information and entertainment,” said Matt Schnaars, president, NBCUniversal Content Distribution. “Samsung is a valued partner and plays a critical role in us ensuring our audiences have access to NBC News programming 24/7, wherever they are.”

Also: Roku Channel Expands NBCU News Lineup

NBC News NOW is currently available for Samsung TV Plus users free in the United States.

NBCUniversal’s One App, CNBC App, and NBC Sports App are also available on select Samsung devices.

“We are thrilled at the continued expansion of our partnership with NBCUniversal by bringing Dateline 24/7 to the US and NBC News Now to Canada,” said Takashi Nakano, senior director of content acquisitions and business development for Samsung TV Plus. “In complement to NBC Locals and NBC News Now, NBC continues to be the premier destination for trusted news and high-quality entertainment. Our partnership in delivering a geo-targeted and hyper-relevant experience is proving extremely valuable to Samsung users.”  ■

Streaming news service NBC News Now said it will add Now Tonight with Joshua Johnson to its primetime lineup starting Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.

The launch comes as NBC News Now adds live programming. Now Tonight with Joshua Johnson will replace reruns of shows featuring other NBC News Now anchors.

The show is designed to offer context for the biggest stories of the day, with newsmaker interviews and contributions from other expert guests and NBC News reporters and correspondents. It will also include questions from the viewing public in its conversations, using social media, a voicemail line and email address to obtain opinions and feedback. 

Now Tonight will ask its audience questions. Responses can be made via a new portal on NBCNews.com.

“I’ve always been encouraged to speak freely, connecting with people from many backgrounds. This program is built on that foundation. It’s the perfect outlet for viewers in these divisive times, curating their insights and feedback,” said Johnson. “My show will be a welcoming space, grounded in the universal values of curiosity and empathy.”

The show is executive produced by Lisa Crivelli and overseen by Janelle Rodriguez, senior VP of editorial for NBC News and executive-in-charge of NBC News Now.

NBC News Now launched its first two prime time shows earlier this fall, with Hallie Jackson Now and Top Story with Tony Llamas. 

 Adding Now Tonight with Joshua Johnson will give NBC News Now about 10 hours of live, original programming per day.

Launched in 2019, NBC News Now is averaging close to 50 million viewers and 20 million hours watch per month, according to NBC News, part of Comcast’s NBCUniversal unit.

NBC News Now is available as a channel on Peacock, Fubo, Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Tubi, Xumo, YouTube, YouTube TV and NBC News’ apps on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV. ■

Hallie Jackson, the MSNBC anchor and NBC News senior Washington correspondent, will be the host of her own daily show streaming on NBC News Now starting Nov. 15.

Appearing at 5 p.m. ET., Monday through Friday, Hallie Jackson Now will kick off the streaming network’s evening programming with new reporting about how national, culture, technology and business stories affect viewers outside the Washington beltway.

The one-hour newscast moves into part of anchor Alison Morris' current 4 to 6 p.m. timeslot. Morris' show will shift to stream from 3 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.

Also: CNN Sets Launch of New Streaming Service in Q1 ‘22

“It’s the news for people who love the news. That’s our goal,” said Jackson. “I’m a reporter at my core and we’re especially excited to showcase the incredible work that my friends and colleagues across the network are doing, and to pull back the curtain to show our audience what it’s really like to bring these stories to life.”

Hallie Jackson Now will also feature regular segments, including The Original – lengthier stories from Jackson and her fellow anchors and correspondents – and The Backstory – a behind-the-scenes look with NBC News reporters at what it takes to get stories ready for air. 

Jill Billante is the executive producer of Hallie Jackson Now. Janelle Rodriguez is the senior VP of editorial for NBC News and executive-in-charge of NBC News Now.

The launch of Hallie Jackson Now is the newest addition to the streaming service’s slate of programming, which includes Top Story with Tom Llamas, Morning News Now with Joe Fryer and Savannah Sellers, NBC News Now Live with Aaron Gilchrist and Morgan Radford, NBC News Now Live with Alison Morris and Chuck Todd’s weekly show Meet The Press Reports.

Also: Xumo Adds NBC News Now to Streaming Lineup

Since launching in 2019, NBC News Now has grown to an average of nearly 60 million views and 20 million hours watched each month. It is available on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, as well as on The Roku Channel, YouTube TV, YouTube, Fubo, Xumo, Pluto, Tubi and NBC News’ apps on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV. 

NBCU News Group said it will be hiring 200 new digital and streaming staffers over the next few months and that new live hours of programming will be added to NBC News Now.

The company said it will begin distributing NBC News Now international later this year.

Read Also: CNN Sets Launch of New Streaming Service in Q1 ‘22

NBC News Now’s new streaming schedule will include a daily primetime news program anchored by senior national correspondent Tom Llamas, a daily evening show and weekly special newsmagazine series hosted by senior Washington correspondent and anchor Hallie Jackson and an evening news analysis and explainer program hosted by Joshua Johnson.

Llamas returned to NBC News earlier this year after a stint at ABC News.

The company said NBC New Now will continue to expand its weekday live programming throughout the fall and add to its weekend live original programming beginning in the first quarter of 2022.

“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 additional 200 jobs come on top of 70 staffers hired recently as the network continues to expand.

In addition to NBC News Now, NBC News has streaming channels on Peacock. One is Today All Day, the other is The Choice from MSNBC.

NBC News Now is available as a channel on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, as well as on The Roku Channel, YouTube TV, YouTube, Fubo, Xumo, Pluto, Tubi and on NBCNews.com and the NBC News’ OTT apps on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.

Streaming service NBC News Now has slated a special on the coronavirus outbreak for Wednesday, March 11, at 8 p.m. ET.

The special will be hosted by NBC News medical correspondent Dr. John Torres along with medical experts and business correspondents to answer viewer questions about the spread of the virus and how to guard against it.

NBC News Now is available at nbcnews.com/now, on the NBC News mobile app, and via OTT apps on Apple TV, Roku TV and Amazon Fire TV, among others.

Complete Coverage: How Novel Coronavirus Is Impacting the Global Media-Tech Events Business

Xumo said it has added the NBC News Now channel to its streaming lineup.

Live content is becoming increasingly attractive to streaming video providers as more viewers cut the cord with traditional pay TV.

NBC News Now, launched last May, offers in-depth reporting and storytelling in addition to live and breaking stories from NBC News resources around the world.

Xumo added ABC News Live to its lineup in November.

NBC News Now is available via Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and Pluto TV and on iOS and Android streaming devices.

Xumo streams more than 180 digital channels of free programming across 12 genres, including news, sports, kids and family entertainment and movies. It also offers movies and episodes of series on demand.

NBCUniversal has announced a series of production staff hirings for NBC News Now, as it staffs up its free-to-consumer, ad-supported streaming news service ahead of its expansion to a 24/7 format next year.

NBCUniversal’s free-to-consumer, ad-supported streaming news service launched in June with eight hours of live-streamed programming each weekday. It’s competing with the previously launched free live-streaming platforms of NBC’s traditional rivals—CBS Corp.’s CBSN, which has been in the market since 2014, and ABC News Live, which launched in 2018.

NBC said its platform has seen in excess of 27% monthly audience growth since launch and that users are averaging 63 minutes of view time per session on Amazon Fire TV.

As for the staffing moves, Janelle Rodriguez, senior VP of editorial, NBC News, has added eight new members to the NBC News Now production team, including four associate producers and five production assistants.

Associate producer additions include: Kelsey Barberio, who previously served as a researcher on NBC’s 3rd Hour of Today; Kayla Johnson, a two-year NBC News veteran who moves up from graphics production assistant; Erin Kutch, most recently an associate producer on MSNBC Weekends with Alex Witt; and Alexandra Turcios-Cruz, who had been working as a production assistant and researcher for NBC News Now.

Production assistant additions include Denise Cervantes, Zachary Devita, Sam Siegel and Alexander Tabet and Vruti Venkatesan.

NBCUniversal has announced a series of production staff hirings for NBC News Now, as it staffs up its free-to-consumer, ad-supported streaming news service ahead of its expansion to a 24/7 format next year. 

NBCUniversal’s free-to-consumer, ad-supported streaming news service launched in June with eight hours of live-streamed programming each weekday. It’s competing with the previously launched free live-streaming platforms of NBC’s traditional rivals—CBS Corp.’s CBSN, which has been in the market since 2014, and ABC News Live, which launched in 2018.

NBC said its platform has seen in excess of 27% monthly audience growth since launch and that users are averaging 63 minutes of view time per session on NBC News Now’s top OTT platform for engagement, Amazon Fire TV. 

As for the staffing moves, Janelle Rodriguez, senior VP of editorial, NBC News, has added eight new members to the NBC News Now production team, including four associate producers and five production assistants. 

Associate producer additions include: Kelsey Barberio, who previously served as a researcher on NBC’s 3rd Hour of Today; Kayla Johnson, a two-year NBC News veteran who moves up from graphics production assistant; Erin Kutch, most recently an associate producer on MSNBC Weekends with Alex Witt; and Alexandra Turcios-Cruz, who had been working as a production assistant and researcher for NBC News Now.

Production assistant additions include Denise Cervantes, Zachary Devita, Sam Siegel and Alexander Tabet and Vruti Venkatesan.