NBC News To Launch First Direct-to-Consumer Digital Subscription

NBC News is preparing to debut its inaugural direct-to-consumer digital subscription product in the coming days, marking a pivotal shift toward paid premium news offerings amid intensifying competition in the streaming landscape, NBCUniversal News Group Chief Digital Officer Chris Berend told Axios exclusively on Tuesday. 

The mobile-first service, unnamed at launch, will provide subscribers with exclusive access to ad-free, high-quality video content, including short- and long-form journalism, original programming, and on-demand episodes from flagship shows like Meet the Press, Today, Nightly News, and Dateline, alongside NBC News' full podcast library.

Chris Berend

Berend described the initiative as a "natural evolution" for NBC News, emphasizing its focus on "premium journalistic video" to cater to younger, mobile-savvy audiences who consume news on the go. 

Priced at an introductory $4.99 per month or $49.99 annually (with a seven-day free trial), the subscription aims to complement existing free ad-supported streams like NBC News Now and Today All Day, rather than replace them. It will feature around two dozen live streams in English and Spanish, covering lifestyle, true crime, international affairs, and breaking news, with enhanced personalization through AI-driven recommendations.

The rollout follows months of internal development and aligns with broader industry trends, as traditional broadcasters grapple with cord-cutting and declining linear TV viewership. NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde first teased the service, targeting a Q4 launch to capitalize on holiday season engagement. 

Berend noted that early testing showed strong interest from 25- to 44-year-olds, a demographic underserved by legacy cable bundles. "This isn't just about monetizing content—it's about deepening our relationship with viewers who value trusted, in-depth reporting without the clutter," Berend said.

NBC News' move comes on the heels of CNN's October 2025 launch of its $6.99/month CNN All Access streaming tier, which has already surpassed 500,000 subscribers by offering device-agnostic access to live programming and archives. Unlike CNN's broader overhaul, NBC's product emphasizes video-first innovation, building on the success of its free streams, which logged over 20 million viewing hours monthly in 2025. 

The subscription launch reflects NBCUniversal's strategic pivot as parent Comcast completes a 2025 spinoff of its cable assets, freeing resources for direct-to-consumer models. While free content remains core to NBC's mission, Berend stressed that the paid tier addresses "subscription fatigue" by offering niche value—such as exclusive investigative series and live global briefings—without paywalls on breaking news. Analysts predict it could add $50 million in annual revenue within two years, bolstering NBC's position against rivals like The New York Times' $1 billion digital empire.

This initiative also spotlights broader media challenges: With U.S. digital news subscriptions plateauing at 25 million in 2025 per Pew Research, outlets like NBC are blending free access with premium upsells to sustain journalism amid ad revenue dips of 15% year-over-year. For NBC, success hinges on converting its 50 million monthly unique digital visitors into loyal payers, a bet Berend frames as essential for "future-proofing trusted news in a fragmented world."