NBC News announced and began implementing layoffs affecting approximately 150 staffers, representing about 7-8% of its roughly 2,000-person news division workforce and around 2% of the broader NBCUniversal News Group.
These cuts were communicated during a brief 10 a.m. ET all-staff meeting led by NBC News executive Catherine Kim, who described it as a "difficult day" for many. The reductions are scattered across various teams and departments, rather than targeting specific units, though diversity-focused initiatives like NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, and NBC Latino were notably impacted.
This marks the second round of significant layoffs at NBC News this year, following about 40 cuts in January that also affected diverse audience teams.
The layoffs are directly tied to Comcast's ongoing spinoff of its cable networks into a new publicly traded entity called Versant, set to take effect soon. Currently, NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC operate under the NBCUniversal News Group umbrella, led by Chairman Cesar Conde. The Versant split will separate MSNBC and CNBC from NBC News, meaning NBC News will no longer provide shared newsgathering, reporting, and support services to these cable outlets.
This restructuring reflects broader industry pressures, including declining cable TV viewership due to cord-cutting, sagging ad revenues, and the shift toward streaming and digital platforms. MSNBC, in particular, is building its own independent newsroom and has been hiring talent from NBC News, The Washington Post, Politico, and elsewhere to fill gaps. CNBC's separation adds to the efficiency drives, as revenue from these cable arms will now fund Versant's operations independently.
Support for Affected Employees NBC News is providing a comprehensive support package to those impacted:
- 60 days' notice before departures.
- Severance pay.
- Outplacement services for job placement assistance. Additionally, not all affected roles will result in immediate exits. The company has about 140 open positions across its news operations, and laid-off staff are being encouraged to apply for them. Roughly a dozen of the eliminated jobs are being repurposed into new roles, with priority application access for those impacted
- NBC News' Strategic Shifts While trimming costs, NBC News emphasized reinvestment in growth areas. In a recent memo to staff, Conde highlighted:
✔Launch of a new subscription service later in 2025, building on successes like the daily podcast Here's the Scoop, offering premium news coverage and exclusive content.✔Expanded coverage in sports journalism, aligning with upcoming events like the NBA's return to NBC broadcasts and the 2026 Milan Olympics.
✔A new marketing campaign to bolster its reputation for "rigorous fact-based reporting" across platforms.
These moves aim to pivot toward digital and streaming revenue streams amid cable's decline. Both NBC News and MSNBC are exploring their own streaming services, with NBC News further along in development.