OCTOBER 30, 2024 – WASHINGTON D.C. – The BBC announced today its coverage plans of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Day, deepening its expanded commitment to the U.S. and providing international audiences with trusted journalism that cuts through the partisan noise. Fronted out of its Washington D.C. bureau for the first time, the BBC News channel will provide viewers with live, wall-to-wall coverage beginning at 5:40 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 5th.  

Chief presenters Caitríona Perry and Sumi Somaskanda will guide audiences through all the twists and turns with a lineup of exclusive expert guests from both sides of the aisle, including sitting U.S. governors, members of Congress, campaign officials and commentators. 

BBC U.S. special correspondent Katty Kay will join Perry and Somaskanda in studio to provide additional insight and context, while BBC chief presenter Christian Fraser will analyze the results as the polls close across the country with the special BBC U.S. Election graphics touchscreen. 

Sarah Smith, North America editor, and Gary O’Donoghue, senior North America correspondent, will be at Trump and Harris’ election headquarters to share reaction as results roll in. Additionally, BBC correspondents will be with voters across the country in key battleground states Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada to gauge the mood as the night progresses. 

BBC Verify’s dedicated U.S. team will be in Washington D.C. to provide real-time fact checking and context, including live social media analysis from Marianna Spring, BBC’s social media investigations correspondent. 

The BBC News channel will also feature live reports from around the world with Lyse Doucet in Jerusalem, Steve Rosenberg in Russia, James Waterhouse in Ukraine and Laura Bicker in China, as they bring viewers the global perspective on the geopolitical ramifications of the election.  

Special coverage on the BBC News channel will roll through the night into the early morning hours, from 5:40 p.m. – 4 a.m. EST, ensuring audiences around the globe are kept up to date with the latest from Washington D.C. The BBC News channel is available in the U.S. on cable TV and is accessible as a 24-7 livestream on BBC.com and the app and across major FAST/CTV platforms.   

Follow the BBC’s U.S. Election 2024 Coverage on Digital 

On BBC.com and the BBC app, audiences will find constantly updating live pages with up-to-the-minute reporting and analysis from BBC reporters in Washington D.C. and key battleground states on the U.S. Election Hub. Full results will be posted as they come in and audiences will be able to follow along with our live BBC News channel coverage available as a 24-7 livestream. Additionally, BBC app users will receive News alerts for key moments and results as the night goes on.  

Anthony Zurcher, BBC’s North America correspondent, will lead the digital coverage out of D.C., guiding audiences through the night. As editor of U.S. Election Unspun, BBC’s weekly newsletter on U.S. politics, Zurcher will provide readers with special editions on Monday, November 4th and the morning of Wednesday, November 6th. 

Listeners can follow the story on BBC podcasts, Americast, Global News Podcast and The Global Story with special episodes dedicated to election night and the days that follow. BBC podcasts are available across all major podcast platforms.  

BBC News will also provide the latest updates on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube and on the BBC News US WhatsApp channel.  

As part of its expansion in North America, the BBC re-launched its website and mobile app to make it easier for global audiences outside of the U.K. to discover the best of the BBC’s global journalism and storytelling. The BBC News channel, which has invested to deliver more hours of U.S. primetime programming with a refreshed line-up out of its Washington D.C. hub, has more than doubled its reach following the launch of the BBC News FAST channel, a 24-7 live feed available on a variety of leading CTV/FAST platforms.  

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