BBC plans full slate of U.S. election coverage

The BBC is planning extensive overnight programming tracking the results of the 2024 U.S. election broadcast from Washington, D.C.

Anchored by U.S. Chief Presenters Caitríona Perry and Sumi Somaskanda, viewers will be kept up to date as election results for a variety of races come in.

“People across the world turn to BBC News for trusted, impartial news that rises above polarized politics. The results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election will have a huge impact on all of us, and BBC News will be there to deliver the most comprehensive reporting with breaking news, insight and analysis across our platforms,” said Deborah Turness, CEO of BBC News, in a statement.

“An unbeatable team of BBC News presenters in Washington, D.C., will be guiding us through the results night, with help from our expert correspondents on the ground in every key battleground state, and across the world. We’ll be providing audiences with up-to-minute results, analysis and reactions, debunking disinformation and providing election coverage like only the BBC can.”

Caitríona and Sumi will be joined in the studio by BBC U.S. special correspondent Katty Kay, who will be providing extra insight and discussing the unfolding events; BBC News presenter Christian Fraser, who will be analyzing the results with the special BBC U.S. Election graphics touchscreen; and the BBC’s Social Media Investigations Correspondent Marianna Spring, who will be analyzing what is unfolding on social media.

Clive Myrie will host the “News at Ten” from Washington D.C., outside the White House, before joining the results show and reporting from the White House for the first hours of the night.

From 6 a.m. U.K. time, “BBC Breakfast” will join forces with the results program with Jon Kay joining Sumi and Caitríona in the studio.

Throughout the night North America Editor Sarah Smith and Senior North America correspondent Gary O’Donoghue will be with the presidential candidates at their election headquarters to bring the latest mood and view from the parties as the results come in.

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The BBC’s unbeatable team of U.S. correspondents will be with voters across the country in key battleground states — Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada. These states are where the election will likely be won or lost, with polling showing very little between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s support. BBC correspondents on the ground will be speaking with voters to gauge the sense of mood and direction in each of these states as the night progresses.

BBC correspondents from around the world will add additional context about how the U.S. political scene will affect other world events and communities, including Lyse Doucet in Jerusalem, Steve Rosenberg in Russia, James Waterhouse in Ukraine and Laura Bicker in China.

The team in the Washington studio will be joined by a lineup of expert guests, including US governors, members of Congress, campaign officials and commentators for exclusive interviews and in-depth conversations.

The BBC Verify U.S. team will be based in the bureau and will be fact-checking and adding context to claims that emerge through the night.

The results program will start at 10:45 p.m. U.K. time (5:45 p.m. eastern) on Nov. 5, 2024, on BBC One, the News Channel and iPlayer and run through to 9 a.m. U.K. time (4 a.m. eastern) on Nov. 6, 2024. 

BBC audiences around the world will be able to follow up-to-the minute reporting on the  BBC News website and app, with all the latest news, results and analysis from our correspondents across the country.

Live pages and video streams will be at the heart of the coverage, with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher guiding audiences through the night. He will also be providing insight and analysis in the BBC’s flagship U.S. politics newsletter, U.S. Election Unspun.

Full results will be available as the votes are counted, and news alerts will keep audiences updated on the biggest news throughout the night.

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

BBC News at One will come from Washington D.C., all week, presented by Jon Kay, and there will be continued coverage and analysis across BBC News platforms as the results and political landscape becomes clear.