According to a 2023 Axios report, trust in the media is at an all-time low. Making a reporting error on live TV with millions watching only compounds that sentiment.
This pivotal moment inspired NBC to rebuild journalistic truth — all grounded in data.
Enter NBC’s Big Board, reimagined to be the nation’s most advanced and reliable data-driven storytelling device. Launched in January 2024, it has equipped NBC’s on-air talent with a data-powered co-host capable of depicting the political landscape with unprecedented clarity and speed. More critically, The Big Board is restoring public confidence during a crucial moment in U.S. history.
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#1Most-viewed network following Election Night 2024 (Nielsen National Ratings)
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10MData points from 16 years of elections available during broadcast
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4Seconds to deliver real-time data from anywhere
Key Takeaways
Set a new standard in data processing and election coverage
Delivered error-free data that reinstilled trust in election reporting
Developed a flexible design system to scale across NBC’s broadcast and digital properties
Built technical infrastructure prioritizing advanced data modeling, system integration, and security safeguards
The Ultimate Data Storytelling Platform
NBC’s Big Board processes over 10 million data points from 16 years of electoral history, transforming complex data into clear, actionable insights live on air. The Big Board serves as both a co-host and a trusted source of truth, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Its impact has been tangible for NBC and its audience.
Truth by Design
The Big Board embodies NBC’s commitment to accuracy with its state-of-the-art technology. We leveraged AI to simulate millions of real-time election scenarios, built 8 unique apps from scratch—all managed in a single codebase—and dedicated thousands of hours to unifying complex mapping technology for broadcast TV distribution and digital.
The result is an experience without blemish in more than 5,000 broadcast hours.
“Misinformation can misinform millions. The Big Board protects against that. There’s real power in streamlined data that is fast, credible and visualized. It's building back trust when we need it most.”
A Co-Host and a Dance Partner — All in One
The Big Board is the perfect “dance partner” for hosts during election coverage. It was developed by researching how Steve Kornacki, the nation’s leading data analyst, interacted with data and behaved under stress. Today, the Big Board anticipates Kornacki’s needs as a presenter to better translate complex election data into an understandable, interactive visual spectacle as the news unfolds.
Fueling the Nation’s Need for Speed
Real-time election results from over 16,000 geographies in the U.S. concurrently — delivered in just 4 seconds. The Big Board has over 100FPS rendering power, making it the fastest on-air data-mapping tool in production today. Advanced caching strategies and system integrations enable swift data processing, instantaneously keeping viewers informed and engaged.
A Technical Framework Built for Speed and Scale
The Big Board infrastructure efficiently handles approximately 56 datasets for various elections since 2008, encompassing core race types like presidential, house, senate, and gubernatorial races, as well as additional race types such as Lt. Gov, Secretary of State, and Ballot Measures.
Its scalable architecture ensures customization across NBC’s top platforms in English and Spanish, including two networks (NBC and MSNBC), various TV shows (Today Show, Meet the Press, Telemundo, Morning Joe, The Rachel Maddow Show), NBC News Now’s YouTube channel and the “Kornacki Cam” YouTube stream.
It took nearly a year of trial and error to achieve zero errors.
A Legacy of Impact
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) launched on November 15, 1926, making it the oldest broadcasting network in the United States. Almost 100 years later, NBC News is breaking barriers, tapping into innovative technology and cutting-edge design to reimagine the Big Board and political coverage at large.
How we did it
Data Strategy
- Data Research
- Data Integration
- Data Modeling
- Data Visualization
Design
- Design Systems
- UI/UX
- Prototyping
- Visual Design
- Interaction Design
- Experience Design
Technology and Integrations
- Technical Architecture
- System Integration
- Security Safeguarding
- Artificial Intelligence
- Quality Assurance
- Storybook
- React
- X State
Multi-Platform Integration
- NBC: Today Show and Meet The Press
- MSNBC: Morning Joe, The Rachel Maddow Show
- Kornacki Cam (YouTube Stream)
- NBC News Now (YouTube Channel)