CBS, BBC Form Partnership to Bolster Global News Reporting

CBS News and BBC News have entered into a partnership to share video, articles and other newsgathering resources to enhance their reporting capabilities around the world.

The new deal, announced Thursday, ends similar longstanding relationships that CBS had with Sky PLC's Sky News and that Walt Disney Co.'s ABC News had with the BBC, which had spanned more than two decades.

"The opportunity to partner with one of the world's largest news organizations was too compelling not to make this change," CBS News President David Rhodes wrote in an internal memo to staff.

The arrangement between the units of CBS Corp. and British Broadcasting Corp. will help both expand their global footprints and increase coverage of world events. CBS News and BBC News will have access to each other's global and domestic news across all platforms, including television, radio and digital, as well as access to each other's correspondents as needed.

"There's never been a more important time for smart, courageous coverage of what's happening in the world," said James Harding, BBC director of news and current affairs, in a statement.

The news organizations will begin coordinating their resources and coverage plans immediately, Mr. Rhodes wrote.

According to a memo sent to BBC News staff, the deal came together after CBS and the British broadcaster worked together in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election. "It became clear they could offer unrivalled logistical support to our teams in the field," according to the memo.

The companies are also discussing sharing international facilities in the years ahead.

Write to Austen Hufford at austen.hufford@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 13, 2017 12:02 ET (16:02 GMT)