NBC Played 35,000 Graphics on Election Night — Executives Explain How

NBC News ran more than 35,000 graphics across its broadcast zones and platforms on election night, when 31 million viewers tuned in across 13 networks. Marc Greenstein, NBC News' evp of creative, innovation and field production, says the volume reflected a plan that unified broadcast, streaming and digital under one editorial and visual approach while tailoring each feed to its audience.

TVNewser gathered Greenstein, CNN's svp of Washington and special events programming Abigail Crutchfield, and NewsNation political director Chris Stirewalt for a post-election conversation. NBC finished No. 1 in primetime among total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo. CNN was the most-watched cable news network in that demo. NewsNation, working with Decision Desk HQ, was the first outlet to call both the House and the Senate for the Democrats.

What does this change for newsroom production teams?

For practitioners, the clearest signal is that a single studio can now serve multiple distinct broadcasts at once. Greenstein described the mechanics: Steve Kornacki contributed to the linear broadcast while simultaneously hosting his own dedicated streaming feed from the same studio as Savannah Guthrie and Tom Llamas.

"This allowed us to produce two distinct broadcasts just feet apart, each tailored to its audience, without losing the editorial connection between our talent," Greenstein said.

The enabler was AI audio technology with limited rehearsal time. "We had limited time to rehearse with the technology, so there were certainly some nerves heading into the night. But it performed remarkably well and allowed us to pull off something we had never done before," Greenstein said. NBC also launched a dedicated vertical video feed on election night, extending reach without adding separate production overhead.

How did scenario planning pay off?

All three executives stressed preparation for multiple outcomes. NBC deployed correspondents to nearly every battleground state, covering voting developments and candidate headquarters to feed firsthand reporting into the broadcast through the night.

The plan mattered most when the Senate call came early. "The biggest surprise was how quickly we were able to call control of the Senate," Greenstein said, noting NBC was prepared to stay on air across the broadcast network, NBC News Now and Kornacki Cam. Crutchfield agreed on pace: "We always plan for every scenario, but this Tuesday we got answers from the voters quickly."

Stirewalt's surprise cut the other way. "How much work I wasted preparing for close elections in so many places," he said. By roughly 8:30 p.m. ET, the story had shifted from tight battleground contests to deep dives on places like Mississippi.

What role did data desks and sets play?

Stirewalt credited Decision Desk HQ for NewsNation's speed. "You can't beat the cards. We had such an advantage by having Decision Desk HQ on our side," he said, adding that the outlet worked to bring viewers inside the calling process and that "the advantage of being so far ahead of the competition was just amazing."

At CNN, physical design drove flexibility. Director Reza Baktar built a set that Crutchfield said gave the team "more mobility than ever" and instant access to any data set. John King analyzed results at the magic wall, carried a mini magic wall to the analyst tables, and used a new vertical magic wall that Crutchfield said opened new storytelling options.

What sustained the teams through the night?

The answers ran from coffee and Diet Coke to hot tea and a big bag of gummy bears. Greenstein, directing for the first time since Election Night 2024, credited adrenaline. Stirewalt needed nothing: "When the results started pouring in, I was so thrilled at how DDHQ and our team were doing that I was just high on life."

The takeaway for media marketers: multi-platform election production now hinges on shared studios, AI-assisted audio and vertical formats — capabilities these networks will carry into the next cycle.