MS NOW election night coverage starts at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with Rachel Maddow leading a special branded “We The People.” It is the network’s first midterm night since it split from NBC News and renamed itself from MSNBC. Below are the start times for US and European viewers, who is on air, and every official way to watch, including a few free streams.
Key facts (as of November 2026)
- MS NOW’s election night special begins at 6 p.m. ET on November 3, 2026, which is 11 p.m. in London and midnight in Paris and Berlin.
- Rachel Maddow anchors, and Ali Velshi runs the Big Board; a second team takes over at 2 a.m. ET.
- A members’ Q&A stream and Velshi’s Big Board livestream can be watched free on MS NOW’s website, app and YouTube channel.
What time does MS NOW election night coverage start?
Primetime coverage begins at 6 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 3, according to both NewscastStudio and TV Insider. Daytime shows run as special election editions before that, starting with “Way Too Early” and “Morning Joe” in the morning and finishing with “Deadline: White House” in the afternoon.
US daylight saving time ended on November 1, so Eastern Time is now five hours behind London. That makes the time conversion simple for viewers in Europe.
| What | ET (Nov 3–4) | UK/Ireland (GMT) | Central Europe (CET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime “We The People” coverage begins | 6 p.m. Tue | 11 p.m. Tue | Midnight Wed |
| Members Lounge Q&A stream begins | 8 p.m. Tue | 1 a.m. Wed | 2 a.m. Wed |
| Overnight team takes over | 2 a.m. Wed | 7 a.m. Wed | 8 a.m. Wed |
| Midday results coverage (Menendez and Alexander) | 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Wed | 4–7 p.m. Wed | 5–8 p.m. Wed |
For a state-by-state list of when polls close, see our guide to poll closing times on election night.
Who anchors MS NOW election night?
Rachel Maddow anchors the primetime broadcast. She is joined at the desk by Nicolle Wallace, Chris Hayes, Jen Psaki, Lawrence O’Donnell, Michael Steele, Symone Sanders Townsend, Ari Melber, Peter Alexander and Stephanie Ruhle.
Ali Velshi handles the numbers at the Big Board all night, tracking House and Senate races as ballots are counted. Ali Vitali joins the Big Board team in the early hours of November 4. Then, at 2 a.m. ET, Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels and Jackie Alemany take over the anchor chairs.
On Wednesday morning, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist and Jonathan Lemire host a special “Morning Joe” on what the results mean for control of Congress. Later, Alicia Menendez returns from Texas to co-anchor with Alexander from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.
Where are MS NOW’s reporters?
The network is sending reporters to 10 states with close races, NewscastStudio reports. They include Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Maine, Michigan, Texas, Iowa, Arizona, Kansas and Alaska. Menendez anchors her show “On the Line” from Houston, and new chief White House reporter Paula Reid covers the administration’s reaction.
How to watch MS NOW election night
You have three kinds of official options: a TV or live TV streaming plan, MS NOW’s own membership, and the free digital streams. Here is how they compare.
| Option | What you see | Cost (as of November 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Cable or satellite with MS NOW | Full TV coverage | Part of your TV plan |
| DIRECTV MyNews genre pack | Full TV coverage plus CNN and Fox News | $44.99 a month after a 5-day free trial |
| Hulu + Live TV | Full TV coverage in a large channel bundle | $99.99 a month (with Disney+ and ESPN) |
| MS NOW Membership | 24/7 live stream of the channel on the website and mobile app | $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year, as announced |
| MS NOW website, app, YouTube and TikTok | Members Lounge Q&A and VelshiCast streams, live results | Free |
DIRECTV satellite customers also get a temporary multi-screen channel. Its Election HQ channel shows MS NOW, CNN, Fox News and Newsmax side by side from November 2 to 4; our DIRECTV Election HQ guide has the channel numbers.
Can you watch MS NOW election night for free?
Partly. MS NOW says its three-hour “Members Lounge: Election Night Live Q&A” starts at 8 p.m. ET and streams to all viewers on its website, app, YouTube channel and TikTok. Stephanie Ruhle, Eugene Daniels, Katy Tur and Luke Russert host it from the network’s green room. Only paying members can send in questions, however.
“VelshiCast,” a behind-the-scenes stream of Velshi at the Big Board, also runs on MS NOW’s YouTube channel. In addition, the network’s live results pages and election blog drop their paywall on November 3 and 4. The main TV broadcast itself still needs a TV plan or a membership.
What is the MS NOW Membership?
MS NOW Membership is the network’s first direct-to-consumer subscription, launched in September 2026. TheWrap reported a price of $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year, and Cord Cutters News reported that it streams the full channel without a pay-TV package. At launch it worked on the website and mobile apps, not on Roku or Fire TV, so check the MS NOW app store listing for your device first.
Coming soon: the NewsLive streaming app. We’re building one subscription for live international news on Android, Roku, Fire TV and desktop. The service is under development. See what the NewsLive app will offer and join the early-access list.
Watching MS NOW election night from the UK or Europe
MS NOW is a US channel, and none of the sources we checked say its membership is sold outside the US. So the free YouTube streams are the most likely way to follow the network from Europe. Availability of individual videos can still vary by country.
If you want full overnight TV coverage in Europe, BBC News starts its own election night program at 6:30 p.m. ET (11:30 p.m. GMT), TV Insider reports. Our BBC News live stream guide explains how to watch it in each country.
How MS NOW compares with other networks on election night
Every major network has its own plan, and start times differ. CNN begins at 4 p.m. ET, while Fox News and MS NOW both begin primetime coverage at 6 p.m. ET. NBC starts at 5 p.m. ET on broadcast TV and Peacock.
If you like to switch channels during the night, our guides to CNN’s election night plan and Fox News election night list their anchors and streams. For year-round viewing, the MS NOW live stream guide covers devices and providers in more depth, and our streaming news section tracks changes as they happen.
Frequently asked questions
When does MS NOW election night coverage begin?
It begins at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. That is 11 p.m. in the UK and Ireland and midnight in most of Central Europe.
Is MS NOW the same as MSNBC?
Yes. MSNBC became MS NOW after its owner split it off from NBC News. It is now part of Versant Media, so 2026 is its first midterm without NBC News.
Does MS NOW stream election night on YouTube?
Two streams are on YouTube for free: the Members Lounge Q&A from 8 p.m. ET and VelshiCast from the Big Board. The main TV broadcast needs a TV plan or an MS NOW Membership.
Sources
- NewscastStudio: Rachel Maddow to lead MS NOW’s 2026 midterm election coverage (October 30, 2026)
- TV Insider: Election Night 2026, how to watch the midterm results live (October 30, 2026)
- The Desk: free news coverage of the 2026 midterms on election night
- TheWrap: MS NOW reveals price and launch date of its membership (August 19, 2026)
- DIRECTV: MyNews genre pack
- Hulu: Live TV plans
