NBC’s 'Big Board’ won Gold in Technology Innovation at The Drum Awards for Marketing. This groundbreaking tool transformed Election 2024’s complex data into real-time, engaging narratives, setting a new benchmark for real-time data visualization in broadcast journalism.
Election 2024 marked NBC’s largest viewer audience in network history, surpassing rival CNN (Nielsen). At the center of this historic moment: Steve Kornacki—and the Big Board that made it possible.
Amid a chaotic landscape of misinformation, cyber threats, and escalating polarization, NBC sought to bring clarity and confidence back to election coverage. The challenge was a daunting one: turning a deluge of data into real-time, accurate, and engaging storytelling during the most consequential election in a generation. The complexity of electoral data demanded a solution that could deliver immediacy, trust, and clarity.
NBC's objective wasn’t just to present data swiftly and accurately, but also transform that data into compelling narratives that resonated with viewers across multiple platforms. That required seamless integration of advanced technology, intuitive design, and dynamic storytelling to deepen viewer engagement and reaffirm NBC's position as a trusted leader in political journalism.
In the whirlwind of Election Night 2024, NBC's Big Board emerged as the definitive tool for real-time electoral storytelling. It transformed vast, complex datasets into clear, engaging narratives in seconds. This fusion of advanced engineering, innovative technology, and dynamic storytelling not only delivered immediate election results but also provided essential context, fostering a deeper public understanding of the democratic process. The Big Board's innovative approach redefined election coverage, setting a new benchmark for real-time data visualization in broadcast journalism.
Recognizing the challenges of conveying complex electoral data to a diverse national audience, the Big Board was designed to prioritize speed, accuracy, and clarity—centered around an intuitive interface that allowed seamless navigation through massive datasets, enabling Kornacki to deliver fast-paced storytelling in real-time. By integrating AI to simulate millions of election scenarios and building eight unique applications managed within a single codebase, the Big Board was built to anticipate the dynamic needs of live election coverage. This result: timely, accurate information presented to viewers in an accessible and engaging format.
On November 5, 2024, as millions tuned in, the Big Board and Kornacki delivered more than results—they delivered clarity, confidence, and context. It transcended simple data visualization to become a cultural phenomenon, showcasing the intersection of cutting-edge technology, dynamic storytelling, and civic trust.
From processing over 10 million data points in under four seconds to enabling Kornacki’s seamless navigation through county-level trends and historical comparisons, the Big Board was designed to perform under pressure.
In a polarized election year, the board’s precision had an almost calming effect. As Kornacki navigated the shifting numbers live on air, the Big Board functioned as a national reassurance mechanism, showcasing democracy in action. Voters could see updates unfold in real-time, including nuanced breakdowns by geography and demographics. Even in moments of uncertainty, the experience conveyed control, transparency, and understanding.
The sheer volume and granularity of the data processed was staggering. Each click on the board activated over 10 million lines of data—sliced by region, voter turnout, historical trends, and demographic shifts. It wasn’t just about displaying numbers; it was about translating it into something the public could intuitively understand, regardless of their familiarity with electoral processes.
Behind its brilliant on-screen presence, the Big Board’s technological backbone was just as impressive. Built with WebSockets for instantaneous updates, TypeScript for robust type safety, and MapLibre to replace commercial dependencies with open-source precision, the system managed 1,100+ unique races across 9 production servers and 28 environments. Its AI-driven QA caught edge cases like tied races and missing data before they ever reached the air.
At its heart, the Big Board wasn’t just a technical achievement; it was a reimagining of how the public engages with democracy. It proved that when data, technology, and creativity converge, the results don’t just inform—they can inspire.
Sources: NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, Nielsen, Adweek
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