BNO News

BNO News is an international news agency headquartered in Tilburg, the Netherlands. Founded by Dutch journalist and entrepreneur Michael van Poppel in May 2007, the organization developed from a social-media-first breaking-news operation into a provider of subscription news-wire services for broadcasters, publishers, websites, and other media organizations. The company initially operated under the name BreakingNewsOn and became widely known through its Twitter-based service, later branded BreakingNews. Its early model emphasized rapid publication of developing stories, including political events, natural disasters, terrorism-related developments, and other incidents where speed was valuable to audiences and professional newsrooms. The service was maintained by journalists based in several countries, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, and the United States. During 2009, its audience expanded sharply, rising from approximately 16,000 followers to more than 1.5 million in fewer than eleven months. This growth made the account one of the most prominent news services on Twitter at the time and demonstrated the ability of social platforms to distribute breaking news before traditional outlets had completed full reports. BNO News also attracted attention through exclusive or hard-to-obtain material. In September 2007, it obtained an authentic videotape featuring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and licensed the footage to Reuters. In February 2009, the service received the Best in News award at the first Shorty Awards in New York, reflecting its early prominence in social-media journalism. On December 1, 2009, NBC News acquired the BreakingNews Twitter account. The transaction separated the highly visible social-media account from BNO News's subsequent wire-service strategy. BNO News announced plans to provide a subscription-based news service to other news outlets, particularly in the United States. That service launched in late January 2010 and supplied coverage to NBC News as well as other organizations. BNO News later expanded its client base internationally; Island Crisis News, a Mauritius-based news website, announced in May 2010 that it had become a BNO News client, described as the agency's first client from Africa. After its original Twitter presence was acquired, BNO News re-established a broader public-facing social-media presence in June 2015 through a website carrying some of its content. The organization subsequently became particularly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, it operated BNO Newsroom on Twitter for live pandemic updates and maintained a coronavirus tracker that received more than 71 million visits during the early months of the crisis. In August of that year, it also created a database covering confirmed and suspected COVID-19 reinfection cases. The database was used by researchers and government officials, including health ministries in Spain and Brazil. BNO News's principal positioning is as a fast, digitally distributed news agency serving both professional media clients and public audiences. Its history combines real-time social publishing, licensing of distinctive news material, direct news-wire subscriptions, and specialized data products. Publicly available reference material does not establish a current ownership structure, corporate parent, executive roster beyond its founder, or detailed financial information.

BNO News was founded in May 2007 by Michael van Poppel in the Netherlands. Its original identity was closely associated with BreakingNewsOn, a Twitter-based breaking-news service that later became known as BreakingNews. The operation used social media as a primary distribution channel at a time when many established news organizations were still treating platforms such as Twitter mainly as promotional outlets. BNO News instead presented the account as a continuous stream of developing news, covering politics, disasters, terrorism-related events, and other urgent stories. The agency's early work was international in both subject matter and staffing. Journalists from the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, and the United States contributed to the service, allowing it to monitor and publish developments across multiple time zones. Its speed and consistent output helped it build a substantial following. During 2009, the account reportedly grew from 16,000 followers to more than 1.5 million in fewer than eleven months. That expansion made it one of Twitter's most prominent news services and gave BNO News influence disproportionate to its size compared with traditional wire organizations. BNO News also demonstrated an ability to source material that could be valuable to larger news companies. On September 7, 2007, it obtained an authentic videotape featuring Osama bin Laden and licensed the material to Reuters. The organization later received the Best in News award at the first Shorty Awards in February 2009. These developments reinforced its reputation as an innovative social-media news operation rather than simply a conventional local publisher. A major change came on December 1, 2009, when NBC News acquired the BreakingNews Twitter account. The acquisition transferred control of the account that had generated much of BNO News's public visibility. Rather than ending the company, the transaction accompanied a shift toward a professional subscription model. BNO News announced that it would offer a news-wire service to other media outlets, especially organizations in the United States. The subscription service launched in late January 2010 and provided coverage to NBC News and additional news organizations. In May of that year, Mauritius-based Island Crisis News announced that it had become a client, identified in available reference material as BNO News's first client from Africa. BNO News later rebuilt a public presence. In June 2015, it launched a website carrying some of its reporting and re-established social-media activity. This period combined the agency's earlier public-facing breaking-news identity with its continuing role as a supplier to media organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic became another important phase in the company's development. In 2020, BNO News used the BNO Newsroom Twitter account to provide live pandemic coverage. It also published a coronavirus tracker, which received more than 71 million visits in the early months of the crisis. In August 2020, the organization created a database recording confirmed and suspected COVID-19 reinfections. Researchers and government officials, including health ministries in Spain and Brazil, used the database as an information resource. Across these stages, BNO News evolved from a high-growth Twitter news account into a hybrid agency combining real-time public updates, subscription news-wire services, licensed media, and data-oriented crisis coverage. Available reference material does not provide a verified current ownership structure, detailed corporate financials, or a complete list of current executives.

1. 2020Pandemic information products expand

   BNO News operated BNO Newsroom, published a widely visited COVID-19 tracker, and created a reinfection database.

   Source
2. 2015Public website and social presence return

   BNO News launched a website carrying some of its content and renewed its public social-media presence.

   Source
3. 2010Subscription wire service launches

   BNO News launched its subscription-based news-wire operation in late January.

   Source
4. 2009BreakingNews audience expands rapidly

   The service grew from 16,000 to more than 1.5 million Twitter followers in fewer than eleven months.

   Source
5. 2009BNO News wins a Shorty Award

   BNO News won the Best in News award at the first Shorty Awards.

   Source
6. 2009NBC News acquires the BreakingNews account

   NBC News acquired the prominent BreakingNews Twitter account on December 1.

   Source
7. 2007BNO News is founded

   Michael van Poppel founded BNO News in the Netherlands in May 2007.

   Source
8. 2007Bin Laden videotape is licensed to Reuters

   BNO News obtained an authentic videotape featuring Osama bin Laden and licensed it to Reuters.

   Source

A fast-moving digital news agency focused on breaking-news distribution, professional media clients, social-media publishing, and specialized crisis information.

• BNO News wire serviceNews agency subscription2010

  A subscription-based news-wire service launched in early 2010 after the sale of the BreakingNews Twitter account. It supplies breaking-news coverage to media organizations, including NBC News and other outlets, with an emphasis on timely reports suitable for newsroom use.

• BreakingNewsOn / BreakingNewsSocial-media news service2007

  BNO News's original Twitter-centered breaking-news service. It grew rapidly in 2009 and became one of the most followed news services on Twitter before NBC News acquired the account on December 1, 2009.

• BNO NewsroomLive digital news coverage2020

  A Twitter-based live-news channel used by BNO News during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It provided continuously updated information about the evolving public-health crisis for a general audience.

• Coronavirus trackerNews data product2020

  A BNO News information tracker covering the COVID-19 pandemic. The tracker attracted more than 71 million visits during the early months of the pandemic, according to the cited reference material.

• COVID-19 reinfection databaseSpecialized news database2020

  A database created in August 2020 to record confirmed and suspected COVID-19 reinfection cases. It was used by researchers and government officials, including health ministries in Spain and Brazil.

• 2020Expansion into pandemic tracking and reinfection dataProduct launch

  The COVID-19 pandemic created strong demand for rapidly updated case information and specialized reporting.

  What changed. BNO News operated BNO Newsroom, launched a coronavirus tracker, and created a database of confirmed and suspected reinfections.

  Aftermath. The tracker attracted more than 71 million visits in the early months of the pandemic, while the reinfection database was used by researchers and government officials.

  Source
• 2015Re-establishment of a public digital presenceStrategy

  After the prominent BreakingNews account had been acquired by NBC News, BNO News needed a renewed public-facing distribution channel.

  What changed. The company launched a website featuring some of its content and re-established a social-media presence in June 2015.

  Aftermath. BNO News resumed direct public distribution while continuing its broader news-agency activities.

  Source
• 2010Launch of subscription news-wire serviceProduct launch

  Following the transfer of the BreakingNews account, BNO News announced plans to serve media companies directly through a paid news-wire product.

  What changed. The subscription-based service launched in late January 2010 and supplied coverage to NBC News and other news organizations.

  Aftermath. The launch established BNO News as a business-to-business news agency as well as a public breaking-news brand.

  Source
• 2009Sale of the BreakingNews Twitter account to NBC NewsM&A

  The BreakingNews account had become BNO News's most visible public asset after rapid audience growth on Twitter.

  What changed. NBC News acquired the account on December 1, 2009. BNO News subsequently pursued a separate subscription news-wire strategy.

  Aftermath. The transaction marked a transition from a primarily social-media-driven public service toward a professional wire provider serving NBC News and other media organizations.

  Source

• 2020BNO News launches COVID-19 live coverage and tracker

  During the COVID-19 pandemic, BNO News operated BNO Newsroom for live updates and created a coronavirus tracker that received more than 71 million visits during the early months of the crisis.

  Product launchOther
  Source
• 2020BNO News creates COVID-19 reinfection database

  BNO News established a database of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 reinfection cases. The resource was used by researchers and government officials, including health ministries in Spain and Brazil.

  Product launchOther
  Source
• 2015BNO News re-establishes a public social-media presence

  BNO News launched a website featuring some of its content and renewed its public-facing social-media activity.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2010BNO News launches subscription news-wire service

  BNO News launched a subscription-based service supplying breaking-news coverage to NBC News and other news organizations.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2010Island Crisis News becomes a BNO News client

  Mauritius-based Island Crisis News announced that it had become a BNO News client, described as the agency's first client from Africa.

  Other
  Source
• 2009BNO News wins Best in News at the Shorty Awards

  BNO News received the Best in News award at the first Shorty Awards in New York, recognizing its social-media news operation.

  Other
  Source
• 2009NBC News acquires the BreakingNews Twitter account

  NBC News acquired BNO News's widely followed BreakingNews account. BNO News then redirected its strategy toward a subscription news-wire service for media organizations.

  M&A
  Source
• 2007BNO News obtains and licenses Osama bin Laden videotape

  BNO News obtained an authentic videotape featuring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and licensed it to Reuters.

  Other
  Source

1. BNO News
2. BNO News official website