La diretta inizia ora.

La diretta is a noun phrase meaning the live broadcast, the live transmission, or the live stream, depending on context.

Even though diretta is also an adjective in other situations, here it is being used as a noun. In everyday Italian, people often say la diretta to refer to a live TV program, radio broadcast, online stream, or live coverage of an event.

A useful comparison:

• la diretta = the live broadcast / stream
• in diretta = live

So La diretta inizia ora is about the broadcast itself starting now.

Because diretta is being used as a singular feminine noun, so it takes the definite article la.

Italian uses articles more often than English does. In this sentence, la diretta means a specific live broadcast that both speaker and listener already know about.

So:

• la = the
• diretta = feminine singular noun

That is why the verb is also singular: inizia.

Because the subject is la diretta, which is singular.

The verb inizia comes from iniziare = to begin / to start.

Present tense:

• io inizio = I begin
• tu inizi = you begin
• lui/lei inizia = he/she begins
• la diretta inizia = the live broadcast begins

So inizia agrees with la diretta, not with ora.

Italian often uses the present tense for events that are happening now or are just about to happen, especially in announcements, schedules, and live situations.

So La diretta inizia ora sounds very natural for:

• a program announcement
• an event starting immediately
• a host introducing a live stream

It works much like English The broadcast starts now.

Italian could use a future form in some contexts, but here the present is the most natural choice.

Yes. Comincia and inizia are both natural here.

Both mean starts / begins:

• La diretta inizia ora
• La diretta comincia ora

In many contexts they are interchangeable. Iniziare can sound slightly more neutral or standard, while cominciare is also very common in everyday speech.

This is a very common point of confusion.

• la diretta = the live broadcast / the live stream
  It is a noun phrase.
• in diretta = live
  It is a fixed expression meaning that something is happening live.

Examples:

• Seguo la diretta. = I’m following the live broadcast.
• Siamo in diretta. = We’re live.
• Una trasmissione in diretta. = A live broadcast.

So in your sentence, la diretta is the thing that is starting.

Yes. Italian word order is fairly flexible, and Ora inizia la diretta is also correct.

The most common versions are:

• La diretta inizia ora.
• Ora inizia la diretta.

The difference is mainly emphasis:

• La diretta inizia ora emphasizes what is starting.
• Ora inizia la diretta emphasizes when it starts.

Both are natural.

In this sentence, yes: ora means now.

It can sometimes also mean hour in other contexts, but that is a different word usage.

Examples:

• Ora inizia. = It starts now.
• Che ora è? = What time is it?

So here there is no ambiguity: ora clearly means now.

Yes. Diretta comes from diretto/diretta, which generally means direct.

Depending on context, related meanings can include:

• direct
• straight
• live (in media contexts)

But when you hear la diretta by itself, it very often means the live broadcast / live stream.

So context is important:

• una linea diretta = a direct line
• andata diretta = direct trip
• la diretta = the live broadcast

A good approximate pronunciation is ee-NEE-tsya.

A few key points:

• The stress is on ni: i-NI-zia
• The z here sounds like ts
• The ia at the end blends together, roughly like tsya

And diretta is approximately dee-RET-ta, with the stress on ret and a clearly pronounced double tt.

So the whole sentence sounds roughly like:

la dee-RET-ta ee-NEE-tsya OR-a

That is only an approximation, but it is useful for an English speaker getting started.