MSNBC will officially rebrand as MS NOW on November 15, 2025, as it separates from NBCUniversal to join Versant, a new independent media company, ending nearly 30 years under the NBC umbrella. The name, standing for "My Source for News, Opinion, and the World", reflects the network’s focus on breaking news and progressive-leaning programming. This move is part of Comcast’s strategy to spin off cable news, entertainment, and sports assets into Versant, a publicly traded entity launching in January 2026, aimed at thriving in a digital-first media landscape.
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Comcast announced the Versant spin-off earlier in 2025 as part of a strategy to streamline its portfolio amid declining cable subscriptions (cord-cutting) and shifting media landscapes. Versant will be a publicly traded company launching fully in January 2026, with Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and his family retaining a 33% voting stake. The goal is to position these assets for growth in a digital-first world, free from the broader NBCUniversal structure.
- Newsroom Build-Out: Hired dozens of journalists from outlets like The Washington Post, Politico, Bloomberg, and even NBC News (e.g., correspondents Jacob Soboroff and Ken Dilanian). This includes a new Washington bureau for faster on-the-ground reporting.
- International Tie-Up: A multi-year deal with Sky News provides U.S. viewers access to global stories, reducing reliance on external feeds.
- Content Focus: Expect more aggressive interviewing of newsmakers (e.g., recent guests like House Speaker Mike Johnson) and emphasis on early-cycle scoops. Core shows like The Rachel Maddow Show, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, All In with Chris Hayes, and Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace remain unchanged.
- No Major Layoffs Here: Unlike some NBC News cuts (e.g., the shutdown of the LGBTQ+ vertical "NBC Out"), MSNBC has been aggressively hiring, bucking industry trends.