MSNBC is preparing for a major shakeup this year as it separates from NBC News and rebrands under a new name: MS NOW, short for My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.
The change comes as Comcast spins off most of its cable channels into a new company called Versant, a move set to take effect later this year. NBCUniversal will retain its broadcast network, streaming services, and other key properties, along with the iconic peacock logo. Versant, meanwhile, will redesign logos for several of its cable brands, including MSNBC, Golf Channel, and CNBC.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler announced the rebrand in an internal memo, calling it a step toward independence.
“This new branding underscores our mission: to serve as a destination for breaking news and best-in-class opinion journalism, all rooted in accurate and reported facts,” Kutler wrote.
Founded in 1996 as a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC, MSNBC has long carried the NBC name even after Microsoft sold its stake. But the relationship between MSNBC and NBC News has often been uneasy. While MSNBC developed a reputation for progressive opinion programming in the 2000s, NBC News aimed to remain centered, leading to internal tensions. The divide grew even sharper during the Trump presidency, when MSNBC hosts took a more openly critical stance than their NBC counterparts.
The rebrand signals a clean break between the two entities and a chance to clarify their separate missions. Versant CEO Mark Lazarus said CNBC will retain its name, pointing to its long-established identity as the Consumer News and Business Channel, including licensing deals outside the U.S.
In recent months, MSNBC has been rapidly expanding its newsroom, hiring dozens of journalists to reduce reliance on NBC News correspondents and infrastructure. The move is seen as essential for competing not only with NBC News but also with other national and global outlets.
“While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not,” Kutler emphasized. “Our commitment to our work and our audiences will not waiver from what the brand promise has been for three decades.”
The rebrand to MS NOW is expected to roll out before the end of 2025.
