MSNBC Officially Rebrand Its Name to MS NOW! What Else Is Changing?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Leading news network MSNBC will undergo a significant change in its identity, officially rebranding itself as MS NOW (My Source News Opinion World) in late 2025.

This announcement, made on August 18, 2025, is an integral part of a larger corporate separation, in which Comcast will spin off most of NBCUniversal's cable networks into a new publicly traded entity called Versant, as reported by Reuters.

This strategic move aims to create clear brand differentiation and allow the news network to operate more independently.

This change is expected to strengthen MS NOW's position as an independent source of global news, opinion, and information, while establishing a separate news division from NBC News.

Cable news channel MSNBC will rebrand as My Source for News, Opinion and the World, or MS NOW, according to internal memos seen by Reuters, as parent Comcast presses ahead with the planned separation of many NBCUniversal cable networks later this year https://t.co/R0cHoIfeZg pic.twitter.com/ycgQcAIMB7

— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) August 18, 2025

The new name, "MS NOW," stands for "My Source News Opinion World," reflecting a renewed focus on global news, opinion, and information.

The name change was announced on August 18, 2025, and will take effect at the end of 2025.

This marks a significant evolution for the network, which has been operating for nearly 30 years, adapting to the ever-changing media landscape.

Launched in 1996, MSNBC stands for Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company, a name formed through a previous partnership with Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, and NBC.

The name has been around since Microsoft withdrew from the joint venture that owned MSNBC in 2012.

However, with this rebranding, "MS" now takes on a new meaning more relevant to the network's independent vision and mission: "My Source."

This name change is a direct consequence of Comcast's decision to spin off most of its NBCUniversal cable networks, including MSNBC, into a new publicly traded company called Versant.

Other networks that will join Versant include USA, CNBC, E! Entertainment, Oxygen, and Golf Channel.

The primary purpose of the separation is to differentiate the Versant brand and its channels from NBCUniversal, which will retain the NBC brand and its iconic peacock logo.

Executive Mark Lazarus stated that this move provides an opportunity to "create a distinct brand identity and build an independent news organization following the spinoff."

The move also supports MSNBC's efforts to establish its own news division separate from NBC News, asserting its editorial independence.

To introduce the new name to the public, there will be a significant national marketing campaign, which MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler described as "unlike anything we've done in recent memory."

While there was initial consideration of retaining the MSNBC name after the spinoff, the final decision to change it was made to avoid confusion between NBC News and the new, separate network.

"The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity," said MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler in a memo on Monday, adding that MSNBC has been recruiting for nearly 100 roles within the organization as it prepares for the separation.

Kutler added the network will not change editorial direction, saying, "While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not."