OAN Staff Blake Wolf
2:55 PM – Tuesday, August 19, 2025
Left-wing network MSNBC is officially rebranding as MS NOW, an acronym for “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.” The rebrand is part of Comcast’s broader plan to spin off several cable networks into a new publicly traded company.
The spin-off, which will consolidate most of Comcast’s cable channels under a new entity called Versant, is expected to be completed by year’s end.
As the network drops “NBC” from its name amid NBCUniversal’s restructuring, the move has already sparked mockery on social media.
“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,” stated MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler.
“During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity,” Kutler added. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering operation.”
The new logo to accompany the rebrand replaces the well-known peacock symbol with a striped flag featuring a red, white, and blue color scheme.
Versant will carry MS NOW, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and The Golf Channel, among others, while NBCUniversal will keep NBC News, the NBC News Now streaming network, Telemundo, and Bravo.
Versant CEO Mark Lazarus also revealed that CNBC will not undergo a rebrand.
MSNBC was launched as a partnership in 1996 by Microsoft and NBC. Microsoft eventually sold its stake in the MSNBC cable channel in 2005, prior to selling its stake in MSNBC.com in 2012.
The rebranding was swiftly met with ridicule on social media, as MSNBC has long faced criticism for its over-the-top hosts, including Rachel Maddow and former anchor Joy Reid.
“OUT: MSNBC as representative of ridiculous left-wing cant masquerading as news. IN: MS NOW as representative of ridiculous left-wing cant masquerading as news,” wrote National Review editor-in-chief Rich Lowry.
Many online users also jokingly suggested that it actually stands for “Majorly Skewed News Overly Woke” and “Most Surely No One Watching.”
One online user even referred to the outlet rebrand as “BS NOW.”
“I don’t know what’s worse, Versant or My Source News Opinion World. Whoever came up with these names deserves to be shown the door,” a former media executive told the New York Post.
Soon after, Rachel Maddow issued a statement in response to the name change, writing: “If there was ever a time for us to change our name, this is it – because we’re not just separating from NBC News in corporate terms, we’re competing with them now. So, I think the distinction is going to be good for us.”
“What NBC is doing in its legacy timeslots – the Today Show, Nightly, Meet the Press – is just a world away from the 24/7 totally independent news operation that we’re able to stand up now, thanks to the spin-off,” Maddow added.
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