MSNBC To Rebrand As MS NOW Later This Year: What’s Behind The MSNBC Name Change?

Some change is in the air for MSNBC, as the news network is set to undergo a name change later this year to My Source News Opinion World (MS NOW).

The announcement arrives in the midst of several NBCUniversal cable TV networks—including CNBC,  Oxygen, E!, SYFY, USA Network, and the Golf Channel, in addition to digital assets such as Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango—spinning off into Versant, a publicly traded company. MSNBC will eventually not be associated with NBC News.

Versant’s founding CEO Mark Lazarus notified staffers of the change in a memo sent on Monday, in which he wrote that “this new name underscores the brand’s mission to serve as the destination for domestic and international breaking news and the best-in-class opinion journalism.”

“MSNBC has been building toward this moment and welcoming a wave of exceptional journalists to their newsgathering operation,” Lazarus noted. “Most importantly, while the name will be different, the brand’s commitment to its audience will not change.”

This update also involves a new logo, sans NBCU’s signature peacock, in order to distinguish itself from NBCU. While CNBC—which stands for Consumer News and Business Channel—will keep its name, the network will also take on a new logo without the peacock.

As for Versant’s sports portfolio, USA Network and Golf Channel’s sports programming “will come together under a new brand moniker of USA Sports,” Lazarus also announced on Monday.

“New logos for USA Sports and Golf Channel are well underway,” he detailed. “These new logos will aim to honor USA Network’s legacy in sports and entertainment as well as Golf Channel’s 30-plus year history as TV’s home for golf, all with a nod to the future. We look forward to unveiling those in the weeks to come.”

On the entertainment front, SportsEngine will also incorporate a redesigned logo without the peacock.

In an internal memo, MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said that “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.” She explained that they “have worked to untether ourselves from NBC News and embrace [their] independence under VERSANT” over the past eight months and have “hired dozens of first-rate reporters and newsroom leaders and have been recruiting for nearly 100 roles across our new and nimble organization.” These new employees hail from outlets like NBC News, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and ABC News.

“We continue to supercharge our non-linear products, achieving rapid success on YouTube, TikTok, audio, digital, live events, and more – all while aggressively developing a direct-to-consumer product,” she said. “During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity. This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering operation.”

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow told Variety via email that “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,” Maddow added. “What NBC 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.”