MSNBC will be renamed MS NOW as part of its spinoff into a new company, Versant.
The network will also drop NBC’s iconic rainbow peacock, replacing it with a blue background and red-and-white striped flag, according to the Los Angeles Times.
What’s changing: name, logo, corporate home
Under the Versant banner, MSNBC will become MS NOW (short for My Source News Opinion World) and swap the peacock for a blue wordmark paired with red‑and‑white striping.
The rename is tied to Comcast’s plan to spin off several linear cable assets into a separate, publicly traded company by year’s end. The operational aim: give the cable group its own balance sheet and strategy while NBCUniversal retains the “NBC” name and the peacock.
Why the peacock is going away
NBCUniversal’s decision to retain both the NBC name and the peacock means all spun‑off channels must shed NBC branding and iconography.
For MSNBC, that forces both a rename and a visual overhaul.
For other cable holdings that keep their legacy names, it still means new, peacock‑free logos.
Versant’s incoming chief Mark Lazarus had previously told employees in January that concerns about losing the MSNBC name could be taken “off [their] worry list.”
The new naming plan undercuts that guidance and reflects a late-stage brand decision: NBCU will own “NBC” and the peacock; Versant brands will not.
Comcast announced the ~$7 billion cable spinoff last fall to separate slower‑growth linear assets from NBCU’s broadcast, film, and streaming portfolio.
What about CNBC, Golf Channel, and the rest?
Per the plan, CNBC will keep its name (“Consumer News and Business Channel”) but adopt a new logo without the peacock. Golf Channel, GolfNow, and SportsEngine will also rebrand within Versant’s identity system.
The network group’s news and sports‑adjacent services are all slated to align under the new corporate umbrella, while NBCU holds onto broadcast‑network assets and the NBC brand family.
Inside the rollout: newsroom build‑out and a “big” marketing push
MSNBC has spent much of 2025 staffing up its own newsroom infrastructure, hiring journalists from CNN, Bloomberg, Politico, The Washington Post, and others to deepen independent newsgathering apart from NBC News.
In a staff memo, MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler framed the rebrand as a chance to “assert our independence,” and promised a campaign “unlike anything we have done in recent memory” to launch MS NOW.
What viewers will notice — and when
The company says viewers can expect:
-
Transitional branding: the MSNBC name will remain on‑air during the changeover period.
-
On‑screen look updates: new logo, color palette, and promo packaging aligned with MS NOW.
-
Editorial continuity: the programming slate and talent lineup are expected to continue, with coverage produced through MSNBC’s expanded standalone newsroom.
-
Timeline: Versant’s creation and the branding change are targeted for completion by the end of 2025, with phased rollouts as assets migrate.
Second-largest cable news network
Launched in 1996, MSNBC has been the No. 2 cable news channel in recent years, trailing Fox News but regularly competing for second with CNN across key day parts.
