MSNBC is set to undergo a rebrand to MS NOW as the network is spun off from longtime parent company Comcast and the NBCUniversal brand.
The MS NOW brand is an acronym standing for “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.”
The rebrand comes as NBCUniversal and the new Versant cable company — spun off by the conglomerate — attempt to create a distinction between the two entities.
Previously, MSNBC had shared that it planned to keep the name it has featured for nearly 30 years. However, in a memo to staffers on Monday morning, Versant CEO Mark Lazarus stated that the previous branding of MSNBC was essentially reclaimed by NBCUniversal as the two companies prepare to split.
“The peacock is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family,” Lazarus shared. “This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”
The rebrand is the latest in a long line of moves made by the former MSNBC in recent months. Earlier this year, Rebecca Kutler was tabbed to replace Rashida Jones as the president of the network. That move led to a shuffle of the network’s primetime programming, including the high-profile ouster of longtime host Joy Reid.
“During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity,” Kutler added in a memo. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering operation,” Kutler said in a memo. “The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity.”
Since the announcement that NBCUniversal would put its cable assets into a separate company, MSNBC — now MS NOW — has worked diligently to build out its infrastructure, including both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. The rebrand is the next iteration of that build-out, the network says.
No firm timetable for when the brand switch will officially take place was given by the network. It only shared that the transition would take place “by the end of the year.”
In the meantime, due to contractual obligations, CNBC will remain with its current and longtime branding, and will not feature a shift similar to that of MSNBC. The peacock logo, however, will be removed from the CNBC logo.
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