MS NOW will launch its first direct-to-consumer product next month as the network looks to deepen audience engagement. The MS NOW Membership will add new digital experiences to its existing television and streaming offerings.
What We Know: The inaugural Membership launches Wednesday, September 9th, for $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually. However, new Members can receive their first full year for $39.99 plus tax through September 30th at 11:59 p.m. ET. The service will give subscribers direct access to MS NOW journalists, exclusive community features, contributors and experts. It will also include original creator content, new verticals exploring how news and politics affect everyday life, plus 24/7 access to live streams and television programming. The launch comes as MS NOW reports more than 3.2 billion YouTube and TikTok views and over 80 million podcast downloads this year.
What They Said: “From the beginning, we’ve approached this deliberately. When we launched MS NOW, our ‘We the People’ campaign was never just a tagline. Our mission has always been to inform, engage and empower our audience. Our Membership is the first step in a long-term strategy to deepen our relationship with audiences in ways that build on what they already value about MS NOW, while addressing what consumers told us was missing from the news experience. We will continue to research, test, and refine this experience because we want it to be something that our loyal MS NOW fans genuinely love, as well as something that future fans genuinely need.” -MS NOW President Rebecca Kutler
What Remains Unclear: MS NOW hasn’t detailed how many subscribers it expects to attract or disclosed financial targets for the Membership. The network also hasn’t outlined how frequently it will add new programming or community features after launch.
What It Means: The Membership gives MS NOW another way to monetize its highly engaged audience while expanding beyond traditional television. Notably, Comscore says less than 10% of its television and digital audiences overlap, creating an opportunity to convert digital users into paying customers.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.