MSNBC

Major U.S. cable news network, now operating as MS NOW under Versant Media Group, competing with CNN and Fox News for progressive-leaning news audiences and associated advertising revenue

Now operating as MS NOW under Versant Media Group, the channel that launched as MSNBC on July 15, 1996, continues as a cable news and opinion network with a progressive editorial identity. Originally conceived as a Microsoft–NBC joint venture combining Microsoft's digital reach with NBC's broadcast journalism infrastructure, the network evolved over nearly three decades into one of the most-watched cable news outlets in the United States, competing directly with CNN and Fox News for news-hungry audiences and the advertisers who seek them. The rebrand to MS NOW, effective November 15, 2025, came as part of Comcast's broader strategic decision to spin off its portfolio of cable networks — including MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, and others — into a newly formed independent company called Versant Media Group, which formally launched on January 2, 2026. The channel retains its core news and political commentary programming under the new brand, continuing to serve as a significant advertising-supported media property reaching millions of cable and streaming viewers. As a media property, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) is deeply significant to the advertising and marketing ecosystem. It sells linear television advertising inventory across its news programming, offers sponsorship and branded content opportunities, and increasingly distributes content via streaming platforms, expanding its addressable advertising audience. Versant Media Group, as its new parent, positions the channel within a portfolio of ad-supported cable assets competing for national brand advertising budgets in the news and information genre.