MSNBC Announces It Will Change Its Company’s Name

No more “MSDNC”?

MSNBC is looking to shake things up.

In a press release, MSNBC revealed it will change its name to MS NOW.

The network has also gone on a hiring spree and has hired several notable journalists and TV personalities.

MSN provided details on why MSNBC made the move:

MSNBC is changing its name to MS NOW and dropping its peacock logo as part of the cable channel’s spinoff from Comcast’s NBC Universal.

The new name stands for My Source News Opinion World, according to the company. MSNBC and several other cable channels owned by NBC Universal are spinning off into a new business called Versant, which will also include financial news channel CNBC and entertainment networks such as USA, Oxygen, E! and SYFY.

“During this time of transition, NBC Universal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity,” she wrote. “This decision now allows us to set our own course and assert our independence as we continue to build our own modern newsgathering organization.”

In preparation for the spinoff, MSNBC has hired more than three-dozen journalists from outlets including Bloomberg, Politico, the Washington Post and CNN, the company said. Some NBC News personalities, like Jacob Soboroff, Vaughn Hillyard, Brandy Zadrozny and Antonia Hylton, have also joined MSNBC.

Here’s what their new logo looks like:

MSNBC stands for Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company

They have now rebranded to MS

So they’re just ‘Microsoft’ now?🤣 pic.twitter.com/abaPlaLV7I

— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) August 18, 2025

I just want to meet the absolute bandit who got MSNBC execs to fork over tons of $$$ for this logo and a name that reminds you of multiple sclerosis. I bet he hates them and can’t believe they used it. pic.twitter.com/WACo5A8fdW

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 18, 2025

USA Today provided more context on why MSNBC is ditching the Peacock logo:

A memo sent Aug. 18 by MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler addressed the flip-flop, writing: “During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity… The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity.”

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Lazarus wrote that the peacock logo “is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family. This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”

MSNBC, which ranks second to Fox News in cable news, has long been tied to the larger NBC news operation. Now, it will operate as a standalone news-gathering machine, with its own set of fact-finders, its own Washington bureau and a fresh leadership team. The editorial tone of the channel is not expected to change.