MS NOW

What MS NOW does

MS NOW is an American basic cable and satellite news network that provides 24-hour news coverage and progressive political commentary to politically engaged viewers. Originally launched in 1996 as MSNBC under a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC Universal, the network was spun off from Comcast's NBCUniversal cable assets into Versant Media, completing its separation in January 2026 and rebranding from MSNBC to MS NOW on November 15, 2025 under the tagline "Same Mission. New Name." The company's core technology is linear cable television supplemented by digital distribution including live streaming, video on demand, podcasts, email newsletters, and social media platforms, with a planned direct-to-consumer mobile app and subscription streaming service launching in summer 2026. Its product portfolio centers on a full programming lineup spanning morning (Morning Joe), daytime, primetime (The Rachel Maddow Show, All In with Chris Hayes, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi, The Briefing with Jen Psaki), and weekend programming, supported by editorial sub-brands such as MS NOW Opinion and Know Your Value, plus live events and field reporting programs.

MS NOW generates revenue through three streams: traditional cable and satellite advertising, recurring cable carriage fees paid by distribution partners, and a forthcoming direct-to-consumer subscription service. The company distributes content globally via linear cable, a planned self-serve streaming platform, mobile applications, and digital marketplaces including YouTube and TikTok, where it reported 3.8 billion YouTube views and 4.1 billion TikTok views in 2025. Its go-to-market motion combines a sales-led model for advertising and carriage negotiations with a direct-to-consumer pivot aimed at capturing subscription revenue from cord-cutters and politically motivated viewers ahead of the 2026 midterm and 2028 presidential elections. The network is undergoing significant operational transformation including a June 2026 programming overhaul, exclusive content partnerships with Crooked Media and AccuWeather, aggressive talent recruitment from NBC News, CNN, and CBS, and a less-than-2% headcount reduction tied to weekend programming changes.

Name

MS NOW

Legal name

Versant Media, LLC

Website

https://ms.now

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

MS NOW is an American cable and digital news network that provides progressive political news, election coverage, and commentary to politically engaged viewers, distributing via linear cable, digital platforms, and a forthcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service launching summer 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cable News Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

News & Business Information Cable Networks (MPABAFAE), News OTT & Live News Streaming Channels (MPABAHAK), News Streaming Platforms (MPACAAAF)

Keywords

• Cable news network
• News broadcasting
• Political journalism
• Streaming news service
• Digital news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Secaucus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: Traditional cable news advertising model with digital advertising across online platforms
2. Cable Carriage Fees: Fees paid by cable and satellite providers for distribution of the channel
3. Direct-to-Consumer Subscription: Planned subscription streaming service launching summer 2026 for direct consumer access

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MS NOW is an American basic cable and satellite news channel that produces and distributes 24-hour news coverage, political analysis, and progressive commentary through linear cable television, digital streaming, podcasts, newsletters, and social media platforms. The network operates a portfolio of signature news programs hosted by well-known anchors and journalists, and is expanding into direct-to-consumer subscription streaming ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Product overview

MS NOW is a digital news platform and cable television network that operates as a multi-platform news and political commentary media company. Formerly known as MSNBC, it rebranded to MS NOW in November 2025 as part of its spin-off from NBCUniversal into Versant Media. The company's product portfolio centers on live and on-demand video news content distributed across its website, mobile app (launching summer 2026), and linear cable television. The core programming lineup includes signature daytime shows like Morning Joe and Money, Power, Politics with Stephanie Ruhle, primetime programs such as The Rachel Maddow Show, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, The Beat with Ari Melber, All In with Chris Hayes, The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, and The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi, plus specialty programs including The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Connect with Jacob Soboroff, and The Weekend. The platform also offers podcasts, newsletters, opinion content, and live events. A direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service is planned for summer 2026, positioning MS NOW for the post-cable era.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MS NOW Live TV Streaming

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% daily audience growth and 27% weeknight primetime viewership growth since rebrand

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Marshall ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJacob Soboroff's new weekend show 'Connect' features partnerships including one with The Marshall Project on immigration detention coverage. The show aims to connect with social-media energy and attract viewers to the weekend programming slot.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CNN: Warner Bros. Discovery-owned 24/7 national cable news network operating across cable, streaming (CNN Max), and digital platforms. Direct competitor to MS NOW for general news and political coverage audiences.
• Fox News: Largest U.S. cable news network, recently taken private in a ~$15B+ transaction. Direct competitor to MS NOW in the 24-hour cable news category, competing for political news viewership from the opposite ideological perspective.
• Newsmax: Fast-growing conservative cable and streaming news channel that has surpassed MS NOW/MSNBC in primetime ratings at certain points. Direct competitor for cable distribution and politically engaged news audiences.
• One America News: Conservative cable news network with national distribution and a growing digital presence. Direct competitor in the U.S. cable news category targeting politically engaged viewers.

Broad incumbents

• CNBC: Sister network under Versant Media — the parent company of MS NOW post-Comcast spinoff. Peer under shared ownership and corporate resources, focused on business and financial news rather than political news, with overlapping cable and digital distribution.
• BBC News: Global 24-hour news operation with U.S. distribution via BBC America cable channel and BBC.com streaming. Comparable as a multinational public-affairs news broadcaster with linear and digital distribution.
• Bloomberg Television: Business and political-news cable channel with significant digital streaming presence (Bloomberg Originals). Peer in the cable news distribution model with overlapping advertiser and audience profile, particularly for the financial-political crossover content Stephanie Ruhle co-anchors.

Emerging players

• The Daily Wire: Digital-first conservative media company (Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles) with rapidly growing subscription video and podcast businesses. Emerging competitor for the same politically engaged news audience MS NOW targets, particularly younger viewers shifting off linear.

Regional players

• Sky News: Major UK-based 24-hour news network with digital and streaming distribution. Operates a comparable 24-hour linear-and-digital news model with political coverage, though primarily serves UK/Ireland audiences rather than competing directly in the U.S.

Others

• C-SPAN: Non-profit public-affairs cable network covering U.S. political proceedings with linear, streaming, and podcast distribution. Comparable business model as a non-commercial political news outlet, though it does not directly compete for the same primetime opinion audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/msnbc
• Facebookfacebook.com/msnbc
• Instagraminstagram.com/msnownews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msnbc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MS NOW