MSNBC to ditch its name and iconic peacock logo — say hello to MS Now this year

MSNBC name change: After nearly three decades under the MSNBC name and the familiar flash of the NBC peacock, big changes are coming to one of America’s most-watched political news networks, as per a report.

A New Identity: Welcome to "MS Now"

Later this year, MSNBC will officially rebrand as "MS Now", which is the abbreviation for "My Source News Opinion World", as reported by CNBC. So, now is the time to say goodbye to the iconic peacock logo as it steps into a new chapter of independence, according to the report.

Why the Network Is Saying Goodbye to Its Name and Logo

The change was announced in an internal memo from Versant CEO Mark Lazarus, as the network prepares Versant’s upcoming separation from Comcast’s NBCUniversal, as reported by CNBC. Lazarus had previously told staff in January that the MSNBC name would stay, according to the report. But as plans progressed, NBCUniversal leaders shifted course, deciding the new identity would help “to accelerate the distinction between the MSNBC and NBC News organizations,” as quoted by CNBC.


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A Shift Toward Independence from NBCUniversal

MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler, in a separate note to staff, reassured employees that the news group’s focus will remain unchanged, according to the report. She said that, “While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not. Our commitment to our work and our audiences will not waiver from what the brand promise has been for three decades,” as quoted in the CNBC report.

However, MSNBC has been quietly building something new, the network has already hired around 40 journalists from major news outlets like CNN, Bloomberg, and Politico, which is part of a broader plan to stand up its own independent newsroom, complete with its first-ever Washington, D.C., bureau, as reported by CNBC. Nearly 100 new positions are being added, as per the report.

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No More Peacock: A Visual Rebrand Across Versant

The changes come with a broader visual overhaul, according to CNBC. MS Now will debut a new logo without the NBC peacock, a move that will extend across Versant’s other brands, including CNBC, the USA Network, Golf Channel, and related digital companies like GolfNow and SportsEngine, as per the report.

MS Now Branding to Launch by Year’s End

CNBC reported that MSNBC's name change and the new logos will all be launched before the end of the year, when Versant plans to spin out as a publicly traded company.

Kutler highlighted that MSNBC will soon kick off a national marketing campaign to accompany the launch of the new name, “unlike anything we have done in recent memory,” as quoted in the CNBC report.

MSNBC currently holds its place as the second-most-watched cable news network, averaging 1.2 million prime-time viewers this year, as per the report. The network has 28 on-air anchors, 21 correspondents and reporters, and provides over 120 hours of live programming each week, reported CNBC.

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CNBC Keeps Its Name

However, MSNBC and NBC News will have similar coverage, CNBC’s news organization is already separate enough from NBC News that executives decided it did not need a name change, as per the CNBC report. According to the report, the “NBC” in “CNBC” never came from National Broadcasting Co., as CNBC stands for “Consumer News and Business Channel.”

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FAQs

Why is MSNBC changing its name to MS Now?
To create a clear distinction from NBC News as it prepares for independence under the new company Versant.

What does “MS Now” stand for?
It stands for My Source News Opinion World.