MS NOW Rebrand: Why MSNBC Changed Its Name
Inside the strategy behind MS NOW, the rebrand that signals survival, not style, for a media giant.
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MS NOW Rebrand: Why MSNBC Changed Its Name
Here’s what happened, and why it’s more fascinating than cringe-worthy. MSNBC, a name that once stood proudly for a partnership between Microsoft and NBC, is vanishing.
After nearly thirty years of cable chatter, panel brawls, and signature branding that married Microsoft’s tech muscle with NBC’s media lineage, the network will be known going forward as MS NOW, a deliberately awkward acronym meant to stand for “My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.” The peacock logo also disappears, part of Comcast’s decision to spin off NBCUniversal’s cable networks, including MSNBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, and USA, into a new company called Versant.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Really? That’s the name?
But First, a Story
I once worked with a client in the logistics business. They told me they wanted a rebrand specifically because their name sounded too small. “We’re doing international freight,” they said, “but our name makes us sound like we move boxes across town.” So they hired a high-priced naming firm. The result? A sleek, contemporary name that tested well in focus groups. Trouble was, they hated it. So did their clients. “This doesn’t sound like us,” they said. “This sounds like a tech company in Palo Alto.”
That’s when the truth clicked into place. They weren’t looking for a name. They were looking for permission to grow, to shift, to become something they aspired to be without losing what they were.
The Real Play Behind the Rebrand
Yes, the move is about autonomy; Rebecca Kutler, the network’s president, insists the change signals independence and continuity: “While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not.”
But peel back another layer and you see it is also about strategic distancing, in particular, from a political figure who has made media institutions his favorite punching bags.
By detaching MSNBC from NBC, especially in a moment of heightened media tension under Trump’s second term, Comcast is insulating the network from regulatory or reputational blowback. It is less about vanity, more about risk management.
The counterintuitive insight is this: the rebrand is not a vanity facelift foisted on loyal viewers. It is a buffer.
The brand shift is a negotiation between loyalty and safety. It is a signal to advertisers, regulators, and audiences that this is not the old MSNBC. It is a new identity designed to survive in an environment where media outlets are under political, financial, and cultural pressure.
MS NOW is the product of a media company trying to insulate itself in a world where political winds shift fast and often without warning. By spinning MSNBC into its own entity under Comcast’s newly created Versant Media, the company is creating daylight. Daylight from NBC News. Daylight from regulatory scrutiny. And daylight from association with a brand name that has become polarizing.
Remember, branding is not what you say. It is what they say. And MSNBC knows exactly what they are saying.
Why MS NOW Isn’t About the Audience
The name change is already being mocked. Social media is having a field day. “Most Surely No one Watching” is trending. Critics are calling it bland, corporate, disconnected. And yet that is part of the play. When a brand gets too loud, sometimes the smart move is to lower the volume.
Everybody is yawning. “Why rebrand if you are keeping everything the same?” That is precisely why it matters. MS NOW is not trying to wow you. It is trying to survive you.
This is not a leap forward. It is a step sideways. Not an evolution, a sidestep. Not reinvention, but insulation.
A brand does not always change to grow. Sometimes it changes to stay alive.
This move is not about the audience. It is about the environment. MS NOW is a name you forget five minutes after hearing it. That is not a mistake. That is the strategy.
Because in a world where everyone is shouting, the brand that whispers might be the one you trust.
The Branding Lesson for Your Business
Trust is what keeps the lights on.
If your company is ready to turn your brand into lasting relevance, let’s talk. I keynote at conferences around the world, helping organizations lead with clarity, communicate with confidence, and build brands that matter. I still have a few 2025 and 2026 dates available and would love to share them with your audience.
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Bruce, really, REALLY like your analysis with this post. In support of that, one thing I think is NOT a coincidence is that they kept the MS. Originally it was MSNBC. But really, how many people remember (or ever knew) that MS stood for Microsoft? Microsoft divested its stake in it in 2005 and ended the joint venture way back in 2012. So, the word Microsoft hasn’t been associated or even mentioned in connection to MSNBC for 13 years! But for current viewers to still perceive that MSNBC is even the same entity as their new brand expression, which part could be kept? Not NBC because that’s likely all tied up in legal things since NBC still exists as a separate media company. The MS hasn’t apparently MEANT anything other than the letters M-S for over a decade. So, by keeping the MS in MSNOW it will still be perceived as the brand successor to MSNBC. Yes, it’s being mocked for SUPPOSEDLY meaning “My Source”. But no one is going to remember that a few months from now. And the thing is, MSNOW is mentally sticky. You can hear it once and repeat it to someone else. As for what it means, I bet MSNOW employees won’t even be able to remember it a week after orientation going forward. Execs will stop even referencing that. It will be just an acronym that can be pronounced, like CNN (what does that stand for again?), OANN, etc. MS-Now is easy to say and remember. Done and done!
Also interesting, MSNBC apparently got their legal team to persuade Microsoft to let them use the letters MS (which until 2013 meant Microsoft) in perpetuity. So, clearly those two letters really are the most valuable and recognizable parts of the brand expression!
Thanks for this, Brian, it’s really sharp thinking. You highlighted something I hinted at but didn’t fully explore: the choice to keep the “MS.” Most people have either forgotten or never knew it originally referred to Microsoft. Still, those two letters carry weight. They feel familiar. They sound established. That kind of subtle brand equity is rare and hard to build.
As you pointed out, NBC likely couldn’t be carried forward for legal and structural reasons. But “MS” stayed clean. It brings along a sense of continuity without calling attention to itself. That’s a smart move. It anchors the new name while letting the brand shift gears.
Appreciate your close read and the depth of your comment. You picked up on a key piece of the strategy that deserves more attention.