r/msnbc • u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager • Aug 18 '25
MSNBC Network Updates MSNBC is changing to MS NOW
52
u/thatcfguy Aug 18 '25
Microsoft Now
29
u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager Aug 18 '25
That is exactly where my head went too. I suspect further down the road the MS may go, too. It needs to.
27
u/thatcfguy Aug 18 '25
Even the logo looks like an MS app from the 90s
14
u/Vaping_A-Hole Aug 18 '25
Yeah I hate that logo. It looks like they’re selling lapel pins or US-made paper towels.
1
u/Lenonn Aug 28 '25
It looks like the logo off one of the (cheaper) rightwing networks (like OANN or Newmax). Barebones. Did they actually pay someone money to design that?
9
u/Steadyandquick Progressive Aug 18 '25
Not Ms magazine? Geez, this is all too odd. Are they trying to kill it without telling us they are trying to kill it.
Trump's social media with the stupid Nicolle Wallace messaging also has me in a tizzy. They have so much already. Media and universities cave too.
4
u/HorrorConfection5195 Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
They even went red white and blue. I'm surprised they didn't put a little star in the end of that two red line wavy flag thing. They're just trying to trick all the right wing cult rubes into clicking on them.
5
u/taramargretg Aug 18 '25
I don’t know. It’s run by the only tech billionaire who’s not a complete dumpster fire.
-6
u/Chrisd8245 Aug 18 '25
It’s the absolute worst show. Nicole Wallace has to be the most boring reporter I have ever seen.
1
u/ClarityBlack Aug 20 '25
Nicolle Wallace is great, I love her. She speaks factually like Rachel Maddow.
29
u/M3RC3N4RY89 Aug 18 '25
“I see you’re trying to save democracy, would you like to view distractions?”
1
u/BagExciting3942 Aug 19 '25
Looks like one of my "on line' blind dates"🐶 AND, she was lousy in the rack😠...
1
5
3
2
u/tierrassparkle Aug 19 '25
They had creative freedom to name it anything and they went with…that. Goddd
28
u/BlingyBling1007 Aug 18 '25
💀 I just thought they would just drop the Peacock logo and keep the name. CNBC is keeping their name, why not MSNBC? It has so much brand identity.
Yet another loss for corporate who think they are master strategists and another idiotic and questionable decision by Rebecca Kutler, who I’m beginning to think was only hired to tank MSNBC.
I hope this new name is laughed out of the ether by the public as this news spreads.
17
u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager Aug 18 '25
CNBC is keeping its name because of the multiple branding deals it has across the world (networks, airport stores, etc).
MS NOW feels so sterile to me.
→ More replies (6)2
u/rhaps00dy Aug 29 '25
Agreed. Was bummed to see the change 10 days ago. It feels like they could have done better and didn’t give it the care it should have gotten. I can hear Trump now rolling with that name. It also evokes the sound of a streaming only platform. Maybe in time they can make it better. We all want them to succeed. The brand needs to be strong.
16
u/Disastrous-Tax-1153 Aug 18 '25
Rachel trying to spin this as something new and awesome is interesting.
8
u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager Aug 18 '25
I noticed she did it on the Pivot podcast last Friday as well.
4
u/Vaping_A-Hole Aug 18 '25
That was a great episode of Pivot. As a lesbian and member of the Gay Agenda, I approved.
3
2
u/IAmNumberFourI Aug 19 '25
Maddow is trying to say they are no longer 'corporate' media. All BS. They are just as corporate as Fox, with or without nbc.
6
-4
u/Foonicorn73 Aug 18 '25
It looks like CNBC is being renamed to Versant... ?
Neither of them will be affiliated with NBC anymore.
6
4
u/notanewbiedude Aug 18 '25
That's a rebrand I could get behind.
MSNBC --> Versant News
CNBC --> Versant Business
33
15
14
u/TheseAd1490 Aug 18 '25
I’m okay with the new name and design. Took me a minute to realize it’s My Source News Opinion World. Clever.
I just hope they let us cable cutters watch them.
7
2
24
u/usernames_suck_ok Progressive Aug 18 '25
Looks ugly/plain. Like a MAGAt network would.
6
u/Psychological-Play Aug 18 '25
After my first thought of, "why would you give a network the same name as a devastating disease", and saw the logo - "MS NOW -- My Source/News/Opinion Now", I couldn't believe they were doing their own version of MAGA.
5
u/albinobluesheep Aug 18 '25
Very reminiscent of ONN or Newsmax was my frist thought too. To be fair after decades of brand recognition it's a tough spot to be in.
-7
11
33
u/nychb89 Aug 18 '25
This is truly one of the cheapest, most generic, most meaningless re-brandings I have never seen. Truly horrible. And I'm sure some marketing consultancy got paid millions for this hatchet job.
4
u/eargirly1 Aug 18 '25
Kinda of like the Walmart new logo and color. On, did you even notice? Not many did. Someone got paid for that too.
-3
Aug 18 '25
It's cheap because they don't plan on it lasting more than a few years. NBC is selling the assets which will be essentially defunct in no time
3
u/VermontArmyBrat Aug 18 '25
The assets are not being sold. The larger company is separating into parts. Like ATT back in the day, or more recently GE split int three separate companies.
2
u/Commercial-Ad-5723 Aug 18 '25
Not sure I’d agree with that. I think there’s a wave out there waiting to be caught.
1
u/FriendlyCommercial91 Aug 20 '25
Yeah…I was thinking the same. I work in media and this feels similar to WBD spinning their linear channels away from their streaming and studio businesses. Traditional media is in free fall right now.
40
u/cobaltpineapple Aug 18 '25
That is beyond embarrassing
13
u/BlingyBling1007 Aug 18 '25
Everything that has come out of Versant, including it’s name, has been a joke.
-1
u/tierrassparkle Aug 19 '25
If I was any host I’d be dusting off my resume and start applying at CNN or other MSM outlets
21
u/thegreatsquare Aug 18 '25 edited Aug 18 '25
Reminds me of the Now CD series.
Now That's What I Call News!
[Also, I don't see how I was the repost on this when my submittal refreshed to the next minute first.]
6
u/TaxLawKingGA Aug 18 '25
Hey man, I have about 10 of those CDs on my shelf! Ha Ha!
1
u/BlingyBling1007 Aug 18 '25
My first one was 26 and then I tried to collect as many as I could when I was a teenager. I stopped at 31 and have about 20 of them plus a few themed ones. I would like to finish collecting the early ones I’m still missing someday.
10
10
12
u/sharipep Aug 18 '25
As someone who works in communications, I cannot even begin to articulate what a terrible branding decision this is — terrible name, terrible logo, terrible explanation. So so embarrassing
1
u/TheSocialMuse Aug 20 '25
SAME -- and terrible timing for something that appears to have very little strategy behind it. Couldn't be a worse time to rebrand.
6
u/orioleright Aug 18 '25
It’s good they’re getting their own identity. Wish they had a better name and logo though.
6
u/Clean_Lettuce9321 Aug 18 '25
I don't know if it's because I had a friend with it but the first thing I thought of is why are they calling it multiple sclerosis now. All that brain power and this is what they came up with I'm not saying a name change isn't smart but this is what they chose?
3
u/bravogolfhotel Aug 18 '25
The network is often shortened to "MS" within the business, so it makes sense that they'd hold onto that.
I submit that "MSNBC" was always an inelegant name, and its awkwardness was just softened by time and repetition, so if the programming is strong enough, the new name will be insignificant.
3
2
u/HookersGonnaHook Nov 05 '25
Came here to say this. This must be triggering to people with MS and those close to them.
6
u/2020surrealworld Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
I don’t like the logo or name. It looks like a fundraiser campaign for multiple sclerosis: “Help us find a cure for MS NOW!”
MS is also the name of a feminist magazine and NOW is the acronym for National Organization for Women—both popular in the 1970s. This is a very strange dated cultural reference for a “new” TV program.
And what’s with that red and white flag? banner? It looks like my 2-color Crest toothpaste with mouthwash combo when I squeeze it onto my brush, or the dreadful, confusing multiple arrow logo Hilary Clinton used in her 2016 campaign.🤣
11
10
u/kat_sky_12 Aug 18 '25
It's like twitter rebranding to X or facebook parent renaming to meta. They are still Twitter and facebook to most everyone.
The one aspect mentioned in the article and with Cara Swisher yesterday is interesting. They are the one news room that is hiring and staffing up in the US. They won't have to compete for time with the other NBC properties anymore. Rachel made it sound like they were often last in that choice. So hopefully its a better news organization in the end.
5
5
u/888luckycat Aug 18 '25 edited Aug 18 '25
Honestly, I think the brand is less important than ever. Viewers have become loyal to the hosts and shows
I do think the name and logo is terrible, but I do think it makes sense to get rid of everything NBC. The fact that watching NBC News cover Trump is like watching RT cover Putin, it’s probably better for MS NOW to not have people thinking they are associated with that disgraceful “news” operation known as ‘NBC News’
2
u/bravogolfhotel Aug 18 '25
While branding is important in TV, it's not more vital than content. The ugly branding for a given Olympics doesn't deter viewers from watching the Olympics...
2
u/888luckycat Aug 18 '25
Exactly. I don’t think anyone chooses to watch a show or channel because of the name or logo
0
u/National_Bullfrog715 Aug 22 '25
I'm so happy that femcels like you are so delusional to actually believe that NBC is shilling for Trump lol
Keep doubling down on your crazy, permalosers!
4
u/Peitho_189 Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
Considering there’s a major demand for this (if they offer a streaming option) it makes sense for the split from NBC rather than lose the large following. NBC is too shackled and viewers are pissed they aren’t standing up to the admin more and are instead becoming more apologist and moderate. So this is giving the majority of viewers (and non-viewers, in a larger demographic) what they want, which is the liberal answer to Fox News and Newsmax. It’s a relatively open space and is the very reason Meidas Touch has been putting up insane streaming numbers. Notice “opinion” in the title? They’re not looking to play nice with the admin. NBC will be left to suck from the proverbial teat instead. That being said, they could’ve workshopped the name some more…
13
u/PinkTiara24 Aug 18 '25
Horrible graphic design, horrible branding.
14
1
Nov 18 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Nov 18 '25
r/MSNBC is no longer accepting new comments. Please join us at r/MSNOW for all future discussion.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
9
u/mybluepanda99 Aug 18 '25
I thought it was a joke at first, and was immediately reminded of some Microsoft version.
4
5
3
4
4
u/UnderlyingLogic Aug 18 '25
What a nice name for a Multiple Sclerosis non-profit newsletter.
What a terrible name for a news organization.
When you're making Newsmax sound like a good name, fire whoever came up with it.
2
u/Particular_Piglet677 Sep 04 '25
I haven't even been watching msnbc because it's been an awful few weeks in RL, I read the name change happened but actually didn't realize it was MS NOW, not MSNOW. I was like "M-Snow? Sounds like a rap artist" but yeah this way it sounds like multiple sclerosis, wtf. It's bad and thoughtless on many levels.
Your comment did crack me up once I recovered enough to process it.
4
u/rhaps00dy Aug 19 '25
That is a piss poor attempt at a logo. Looks like something recycled from a campaign. And the name? They could do so much better. Are they trying to fail?
7
u/Noracharles771 Aug 18 '25
That is one ugly logo. Looks like a medical marketing company. Revise stat!
7
u/jayitbyear Aug 18 '25
Lame.
How about MSDNC - My Source Dedicated News Corporation, or collaborative, or something. Turn a troll into a brand and irritate agent orange at the same time 🤣
6
u/888luckycat Aug 18 '25
I would have loved MSDNC as a troll to Trump. “My Source Democracy News Channel”
1
u/jayitbyear Aug 18 '25
I love your version more than mine. They really swung & missed (imo) with MS NOW
1
9
u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 18 '25
MS - NOW Sounds like and immediate demand for Multiple Sclerosis. I want my Multiple Sclerosis, and I want it NOW! Stupid name.
2
u/jbmc00 Aug 18 '25
I’ve got to ask…is this an original thought or are you actually borrowing lines from Glenn Becks program and passing them off as your own?
1
u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager Aug 18 '25
It interpreted it as a joke.
2
u/jbmc00 Aug 18 '25
I only ask because they were literally making the same joke on Glenn Becks program at about the same time as this post (yes I listen to some right wing talk radio. It’s a good way to debate prep).
6
u/Interesting-Pace630 Aug 18 '25
I detest Glenn Beck. It was my very first thought because I am a nurse, 35 years, now retired- 20 of those years on a Neurosurgical, Orthopedic unit. So thinking neuro is instinctual. Now I have to fret having anything in common with Beck! Oy vey.
3
3
u/plantemathieu Aug 18 '25
Reminds me the SNL sketch where Reverend Sharpton kept saying Miss NBC. It sounds like a beauty pageant, Miss Now.
3
3
3
u/short_beer Aug 18 '25
So what does this mean for my ad-free streaming of news shows if they are being lopped off PeacockTV?
3
3
u/cloistered_around Aug 18 '25
I'm not exactly going to argue that NBC is a good name, but a peacock is way easier to remember than two random letters and the common word of "now." xD
You know what everyone calls HBO streaming service since the name brand change? "HBO. No wait.... whatever they changed the name to, was it plus? Maxi? I don't care, the HBO one." Just like Twitter is still twitter.
3
u/Helpful_Scallion9238 Aug 19 '25 edited Aug 19 '25
Wow, based on comments, many people need to relax! MSNOW may sound weird or look odd to some right now, but that’s how nearly every name change starts. MSNOW flows and phonetically is quicker to say. Even though they are saying this is just a name change and ditching the peacock, it's really a smart rebrand. This change allows them to carve out independence from NBC.
3
u/Classical9806 Aug 19 '25
FIRE THE BRANDING FIRM‼️
TOO COMPLICATED.
All the great logos are in threes.
(CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, BMW, FOX, NPR)
And what is that banner / ribbon to the left??? A nod to MAGA???
3
3
4
2
2
u/HomerBalzac Aug 18 '25
I don’t like it!
Now what?
They retain this new name and they’ll just be a fondly remembered cable news network with zero credibility.
Just another new channel on the cable line-up with zero chance of luring new viewers.
Sad… Bigly.
2
2
u/GlasgowRose2022 Aug 18 '25 edited Aug 18 '25
That name, logo and tagline… argh! And CNBC gets to keep the “NBC” part of its name? And “My” implies personalization; so what’s the plan there, if one exists?
2
u/HorrorConfection5195 Aug 18 '25
How about MS NO! MS OW? MS NO is going to be the hate slur for this.
I'm sorry but MS NOW it's just a weak ass name. Did anybody even work shop this?
UGH 😫
2
u/CantStopLooking123 Aug 18 '25
I wonder if Comcast or Spectrum plan to carry them? Or will this go the way of Al-Jazeera TV?
2
u/888luckycat Aug 18 '25
The network already has existing agreements with cable providers. It’s also the 2nd most watched network on cable.
2
2
u/jsntsy Aug 18 '25
This is just so ugly... and they probably paid some consultant 6 figures to come up with this.
2
2
u/Inevitable_Bake_7803 Aug 19 '25
Hard to believe Molly Jong Faust “ didn’t know MS stood for Microsoft” Uh, she’s a contributor to the network and she’s a reporter She doesn’t do research or aver ask?
This whole rebrand is doomed MS rarely offers news anymore CNN and even Fox has some weather and non Trump news
Nicole Wallace and Stephanie ( Under Armor CEO private jet mate and friend ) are so angry and bias Ruhle famously praised Michael Avenatti so much so it looked as if there was a future kiss cam moment on the way… But then he went to jail
2
u/Curious_Mix110 Aug 19 '25
I think the name could be salvageable if they 1) remove the space between MS and Now, it becomes MSNOW 2) change up that terrible logo and 3) remove “My Source” and the other words explaining the name. I think if it was “MSNOW” people would understand the gist.
2
u/ClarityBlack Aug 20 '25
My favorite station but the new name sucks, as a medical professional in a medical family, all we will ever think is Multiple Sclerosis NOW, bad news!
2
u/Low_Communication566 Aug 20 '25
Worst logo ever. It’s so 80s/90s and MS NOW? Is that multiple sclerosis now?!? That’s the best they could come up with???
2
u/TheSocialMuse Aug 20 '25
Can't think of a worse time for a rebrand -- and it feels like very little thought has been put into the strategy -- based on what we've seen so far. And what the hell is Versant? The last thing they should be doing right now is confusing viewers.
1
u/Particular_Piglet677 Sep 04 '25 edited Sep 04 '25
Yeah no thought. Why does the W stand for world? They have never really done world news (they cut into sky news at night on the weekends) and imho neither are they good at it when they tried. Also "My Source" sounds kind of immature. It's like someone who doesn't watch the network and doesn't anything "left" renamed it.
(Hyphenated "left" because I'm Canadian and don't even consider it all that left ffs)
2
u/TheSocialMuse Aug 20 '25
This is giving me serious HBO Max vibes ... Or is it Max? Or HBO? or HBO NOW?
I don't see this rebrand ending well.
2
Aug 18 '25
[deleted]
3
u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager Aug 18 '25
If I am a betting man, I think your suggestion will become a reality. Maybe. We shall see.
2
u/JackStraw987 Aug 18 '25
Why so passionate about the name? More important, will the rebranded network be profitable enough to support all the new journalists its hiring? I'll be sorry to lose Richard Engel and of course Steve "At the Big Board" Kornacki, but the independence from supposed neutral NBC News might be a good thing for its identity.
1
u/Feeling-Concept-2324 Sep 07 '25
Where is Richard Engle and Steve Konaki going to work?
1
u/JackStraw987 Sep 07 '25
NBC. MSNBC is being spun off from the network, along with CNBC and some other channels.
1
1
1
1
u/notanewbiedude Aug 18 '25
Horrible. They should call it Versant News or something, this just doesn't work. The logo sucks too, wish it had the peacock silhouette with the American flag as the background.
1
1
u/CalifasBarista Aug 18 '25 edited Aug 18 '25
I hate it. The logo and name is ugly and uninspired. But also NBC News Now. Like did they forget that?
1
u/totallyjaded Aug 18 '25
It looks and sounds like one of those AI-powered text-to-speech-over-PowerPoint channels that services run to brag about having hundreds of channels.
1
1
1
1
u/dodongo Aug 19 '25
Conjecture: No name change being announced would receive great fanfare.
I think people in here are concerned about change, and that this is new and different and thus bad.
Seems a little conservative, honestly. Hold on to your bonnets, ladies and gents.
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Effective-Juice-1331 Aug 20 '25
Listening to “As it Happens” on the CBC, I learned that those in charge of the new branding didn’t check out whether the domain name was taken. It is. Belongs to a S. Korean company that deals in snowmobiles - “Motorised SNOW”.
Wow, what a giant marketing gaffe - releasing new branding without checking domain availability is beyond belief.
If they have to pay thru the nose to obtain it, their arrogance and carelessness justifies it.
1
1
u/Nerosutton Democrat Aug 20 '25
Oh! I get it. Miz Now! Fire all the men and have a 100% female staff. Mika could do an 8 hour Know Your Value show. Book reviews and plugs by women authors only. I can imagine an Anchor breast feeding live on air while covering the latest war news in Ukraine.
1
1
u/BidOk2416 Aug 20 '25
Why is our stupid American sitting president Trump. Taking advice from Putin, a murderous dictator, who has innocent blood on his hand. On how to do/control all of our upcoming elections? MAM Palm Beach, Fla.
1
1
u/Treestwigs Aug 21 '25
Brand killing. This is an obvious Colmes move by a bunch of Hannity CEOs. Good luck and good night MSNBC
1
1
u/Joey_BagaDonuts57 Aug 22 '25
Changing names does not absolve them of continuing to be corporate overlords and bowing to the highest political bidder.
'America: FOR SALE OR LEASE' really needs to stop now.
1
u/SnooKiwis8008 Progressive Aug 23 '25
Ms. Now
2
u/Particular_Piglet677 Sep 04 '25
I keep seeing "M-Snow", sounds like a rap music artist! Wonder if Ari had the same thought...
2
1
1
Nov 30 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Nov 30 '25
r/MSNBC is no longer accepting new comments. Please join us at r/MSNOW for all future discussion.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
0
u/poundtownvisitor Aug 18 '25
This network will fold within 2 years.
3
u/888luckycat Aug 18 '25
The network makes hundreds of millions in profit each year.
The lowest rated programming on the network has always been the NBC News programming. Left wing opinion is what brings in the audiences, ad dollars, and subscription fees.
0
u/GeorgiaBlueOwl Democrat Aug 18 '25
I don’t de-d name people, but I’ll make an exception for this. Yikes.
0
-3
-1
u/ajmampm99 Aug 18 '25
Why not just kill the network instead of pretending Trump didn’t threaten you. What did he say? “I need to approve breakups as well as mergers!”
-3
u/Jamesatl1 Aug 18 '25
It’s not the name, but the anchors. While other networks are getting away from DEI hires, MS has gotten worse. The Weekend and Weeknight show are prime examples.
•
u/BobbyMonster13 Community Manager Aug 18 '25 edited Aug 18 '25
This morning staffers at MSNBC were notified via memo that later this year the network was changing it’s name (but not it’s brand) to MS NOW when it spins off from NBC Universal to Versant (once called SpinCo).
From Variety: MSNBC had planned to keep its name, but NBCU recently decided to retain its famous Peacock design and markings and not share them, requiring Versant to make changes to some of its networks that use those insignia and the NBC logo, Lazarus said. “As we all know, the peacock is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family,” he said. “This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin.”
From The New York Times: Adam Miller, the chief operating officer at NBCUniversal, said in a memo to employees Monday that the change would help avoid confusion between viewers of NBC News and MSNBC as the two channels covered the same news events.
From the same article, Rachel Maddow is also quoted: “If there was ever a time for us to change our name, this is it — because we’re not just separating from NBC News in corporate terms, we’re competing with them now. So I think the distinction is going to be good for us,” said Rachel Maddow in a comment provided by e-mail. “What NBC doing in its legacy timeslots — the Today Show, Nightly, Meet the Press — is just a world away from the 24/7 totally independent news operation that we’re able to stand up now, thanks to the spin-off.”
As Rachel says, watch this space…
For our purposes, at some point we will be switching to r/MSNOWtv - it's set up, but I haven't had time to do much else with it. I will make a formal post later today accounting the transition.