Say good-bye to MSNBC. As part of the channel’s split from NBC Universal, it will take on a new moniker by the end of 2025. Given that this is one of the big three news networks (No. 1 among moms who don’t play about their reusable grocery totes), I think we can all assume that it put a lot of time and effort into picking its new name. The name needed to convey intelligence, integrity, and the desire to report the truth in our topsy-turvy news media landscape. So, obviously, they went with MS NOW.
While MSNBC was a portmanteau of MSN and NBC, MS NOW is actually an acronym that stands for My Source for News, Opinion, and the World. It just rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t it? I believe we are supposed to pronounce the name like “M-S now,” which sounds like you are requesting multiple sclerosis tout de suite. However, when written out, it looks like the name of a middling drag queen: Please welcome to the stage Ms. Now!
MSNBC is being rebranded to MS NOW.
The new acronym stands for ‘My Source (for) News, Opinions (and the) World.’ pic.twitter.com/h3MSN2jqe7
— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 18, 2025
While we’re here, what exactly is going on with this new logo? The channel’s iconic peacock is out, and a nod to the American flag is in. It sort of looks like Ms. Now is running a flop presidential campaign that promises My Source, News, Opinion, and World. She will get to participate in one debate from the outer edge of the lineup and drop out shortly after the Nevada primary, and no one will remember that she ever ran.
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MS NOW will operate under Versant, the media company formed last year to house NBCUniversal’s cable networks after Comcast announced it was giving the company its own spinoff brand. According to the Washington Post, Versant’s top executive, Mark Lazarus, told staff in a memo that the new name is actually awesome.
“This new name underscores the brand’s mission to serve as the destination for domestic and international breaking news and the best-in-class opinion journalism,” he wrote in a memo on Monday. “While the name will be different, the brand’s commitment to its audience will not change.”
Rebecca Kutler, the president of MSNBC, shared in a memo of her own that she’s aware the name change is a bit jarring. “I know this announcement will be met with questions, and I want to acknowledge that for many of you who have spent years or decades here, it is hard to imagine the network by any other name,” she wrote. “This was not a decision that was made quickly or without significant debate.”
So MS NOW it is. Sure, the name is getting flamed on social media, but I’m sure all the Cousin Gregs at Versant are still feeling really confident about it.
