The news: MSNBC is rebranding as MS NOW (My Source for News, Opinion and the World) as it spins off from NBCUniversal into Versant. The new name signals a break from its Microsoft roots and a push to establish an independent brand identity, while keeping its editorial positioning intact. NBCU described it as a chance to “chart our own path forward” with distinct logos and positioning apart from NBC News.

Zooming out: The timing comes as the TV news audience continues to erode worldwide.

In the US, just 50% of adults now say they used TV for news in the past week, down sharply from 72% in 2013, per YouGov. The shift is even more dramatic in markets like the UK (79% to 48%) and France (84% to 59%). Younger Americans in particular lean heavily on social networks: 54% of adults ages 18–24 cite social/video as their main news source, compared to only 19% for TV.

Even with this shift, TV news remains influential, particularly among older viewers. Thirty-eight percent of US adults 55+ still name TV as their main news source, compared with just 18% who rely on social media. This demographic reality explains why Fox News leads all individual outlets at 14% of US adults citing it as their top news source—well ahead of MSNBC, which sits at just 3%.

The branding problem: Critics warn that MS NOW risks confusing viewers, sounding more like a digital clip service than a major news channel. Older audiences, who remain the backbone of cable news, strongly associate trust with legacy names like NBC—meaning the loss of that equity could prove costly.

Communications experts also note that the “MS” acronym already carries associations ranging from Microsoft to multiple sclerosis, clouding the clarity of the new brand. Branding veterans liken the change to past naming missteps, suggesting it could backfire rather than signal independence. And while executives frame the rebrand as a clean break from NBCUniversal, some correspondents highlight that staff had previously been told the MSNBC name would remain, raising doubts that the change is more than cosmetic.

Our take: As linear TV declines and digital reshapes the news economy, MS NOW sees its rebrand not just as cosmetic but as a play for relevance—and a shot at scaling into something more than a niche outlet.

MS NOW appears to be eyeing growth beyond its left-leaning base, aiming to rival Fox News, which commands 14% of US news consumers by blending reporting with identity-driven opinion. The challenge is twofold: Retaining its loyal audience while broadening its appeal in a crowded landscape where Facebook (11%), TikTok (8%), and CNN (8%) already vie for attention (see chart). To succeed, the rebrand must be more than cosmetic—MS NOW will need programming and distribution moves that establish it as a destination for general news, not just partisan commentary.