MSNBC Is Taking a Page out of the HBO MAX Handbook by Changing Its Name — What Is Happening?

As William Shakespeare once wrote in Romeo and Juliet, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." In that context we are meant to understand that despite the fact that the Montagues and Capulets are warring families, that shouldn't change the way two horny teens feel about each other. In the real world, a name can carry a lot of weight. In the media world, it doesn't seem to matter anymore.

In the wake of Warner Bros. Discovery turning MAX back into HBO MAX and itself back into Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, other media outlets are getting on the name change train, and frankly, we don't really understand why. In August 2025, MSNBC announced that after 29 years, they too are changing their name. What's going on with that? Here's what we know.

According to The New York Times, Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president, told employees in a memo that MSNBC is changing its name to My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW. This change is meant to reflect the organization's mission to provide "breaking news and best-in-class opinion journalism."

Ms. Kutler went on to say that she wanted acknowledge how hard it would be for longtime employees to think of the network by any other name. "This was not a decision that was made quickly or without significant debate," she said. MS NOW's parent company Comcast is in the middle of a corporate spinoff, which includes a new company called Versant. The MSNBC name change is part of this shake up.

Mark Lazarus, chief executive of Versant, explained that organizations under the new company can no longer use NBC branding. "This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin," said Mr. Lazarus. For example, once the separation is complete, CNBC will no longer use the peacock logo, but they will retain their name, as it stands for Consumer News and Business Channel.