Cable news channel MSNBC, which rebranded as MS NOW last month, has more changes in store with plans to distinguish itself from other digital subscription offerings by bundling streaming with a 24/7 linear programming network and other services as part of a package scheduled to debut in mid-2026. It follows parent NBCUniversal’s scheduled spinoff of its cable TV holdings as Versant, which is set to begin trading on Nasdaq in January under the leadership of longtime Comcast executive Mark Lazarus. Speaking at an investor meeting Thursday, NBCU execs also shared a strategy for Versant to transition the Fandango at Home streaming hub (formerly Vudu) into a FAST service. Continue reading Versant Planning New Strategies for MS NOW and Fandango

Comcast NBCUniversal continues to lay the groundwork to spin most of its cable television assets off into a new publicly traded entity called Versant, announcing Monday that MSNBC will by year’s end be rebranded as MS NOW — short for “My Source for News Opinion and the World.” The channel’s new logo will no longer include the iconic Peacock, which remains part of the parent company’s NBC branding. The plans were shared in an internal memo from Mark Lazarus, the NBCUniversal Media Group chairman who has been chosen to run Versant as founding CEO. Continue reading MSNBC to Become MS NOW as Part of Versant Cable Spinoff

AMC Networks increased streaming revenue by 12 percent to $169 million in Q2 despite an 18 percent dip in U.S. ad sales. The company — whose portfolio of streaming platforms includes AMC+, Sundance Now, Acorn TV, Shudder, HIDIVE and ALLBLK — added 200,000 new subs in the April through June period, ending the quarter with a total of 10.4 million, a 2 percent increase. AMC said it now calculates streaming subscribers on the basis of paid signups. Ongoing challenges in the U.S. cable and satellite TV markets that berth the bulk of its business continue to drag on the balance sheet. AMC’s cable and satellite brands include AMC, BBC America, IFC, IFC Films, SundanceTV and WE tv. Continue reading AMC Networks: Streaming Revenue Growth, Drop in Ad Sales

Warner Bros. Discovery is planning to split into two publicly-traded companies by next year, one company focused on film, streaming and content production and the other concentrating on traditional television, including cable TV properties CNN, Discovery and TNT Sports. The Streaming & Studios company will contain Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, and HBO Max, as well as the film and television libraries. Global Networks will include CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S. as well as top free-to-air European channels, Bleacher Report and the Discovery+ streaming network. Continue reading WBD Will Split into Two Publicly Traded Companies Next Year