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.

Fandango at Home as a free ad-supported streaming TV service is scheduled for the summer of 2026. NBCU parent Comcast controls the majority share of Fandango, which it owns with minority partner Warner Bros. Discovery.

Versant holdings will also include Rotten Tomatoes along with NBCU’s traditional cable holdings, which in addition to MS NOW include USA Network, CNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and the Golf Channel.

“Versant expects over time to generate half of its revenue from traditional pay TV and half from a series of new ventures that will also include expansion of products at CNBC and the acquisition of assets that will bolster Fandango’s operations,” reports Variety. “Versant executives said they expect the company to generate $6.6 billion in 2025 revenue, while holding $3 billion in debt and $750 million in cash.”

Lazarus talked up Versant’s future, fueled by an established viewer base across digital and linear, with brands that “are well known across the country.” Variety says Lazarus also plans to maintain “a strong focus on live programming,” quoting him saying “‘Live TV is hard’ but ‘it’s what the audiences are looking for.’”

Deadline writes the MS NOW subscription product debuting next summer is designed “to be a home for progressives on digital,’ with the linear feed, interactive content and community features.” The new product “puts MS NOW fans at the heart of the brand,” Deadline quotes Lazarus saying from the event.

Related:
MSNBC to Become MS NOW as Part of Versant Cable Spinoff, ETCentric, 8/19/25
NBCUniversal Spinoff Versant Acquires Free Streaming Channels, Cord Cutters News, 12/4/25
Versant Reveals New MS NOW DTC Platform, New CNBC Logo, Adweek, 12/5/25