MSNBC, one of America’s most recognizable cable news channels, is about to get a whole new identity—and not everyone is thrilled. On August 18, 2025, the network announced that it would soon rebrand as MS NOW, short for My Source News Opinion World, marking an end to its decades-long association with NBCUniversal and its iconic peacock logo. The move, which is part of a larger shake-up at NBCUniversal, has sparked a tidal wave of reactions across social media, with critics lambasting the new name and logo as a branding misfire of epic proportions.
The rebrand is not happening in isolation. NBCUniversal, the parent company of MSNBC, is spinning off several of its cable networks—including USA Network, Syfy, CNBC, Golf Channel, GolfNow, and SportsEngine—into a new media company called Versant later this year. As a result, MSNBC will shed its NBC branding and peacock imagery, striking out on a path toward independence. According to a statement from MSNBC on August 18, “This name further underscores our mission: to serve as your destination for breaking news and thoughtful analysis and remain the home for the perspectives that you’ve relied on for nearly 30 years.” The network added that the new name “gives us the freedom to chart our own path forward, and we’re excited about where it’s headed.”
The change, however, has not been universally embraced. Social media platforms lit up almost immediately after the announcement, with users voicing everything from confusion to outright derision. One particularly scathing post read, “MSNBC changing its name to MS NOW is one of the worst branding disasters in media history. The logo looks like it belongs on a discount computer from 1998, not a serious news network. Absurd.” Others compared the rebrand to other controversial corporate makeovers, such as HBO’s switch to MAX, Facebook’s transformation into Meta, and Twitter’s much-maligned rebrand as X.
The new logo, featuring a plain blue background with a red-and-white striped flag, has also become a lightning rod for criticism. “The MSNBC rebrand feels like an intentional attempt to kill the network. I hope they prove us wrong, but right now it’s just horrible,” one user lamented. Another quipped, “MS NOW sounds like a short-lived Windows operating system from the early 2000s that needlessly redesigned too much and failed to be adopted by a critical mass of users.” The jokes didn’t stop there—some users dubbed the channel “BS NOW,” while others riffed on the “MS” initials, suggesting everything from “Majorly Skewed News Overly Woke” to “Most Surely No One Watching.”
Behind the scenes, the rebrand is being positioned as a necessary step for MSNBC’s evolution. In an August 18 memo to staff, MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler explained, “During this time of transition, NBCUniversal decided that our brand requires a new, separate identity… The future of our success is not tied to remaining within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our identity.” Mark Lazarus, CEO of MSNBC and the incoming head of Versant, echoed this sentiment, stating that the peacock logo “is synonymous with NBCUniversal, and it is a symbol they have decided to keep within the NBCU family.”
While the public response has been largely negative, some prominent voices within MSNBC have stepped forward to defend the decision. On August 19, Rachel Maddow took to the popular “Pivot” podcast, hosted by Kara Swisher, to make the case for MS NOW. Maddow argued that the rebrand would allow the channel to operate with greater independence from NBC News, saying, “In this case, we can apply our own instincts, our own queries, our own priorities, to getting stuff that we need from reporters and correspondents … and so it’s gonna be better.” She added, “If there was ever a time for us to change our name, this is it — because we’re not just separating from NBC News in corporate terms, we’re competing with them now. So I think the distinction is going to be good for us.”
Maddow’s optimism was joined by that of “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough, who praised the new logo as “very sporty” and said, “This shows we’re independent.” Scarborough elaborated during his show, “When you have somebody come into your company … and they go, ‘We want you to be entrepreneurial. We want you to come up with new ideas. We want you to push the boundaries.’ I’m excited about that.” Several MSNBC anchors, including Eugene Daniels, Ali Vitali, and Jonathan Capehart, posted the new logo on their own social media accounts, signaling their support for the network’s new direction.
Not all reactions from within the media world have been glowing, but some industry observers see a silver lining. Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times reporter and co-host of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” commented that the spinoff “does have the sort of independence and actually get away in some ways even from the idea of legacy media.” He described MSNBC, CNBC, and USA as “insurgent networks,” though he did express some regret over the loss of the peacock logo, a symbol that has been part of American television for generations.
The path to this moment has not been entirely smooth. Earlier in 2025, Mark Lazarus had assured MSNBC staff that the network’s name would remain unchanged, stating, “I know there was some discussion with the MSNBC name, so you can take that off of your worry list on things.” The subsequent reversal has only added to the sense of upheaval, leaving some employees and viewers alike feeling blindsided by the rapid pace of change.
As the dust settles, it’s clear that MS NOW’s debut will be closely watched—not just by loyal MSNBC viewers, but also by the broader media industry. The rebrand comes at a time when cable news faces fierce competition from digital outlets, streaming platforms, and social media. Whether the new name and identity will help MS NOW carve out a distinctive place in this crowded landscape remains to be seen.
For now, the online reaction serves as a reminder that rebranding a beloved institution is always a risky proposition. As one commentator dryly noted, “MS NOW joins the list of dubious rebranding/marketing efforts that includes New Coke, Pizza Hut briefly considering ‘The Hut,’ Vegemite calling itself iSnack 2.0—and RadioShack holding a ‘Netogether’ event to embrace the nickname ‘The Shack.’” If history is any guide, MS NOW will have to work hard to win over skeptics and prove that its new identity is more than just a punchline.
As MS NOW prepares to launch, all eyes are on the network’s next moves. Will the rebrand usher in a new era of independence and innovation, or will it become another cautionary tale in the annals of corporate branding? Only time—and perhaps the ever-watchful court of public opinion—will tell.
