MSNBC Panned After New Rebrand Fails Miserably

MSNBC just unveiled its boldest rebranding effort in decades—and it’s already being called one of the biggest flops in cable news history.

The network will now be known as “MS NOW”, part of a sweeping overhaul following its spin-off from NBCUniversal into a newly formed media group, Versant. Alongside networks like CNBC, E!, and USA, MSNBC’s makeover is supposed to mark a new era of editorial independence. But online and inside the building, the reaction has been brutal.

Gone is the iconic NBC peacock logo, a hallmark since 1996. In its place? A red-and-white striped flag-like emblem that critics say looks more like a failed congressional campaign banner than a news logo. The bold blue backdrop and sleek typeface were meant to convey modernity—but many viewers say it screams “MS Paint.”

According to execs, the name “MS NOW” stands for “My Source News Opinion World.” Unfortunately for them, that’s not what most people are thinking. Critics instantly linked “MS” to multiple sclerosis, sparking an X (formerly Twitter) trend mocking the name as sounding more like a medical charity than a media brand.

Even New York Magazine’s Intelligencer piled on, calling it “everything wrong with MS NOW,” saying the new name lacks punch, clarity, and worst of all—common sense.

Versant CEO Mark Lazarus had reportedly assured employees earlier this year that the MSNBC name would remain intact. That promise is now in pieces, and insiders say the sudden pivot has fueled distrust among staff.

The decision to ditch “MSNBC”—a name that originally reflected the partnership between Microsoft and NBC—has left longtime fans confused and disappointed. Many saw the brand as one of the last recognizable links to legacy journalism.

I just want to meet the absolute bandit who got MSNBC execs to fork over tons of $$$ for this logo and a name that reminds you of multiple sclerosis. I bet he hates them and can’t believe they used it. pic.twitter.com/WACo5A8fdW

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) August 18, 2025

To coincide with the rebrand, Versant is launching a nationwide marketing blitz. They’re also hiring around 100 newsroom staffers from networks like CNN, Bloomberg, and Politico, and opening a standalone Washington, D.C. bureau. But all of that momentum has now been eclipsed by the firestorm over the name and logo.

Even supporters of MSNBC are scratching their heads, wondering how a brand with 30 years of equity could be traded in for something so tone-deaf and clunky. For now, critics are calling it what it looks like: a multi-million-dollar faceplant.