Hosts from MS NOW‘s Morning Joe and CNBC‘s Squawk Box appeared at the NBCUniversal upfront Monday to vouch for the impact of Versant Media‘s programming.
For years, the talent’s presence at Radio City Music Hall would have been utterly ordinary. In 2026, though, the talent and networks are not owned by NBCUniversal. Along with a number of other cable and digital assets, MS NOW and CNBC were spun off by Comcast into a new stand-alone company, Versant Media.
As a bridge from its start-up phase to a more established one down the line, the new company reached multi-year agreements with NBCU for distribution and advertising services. Along with MS NOW (rebranded from MSNBC) and CNBC, properties under the Versant tent include USA Network, Golf Channel and movie outlet Fandango. Versant started trading last January on the Nasdaq.
The appearance by Morning Joe co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, and CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin and Becky Quick came toward the end of a nearly two-hour upfront presentation by NBCU. The event is the kickoff to this year’s blitz of upfronts spanning Monday through Wednesday.
“Every day, we equip our viewers with what’s happening in Washington, why it matters, and how it impacts their lives,” Brzezinski told the crowd. “Our audience comes to us for trust and for deeper understanding. Viewership is up 20%. Our lineup is resonating. We’re reaching 32 million Americans every week who spend more than nine hours with us.”
Scarborough also chimed in, pronouncing his new company’s name “Ver-SAHNT.” Sorkin and Quick added some messaging from CNBC before a sizzle reel played.
While Versant didn’t cast the largest shadow during the lengthy presentation, they did merit a spot in Seth Meyers’ roast set at the end of the show.
“If you’re from out of town and you get hassled by someone for money on the subway, don’t panic – that’s just the Versant afterparty,” the late-night host cracked.
