MSNBC stands for Microsoft National Broadcasting Company , a portmanteau of MSN (Microsoft’s online service) and NBC (the National Broadcasting Company).

What the name means

  • The “MS” comes from Microsoft , which co‑founded the channel and its original website.
  • The “NBC” comes from NBC , the long‑established U.S. broadcast network that provided the news content and brand.

Quick context

  • MSNBC launched in 1996 as a joint venture between Microsoft and NBC, originally covering both a cable channel and an online news site.
  • Microsoft later sold its stake and exited the partnership, but the MSNBC name stuck even after the network became fully owned by NBCUniversal (Comcast).

Trending note (2025–2026)

  • In 2025 , NBCUniversal announced that MSNBC will rebrand as “MS NOW” (short for My Source for News, Opinion, and the World), signaling a shift away from the NBC‑centric branding.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.