Versant Media Group, Inc., doing business as Versant (), is an American multinational mass media and technology company. Versant is headquartered at 229 West 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, while technical operations and master control for its networks are housed at CNBC's world headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
The company owns cable networks including USA Network, MS NOW, CNBC, Golf Channel, E!, Syfy, and Oxygen, their related digital properties such as GolfNow, Fandango Media, and Rotten Tomatoes, as well as digital multicast television network operator Free TV Networks.
Comcast completed the corporate spin-off of the company in January 2026. Brian L. Roberts and his family hold a 33% voting share in Versant.
Contents
History
Announcement and lead-up
The corporate spin-off of the company was announced by Comcast in November 2024. This new company would consist of cable networks such as USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Golf Channel, and E!, among others, as well as digital properties such as a 75% stake in Fandango Media (owner of the titular online movie ticket retailer and digital movie store and film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes), and SportsEngine (a technology platform for youth sports organizations, then part of NBC Sports Digital). The spin-off aimed to separate these linear television networks and digital properties from NBCUniversal's flagship content production, distribution, and financing (Universal Studios); broadcasting (NBC and Telemundo); streaming (Peacock); and themed entertainment (Universal Destinations & Experiences) businesses, while providing them with the ability to make their own further investments and acquisitions. Bravo will remain under NBCUniversal ownership, due to the network being a major provider of content to Peacock. Universal Kids was also excluded; it was shut down on March 6, 2025.
In May 2025, Versant was chosen as the name of the company. a name developed by Catchword. Lazarus explained that Versant will be treated as a holding company and "house of brands"; a larger focus will be placed upon its individual properties rather than Versant being a public-facing brand, and decisions on digital operations (such as streaming) will be left to each network. Versant is also aiming to invest in non-media businesses that have synergies with its media properties, with Lazarus citing existing examples such as Golf Channel's ownership of the reservations platform GolfNow.
Questions were raised over how the spin-off would impact the synergies between Versant and the legacy divisions being retained by NBCUniversal, such as whether they would still be able to leverage resources from the NBC News and NBC Sports divisions or use the NBC name. Under its new president, Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC began expanding its newsgathering resources and Washington staff so it could operate with autonomy from NBC News. Versant will lease space for CNBC and MSNBC's Washington, D.C., bureaus at NBC's existing facility at 400 North Capitol. NBCUniversal will also provide advertising sales for Versant channels for two years after the completion of the spin-off, and the Versant channels participated in NBCUniversal's 2026 upfronts.
NBC Sports president Rick Cordella stated that the division would "fulfill every obligation" it currently has with the Versant channels.
Post spin-off (2026–present)
The corporate spin-off was completed in January 2026 and the company became a public company. The spin-off was intended to allow NBCUniversal to focus on its core film, television, streaming, and themed entertainment businesses, while allowing the divested properties to make their own further investments as a "house of brands". NBCUniversal continues to provide advertising sales services for a period after the spin-off and sublicensed certain sports properties to Versant for continuity. Ahead of the spin-off, CNBC and MSNBC editorially separated themselves from NBC News, while a separate USA Sports division was established for Versant to autonomously acquire its own sports properties.
Also in January 2026, acquired digital multicast television network and FAST operator Free TV Networks. It also acquired Indy Cinema Group—a provider of cloud-computing services for the cinema industry (via Fandango Media). Free TV Networks founder Jonathan Katz joined the company as an executive to oversee the networks.
Later that month, Versant renewed Golf Channel's content partnership with golfer Rory McIlroy (which primarily focuses on its GolfPass streaming service), and announced a new joint venture with the golfer known as Firethorn Productions, which will "produce original content and experiences that celebrate Rory's world and the modern golf lifestyle".
In January 2026, Versant announced its first content library sale, placing streaming rights to E!'s Keeping Up with the Kardashians with Hulu. While Versant retained on-air rights to 280 original episodes and a variety of specials and spinoffs, the deal unified streaming access to the first 14 years of Kardashian reality shows with the more recent The Kardashians series that has streamed on Hulu since 2022.
In April 2026, Versant announced that it would acquire the AI-based financial analytics platform StockStory for an undisclosed amount; it will primarily be integrated with CNBC.
In May 2026, Versant announced that it would sell SportsEngine to PlayMetrics. On June 2, 2026, Versant invested in microdrama distributor GammaTime. On July 6, 2026, Versant announced that it would acquire the sports simulator manufacturer Full Swing for $530 million; the company will operate as part of Versant's Digital Platforms and Ventures division, and as part of the Golf Channel unit.
Assets
Current
Versant houses the following assets:
Television Media
CNBC
CNBC-e (joint-venture with İlbak Holding)
CNBC Asia
CNBC Europe
CNBC World
CNBC TV18 (joint-venture with Network18 Group)
CNBC Awaaz
CNBC Bajar
CNBC Bangles
CNBC Tamilan
Class CNBC (joint-venture with Class Editori and Mediaset) (Versant owns 20%)
Nikkei CNBC (joint-venture with Nikkei, Inc. and TV Tokyo)
E!
E! (Latin America) (majority joint-venture with Ole Communications, distributed by Ole Distribution and licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
Free TV Networks
365BLK
Busted
Defy (joint-venture with A+E Global Media)
Outlaw
Golf Channel
Golf Channel Latin America (licensed to Warner Bros. Discovery)
GolfNow
Licensed
CNBC
CNBC Africa (licensed to Africa Business News)
CNBC Arabia (licensed to Middle East Business News)
CNBC Indonesia (licensed to Trans Media)
Times Brasil (licensed to Times Brasil/Attention Economics)
E!
E! Canada (licensed to Bell Media)
E! (Europe) (licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
Oxygen
Oxygen Canada (licensed to Bell Media)
Syfy
Sci Fi (Balkans) (licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
SciFi (France) (licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
Syfy (Spain) (licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
Sci Fi (Poland) (licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
Syfy (Portugal) (licensed to NBCUniversal International Networks)
USA Network
USA Network Canada (licensed to Bell Media)
Former
SportsEngine (sold to PlayMetrics on May 1, 2026)