The cable networks of Comcast Corporation have been split into Versant Media Group, Inc. This is a big change in the media industry. This move makes a separate, publicly traded company that focuses on news, sports, and entertainment assets.
Mark Lazarus is the CEO of Versant Media, which now runs networks on its own. These include USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, E!, Syfy, Golf Channel, and Oxygen, as well as digital platforms like Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, and NBC Sports Now. On the record date, Comcast shareholders got one share of Versant Class A or B common stock for every 25 shares of Comcast stock they owned. The board of Comcast approved the spinoff in December 2025. It went into effect on January 5, 2026, and Versant shares began trading on Nasdaq in the “regular way.”
Versant can now follow its own strategy because of the split. This makes it a buyer of complementary media businesses and lets it reach 70 million U.S. households thanks to its size. NBCUniversal owns Comcast’s NBC broadcast network, Peacock streaming, Bravo, studios, and theme parks. Anand Kini, who used to be the CFO of NBCU, is now the CFO and COO of Versant.
Versant talks about “scale, strategy, and leadership to grow,” and it balances linear TV with digital revenue through DTC, FAST, and AVOD models. Versant’s properties will have access to advanced targeting tools thanks to a two-year ad sales deal with NBCUniversal.
