MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, is launching a mobile app this summer as it moves away from a being traditional news network toward something closer to a social media platform, adapting to a rapidly changing media landscape.
The move comes as media focus is shifting away from major news brands and increasingly toward individual voices, with viewers engaging more with personalities they trust, whether that’s a TV host, newsletter writer or influencer, according to Bloomberg.
The MS NOW app will allow paying subscribers to stream the channel live, interact with on-air talent,and connect with other politically engaged viewers as the November midterms approach.
Marcus Mabry, senior vice president of content strategy, told Bloomberg the MS NOW app will stand out by offering “community spaces where we can talk to our audience, to our members, and our members can talk to us and to each other.”
Even though MS NOW’s app will be digital, analysts say it could also boost the network’s traditional cable revenue.
“It’s a way to further deepen the engagement with their viewership base, which then could also help to support the viewership on the linear service and therefore advertising,” David Joyce, an analyst at Seaport Research Partners, told Bloomberg.
The app will sit alongside MS NOW’s existing digital platforms, including its website, YouTube, TikTok and podcasts. The network says it saw more than 3.8 billion YouTube views, 4.1 billion TikTok views and over 140 million audio downloads in 2025 alone.
“We’ve found that there’s a really engaged community that watches us on live TV, on YouTube, often in longer settings, and then on social media, so having a place that complements those lanes, but is a more dedicated space, I think, is a great idea,” Ari Melber, host of The Beat With Ari Melbe, which airs on MS NOW’s cable network, told Bloomberg.
Behind the scenes, MS NOW is reshaping how it creates and packages content. Maddeline Haeringer, who oversees digital, audio and longform content, has been developing formats such as newsletters and Q&As and figuring out how they’ll fit into the new app, Bloomberg reports. She’s also expanding the network’s podcast lineup to support the digital push.
This personality-first approach is playing out across the media industry with mixed results. At CBS, for example, Tony Dokoupil’s move into the anchor chair has been part of a push toward more personality-driven news, but it’s also allegedly sparked internal tension.
The three Meiselas brothers, meanwhile, also built MeidasTouch into a popular video and social media network, while Aaron Rupar has amassed a huge social following with his one-man news output, where he clips the every move of Trump and administration officials.
As well as household name like such as Rachel Maddow and Lawrence O’Donnell, MS NOW, then MSNBC, also had their own breakout star during the last election cycle in Steve Kornacki. The election analyst became a fan favorite for his energetic coverage and signature touchscreen map during election nights.
While he’s move to NBC News, MS NOW has brought in new data-focused talent to fill that role.
The Independent has contacted MS Now for comment.
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