Talk:Versant

Move discussion in progress

There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Versant which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 00:35, 29 September 2025 (UTC)

Notification of Mark Lazarus request

Hi editors, on behalf of Mark Lazarus and Versant via my work at Beutler Ink, I have an edit request for general clean up to the Mark Lazarus article. Editors here might be interested. Danilo Two (talk) 17:34, 22 December 2025 (UTC)

This edit request has been reviewed. Thanks. Danilo Two (talk) 15:49, 23 December 2025 (UTC)

Factual corrections: Infobox and asset list

COI Disclosure: I work with Versant and am not editing directly per WP:COI guidelines.

I wanted to flag several potential factual issues for editor review:

1. Infobox "Owner" field: The infobox lists Brian L. Roberts as "Owner" with a note about 1% equity and 33% voting power. Given that Versant is a publicly traded company with distributed ownership, would "Owner" be the appropriate field label? The voting power detail is accurate, but "Owner" may be misleading for readers. Perhaps this should be reflected differently, or the field removed in favor of noting his role in the "Key people" or body text.

2. IAC Inc. in "See also": IAC Inc. appears in the "See also" section, but I'm not clear on the connection to Versant beyond its role as a distant predecessor company to USA Networks, which was reconstituted into an unrelated holding company in 2002-2003. Is there a current relationship I'm missing, or might this have been added in error?

(Removed items 3 & 4 from my original post, someone already updated these. Thank you!)

Happy to provide additional sourcing if helpful for any of these items. WeekdayUpdate (talk) 19:14, 29 January 2026 (UTC)

Partly done: I kept the owner field, as it is used in a similar fashion in other articles (ex: Meta Platforms, Berkshire Hathaway)   MetalBreaksAndBends   (talk) (contribs) 02:46, 5 February 2026 (UTC)

Introduction: Current status and brand overview

COI Disclosure: I work with Versant and am not editing directly per WP:COI guidelines.

Two observations about the lead section for editor consideration:

1. Corporate status: The company completed its spin-off and began trading independently on January 5, 2026. Some of the introduction's framing may still reflect the pre-spin-off period when Versant was being established. Would editors consider reviewing whether the language accurately reflects Versant's current status as an independent public company?

2. Brand/property overview: The lead mentions several key properties (USA Network, MS NOW, CNBC, etc.) but doesn't include the digital properties that are part of the portfolio—Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, GolfNow, SportsEngine, etc. Per MOS:LEAD, the introduction should summarize the article's most important points. Given that Versant has emphasized its digital assets as part of its strategy, would editors consider whether a brief mention of key digital properties belongs in the lead?

I'm not proposing specific wording given my COI, just flagging these for community consideration. WeekdayUpdate (talk) 19:24, 29 January 2026 (UTC)

I took a look at the lead, in response to the COI request. The final paragraph mixed past and future tense even though the spin-off has already occurred. I adjusted the verbs so that completed actions are in past tense and ongoing are in present tense. No substantive content changes. WhaleFarm (talk) 00:25, 13 March 2026 (UTC)

Regarding the international networks

Does anyone know if NBCU kept the international channels or not, since idk if they aren’t listed on Versant's website? VenezuelanSpongeBobFan2004 (talk) 14:17, 15 February 2026 (UTC)

MS NOW news partnership with Sky News

COI Disclosure: I work with Versant and am not editing directly per WP:COI guidelines. The article's MS NOW section covers the rebrand and programming changes but doesn't mention the multi-year news partnership with Sky News, which began October 1, 2025 — before the spin-off was completed. Under the deal, Sky News provides international reporting to MS NOW through its 11 global bureaus and 500+ journalist team. This was widely covered in trade press:

Variety: "MSNBC, Sky News Strike Deal to Bring Global Reporting to U.S. Audiences" Deadline: "MSNBC Taps Sky News For International Reports As Comcast Spinoff Nears"

The article already notes a similar operational arrangement — the AccuWeather content deal — so this seems consistent with the existing scope. Would an editor consider whether this is appropriate to include? WeekdayUpdate (talk) 03:10, 15 April 2026 (UTC)

 Done CornerLitTweak (talk) 22:38, 28 April 2026 (UTC)

USA Sports rights portfolio: WNBA and LOVB deals

COI Disclosure: I work with Versant and am not editing directly per WP:COI guidelines. The article's sports coverage currently notes the USGA championship renewal and Pac-12 five-year partnership. Two additional independently reported rights deals may warrant inclusion:

1. WNBA: In September 2025, Versant announced an 11-year agreement for USA Network to carry WNBA games — including regular season, portions of the Playoffs, and WNBA Finals in select years — beginning with the 2026 season. USA Network will present at least 50 WNBA games annually through 2036.

Deadline: "WNBA, Versant's USA Network Set Expanded Rights Deal Through 2036" CNBC: "Versant adds WNBA media deal to its growing sports portfolio"

2. League One Volleyball: Versant struck a multiyear deal with LOVB for primetime Wednesday broadcasts on USA Network.

CNBC: "Versant strikes multiyear media deal with League One Volleyball"

Both deals were signed independently by Versant (not inherited from NBCUniversal), which distinguishes them as part of the company's post-spin-off sports strategy. Given that the article already covers comparable rights agreements in this section, would editors consider whether these are appropriate to include? WeekdayUpdate (talk) 03:13, 15 April 2026 (UTC)

Reply 9-JUN-2026

  Edit request declined  

• These deals concern USA Network and not Versant per se.
• There are three different articles: Versant, USA Networks, and USA Sports. If the argument is that Versant is so thoroughly involved in the day to day operations of USA Network and USA Sports, and that their involvement in signing and announcing these deals was inextricable, then why are there three different articles?
• Either the USA Network is so-linked to its parent and its own programming division that they cannot enter into deals without the others present—so much so that these companies and divisions are virtually indistinguishable from each other requiring the articles to be merged—or else they are three different entities requiring three different articles.
• This is currently a grey area requiring greater delineation. The minimalist approach would be to choose one article to have this deal remarked upon, rather than two out of three—which might come off as promotional to some editors.

Regards,  Spintendo  10:46, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

Thanks, Spintendo! I appreciate you weighing in. It does seem the USA Sports page would be the right place for that information. WeekdayUpdate (talk) 20:58, 16 June 2026 (UTC)

Follow-up: IAC Inc. in "See also"

COI Disclosure: I work with Versant and am not editing directly per WP:COI guidelines.

Back in January I raised a few factual items in the "Factual corrections: Infobox and asset list" thread above. Most were resolved (thank you), but one sub-item doesn't appear to have been addressed and I wanted to flag it separately for clarity:

IAC Inc. is listed in the article's "See also" section, but the connection to Versant isn't clear. IAC's only relationship to this corporate lineage appears to run through USA Networks, a distant predecessor that was reconstituted into an unrelated holding company in 2002–2003. There is no current corporate, ownership, or operational relationship between IAC and Versant that I'm aware of.

Per MOS:SEEALSO, "See also" links should have a reasonably close relationship to the topic of the article. Unless an editor sees a connection I'm missing, would it be appropriate to remove the IAC Inc. entry from "See also"? Happy to provide additional detail if useful. WeekdayUpdate (talk) 20:52, 16 June 2026 (UTC)

Financial performance: First-year public-company results

COI Disclosure: I work with Versant and am not editing directly per WP:COI guidelines.

The article currently includes no detail on Versant's financial performance since the spin-off, even though the company has now issued two publicly reported earnings releases as an independent company. Independent trade and financial press coverage offers several concrete facts that may warrant a brief addition:

1. Initial standalone earnings (Q4 2025, reported March 2026): In its first earnings release as an independent public company, Versant announced a $1 billion share repurchase authorization alongside an inaugural dividend.

Realscreen: "Versant issues first standalone earnings report, unveils $1 bn share buyback" (March 3, 2026)

Variety: "Versant Says 2025 Profit Fell, Citing Revenue Dips in Advertising, Distribution" (March 5, 2026)

2. Q1 2026 results (reported May 14, 2026): Versant reported Q1 2026 revenue of approximately $1.69 billion (down ~1% year over year) and net income of $286 million (down 22%). Pay-TV distribution revenue declined 7.3% to $1.01 billion, while platforms revenue grew 9% to $192 million.

Wall Street Journal: "Versant Revenue Slides on Lower Subscriber Numbers and Ad Sales" (May 14, 2026)

CNBC: "Versant reports first-quarter revenue decline, with bright spots in platforms and licensing" (May 14, 2026)

Variety: "Versant Q1 Sees Profit Slip On Revenue Dip, Corporate Costs; Non-TV Operations Show Strength" (May 14, 2026)

Given that the article currently has no section or paragraph covering Versant's reported financial results, would editors consider whether a brief Financial Performance section — or a short summary paragraph within an existing section — covering these publicly reported figures is appropriate? I'm raising this as a question rather than proposing specific wording, since placement and level of detail are editor judgment calls. WeekdayUpdate (talk) 20:55, 16 June 2026 (UTC)

Verdant is Subsidiary of Comcast

Verdant is A Subsidiary of Comcast. But The Page Doesn't Reflect it., It Needs to Be Done. GlammySammy (talk) 17:12, 15 July 2026 (UTC)