The new company that will house most of Comcast’s cable television networks and digital properties when they are spun out later this year will be called Versant, the company’s CEO Mark Lazarus confirmed in a note to workers on Tuesday.
Versant will replace “SpinCo” as the permanent brand name, and is intended to reflect “versatility, growth and innovation,” Lazarus wrote in the note, a copy of which was reviewed by The Desk.
“When we first announced the spin-off, we knew it would require a new way forward for our iconic and beloved brands,” Lazarus wrote. “We’ve done a lot of work over the last few months to identify who we are and how we will create a successful company, which led us to this next step.”
Versant will include nearly all of Comcast’s cable networks, except Bravo, as well as digital platforms like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes when those assets are separated from NBC Universal later this year.
The company is already on a hiring spree — it has aspirations to onboard hundreds of journalists for MSNBC and CNBC, its two cable news and information channels — and hundreds more in production, marketing and support roles.
More than 5,000 prospective workers have expressed interest in joining Versant, Lazarus affirmed in the note.
“Later this week, we will launch a comprehensive careers site, which will list the open positions at our company,” Lazarus said. “This is an important step forward, laying a foundation for a company with deep industry knowledge and entrepreneurial edge.”
Versant continues to scout for a new headquarters, and has established temporary offices in a location that Lazarus referred to as “summer camp.”
