MS NOW Brings Direct Membership to Connected TVs
Nov 03, 2026MS NOW members can now watch the network's live channel on major connected-TV platforms without a cable subscription. Some membership benefits won't reach those screens until 2027.
MS NOW is expanding its paid membership to connected televisions, allowing customers who subscribe directly to the network to watch its live channel without a cable or satellite TV package. Announced November 2, the rollout brings direct membership access to Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, Google TV and Amazon Fire TV, with full episodes available on demand.
The network, formerly MSNBC, launched its direct-to-consumer membership on September 9. MS NOW already had connected-TV apps, but watching the live channel generally required credentials from a participating television provider. Now customers who pay MS NOW directly can use their membership to sign in.
Bringing the subscription into the living room
Membership costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually. New members can receive 30% off their first year of an annual membership through November 17 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Someone who has dropped cable but still wants to watch MS NOW can now subscribe directly and watch the live channel on their television. Existing pay-TV customers can continue using their television-provider credentials.
For parent company Versant, the expansion opens another way to reach paying viewers while maintaining traditional television distribution. The network can sell memberships directly without requiring customers to subscribe through a cable or satellite provider.
More membership features are coming to TV in 2027
The connected-TV rollout brings live programming and on-demand episodes to direct members now. Other parts of the membership experience are still available through web and mobile.
MS NOW's broader membership includes live conversations with journalists, exclusive series, a member community and curated news briefings. Versant says twice-daily journalist Q&As, member-exclusive series and live events will become available on connected TVs in the first quarter of 2027.
That means members won't necessarily find the same benefits on every screen. Someone watching through a television app today has access to the network's established programming, while some additional features still require web or mobile access.
The expansion arrived ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, giving MS NOW a major news event around which to introduce direct membership access on television. Versant did not disclose membership totals or subscriber acquisition results in its November 2 announcement.
Insider Take
MS NOW is selling one membership, but customers won't necessarily find the same benefits on every screen. Someone who signs up to watch the network in the living room may reasonably expect the features included in that membership to be available there, too. Some won't arrive on connected TVs until 2027.
Streaming customers are already sorting through subscriptions, bundles and different ways to access programming. Now they may also need to keep track of which membership features work on which devices. That's a lot to ask of someone who thought they were buying one membership.
MS NOW's expansion raises questions about how membership benefits are delivered and what subscribers experience across devices. These resources help operators examine both the membership offer and the customer experience.
Examine the benefits a paid membership promises and what changes when a business begins selling directly to members.
Review the experience from signup through access, including where expectations and actual benefits may differ across channels.
Sources
- Versant, MS NOW Expands Its Membership to Connected TV Platforms Ahead of Election Day, November 2, 2026
- Versant, Become an MS NOW Member: A New Way to Watch, Connect and Engage, September 9, 2026
- TheWrap, MS NOW Brings Live Channel to Roku, Apple TV and Other Streamers Ahead of Midterms, November 2, 2026
- Reuters, Versant's MS NOW Brings Streaming Membership to Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV, November 2, 2026
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