Overview
- Comcast’s board approved the Versant separation, with one Versant share for every 25 Comcast shares to holders of record Dec. 16 and distribution after the close Jan. 2; when‑issued trading is expected around Dec. 15 as VSNTV and regular‑way trading to begin Jan. 5 as VSNT.
- CEO Mark Lazarus will lead Versant with Anand Kini as CFO/COO and David Novak as chairman.
- Versant plans a direct-to-consumer MS Now service in summer 2026 and an ad-supported Fandango at Home offering in the second half of 2026.
- The company announced acquisitions of Free TV Networks to expand its over-the-air and FAST footprint and Indy Cinema Group to bolster Fandango’s cinema software stack, with deals subject to customary closing conditions.
- Management targets a longer-term 50/50 revenue mix between growth areas and pay TV, emphasized live programming and sports, and signaled little appetite to buy more linear networks, alongside a new CNBC–Kalshi data partnership.