Business
Comcast spinoff Versant starts trading on Nasdaq in rare media debut
Versant Media Group, the portfolio of cable TV networks and digital assets spun off by Comcast, joined the small cohort of public media companies Monday as the industry reckons with ongoing disruption.
Versant began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “VSNT,” opening at $45.17 per share.
The company’s so-called when-issued stock — a security that is expected to be issued and has been authorized to trade on a conditional basis to give investors an early chance to buy shares — initially began trading on Dec. 15 at $55 per share and ended trading Friday at $46.65 per share.
As of mid-morning Monday, Versant shares had fallen to roughly $40 per share, down 14% on the day.
The company’s market capitalization stands at roughly $6.5 billion with shares outstanding of 145.76 million based on the spinoff ratio. As part of the spinoff, Comcast shareholders received one share of Versant stock for every 25 shares of Comcast stock they owned.
“It’s been a year in the making,” said Mark Lazarus, Versant CEO, on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday.
In November 2024, Comcast announced its intention to separate out the bulk of NBCUniversal’s cable TV networks, including MS Now (formerly MSNBC), CNBC, Golf Channel, USA, E!, Syfy and Oxygen, as well as digital properties Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and Sports Engine.
“As part of Comcast and NBCU we had other priorities as a company,” Lazarus said. “We made different decisions, because we had a different company and a different strategy. Now we’re bringing these [assets] into their own company, we’re going to be able to invest into them. We’ll invest organically … and hopefully the market is listening to what we’re saying.”
Lazarus said “vertical scale” is necessary to diversify the business away from a dependence on pay TV.
“While that’s still a big, profitable part for us, it’s not going to be the end game,” he said.
There are few traditional media companies that have gone public in recent years — namely because of the significant challenges the industry has been facing due to the shift away from the TV bundle and toward streaming.
In 2025, Newsmax, the conservative cable news network, went public on the New York Stock Exchange and quickly saw its shares soar from its $14 per share opening price. It has fallen precipitously since its debut.
Instead, the media sector has been marked by a rush for consolidation and fresh M&A deals. Paramount Skydance completed its merger last year, and since then CEO David Ellison has been acquisitive. Warner Bros. Discovery, itself formed following a merger in 2022, last year kicked off a sale process that resulted in a proposed deal with Netflix. Paramount has since made a hostile offer to WBD shareholders to upend the proposed transaction with Netflix.
Mark Lazarus, CEO of Versant, visits the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 21, 2025.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
The Versant spinoff was likewise a result of the disruptive media landscape. Its executives, led by CEO Lazarus, former chairman of NBCUniversal’s media group, spent the final months of 2025 convincing Wall Street investors that the future of the business would be focused on growing the digital presence of its portfolio.
The company has also highlighted its strength in news and sports, the two categories of programming that still receive the bulk of TV viewers. Although networks like those in Versant’s portfolio are seeing declines in financials, they are still profitable and beckon ad dollars.
On Monday, Lazarus once again pointed to Versant’s weight in sports and news, saying 62% of the portfolio is in those two content areas.
“We have a really strong position,” Lazarus said.
In September Versant reported declining revenue in recent years as consumers exit the cable TV bundle.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission ahead of going public, Versant’s assets generated $7.1 billion in revenue in 2024 , down from $7.4 billion in 2023 and $7.8 billion in 2022. The company said its net income attributable to Versant was $1.4 billion in 2024, down from $1.5 billion in 2023 and $1.8 billion in 2022.
Shortly after, ratings agencies S&P Global and Fitch Ratings each issued BB credit ratings on the company’s debt noting stable outlooks, placing the company’s rating in junk territory. This was based on Versant’s plans to issue $2.75 billion of new senior secured debt to fund a one-time $2.25 billion cash distribution to Comcast and add $500 million to its balance sheet, according to S&P.
Versant’s low debt levels have boded well for the company with both ratings agencies and have been a highlight in its pitch to Wall Street investors. Media peers like Warner Bros. Discovery have grappled with heavy debt loads while also contending with the decline of cable TV subscribers and lower ad revenue.
Both ratings agencies noted the headwinds facing the traditional TV landscape, which S&P said “offset the strength of [Versant’s] portfolio,” noting that revenue from linear distribution and advertising from its networks accounted for more than 80% of total revenue.
Fitch said “the strong viewer loyalty and engagement” with Versant’s TV networks, as well as its conservative debt structure, bodes as a positive for the company.
Versant executives said at a recent investor day presentation that the company intends to grow its digital business through acquisitions and investments.
— CNBC’s Gina Francolla contributed to this article.
Disclosure: Versant is the parent company of CNBC.
Last Updated:
A Forbes ’30 Under 30′ entrepreneur sold a startup on the promise of millions of users, until investigators said much of the data was fake, triggering a major fraud scandal
The bank launched an internal probe, which concluded that the user database supplied during the acquisition process had been largely fabricated.
In 2021, amid the gleaming towers of the global financial capital, a blockbuster business deal was quietly taking shape. On one side was 28-year-old entrepreneur Charlie Javice, founder of a college-aid startup named Frank. On the other was JPMorgan Chase, the world’s largest bank, eager to tap into a new generation of young customers.
The bank believed it had discovered a rising star. Javice claimed her platform was simplifying the complex process of applying for US federal student aid and had already attracted more than 42 lakh users. Convinced by the numbers and the promise of instant access to millions of potential future customers, JPMorgan agreed to acquire Frank for $175 million (roughly Rs 1,400 crore).
Javice’s credentials only strengthened the bank’s confidence. Raised in an affluent New York neighbourhood and educated at the prestigious Wharton School, she was widely profiled as a visionary young founder. She had already been featured on Forbes’ “30 Under 30″ list, celebrated as a champion of students struggling with tuition costs.
But beneath the glossy image, Frank was reportedly not performing at the level Javice projected. According to later investigations, the user base she claimed simply did not exist.
When JPMorgan sought verification of the 42 lakh users, Javice allegedly turned to a data science professor and commissioned a synthetic database containing millions of fabricated names, email addresses and birth dates. Investigators say this falsified data was then presented to the bank as genuine.
The acquisition went through, and Javice received a senior role and significant financial benefits as part of the deal. However, doubts surfaced soon after. When JPMorgan’s marketing team emailed what they believed were Frank’s millions of users, only about 1% of recipients engaged. A vast majority of the messages reportedly bounced back, indicating that the accounts were non-existent.
The bank launched an internal probe, which concluded that the user database supplied during the acquisition process had been largely fabricated. JPMorgan subsequently terminated Javice’s employment and filed a lawsuit, accusing her of fraud and misleading the bank.
Javice denied wrongdoing and countersued, alleging the bank was attempting to avoid contractual payments. The dispute quickly escalated into a global headline-maker, casting a harsh spotlight on the pressures and ethical lapses within the startup ecosystem.
The case has fuelled debate around the “fake it till you make it” culture that often rewards hype over fundamentals. Prosecutors allege that in the pursuit of rapid success and investor confidence, basic trust between companies, investors and the public was compromised.
Javice now faces multiple fraud-related charges in US courts. If convicted, she could face significant prison time.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google.
January 07, 2026, 19:32 IST
Read More
Last Updated:
Unlisted shares of Victory Electric Vehicles International are trading at Rs 41 apiece in the grey market, which is zero premium over IPO price of Rs 41, indicating weak listing.
Victory Electric Vehicles IPO.
Victory Electric Vehicles IPO GMP: The initial public offering (IPO) of Victory Electric Vehicles International Ltd opened for public subscription today, Wednesday, January 7. The price band of the Rs 34.56-crore IPO has been fixed at Rs 41. Till 5:20 pm on the first day of bidding on Wednesday, the IPO received a total of 0.28x times subscription, garnering bids for 22,35,000 shares as against 80,07,000 shares on offer.
Its retail category got a 0.38x subscription, while its non-institutional investor (NII) quota got a 0.18x subscription.
Victory Electric Vehicles International Limited, incorporated in October 2018, designs, manufactures, and distributes electric vehicles. The company provides sustainable and eco-friendly mobility solutions by offering a wide range of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and commercial vehicles.
Victory Electric Vehicles IPO GMP Today
According to market observers, unlisted shares of Victory Electric Vehicles International Ltd are currently trading at Rs 41 apiece in the grey market, which is a zero premium over the IPO price of Rs 41. It indicates a flat or negative listing. Its listing will take place on January 14, Wednesday.
The GMP is based on market sentiments and keeps changing. ‘Grey market premium’ indicates investors’ readiness to pay more than the issue price.
Victory Electric Vehicles IPO: More Details
Victory Electric Vehicles has entered the primary market with a fixed-price IPO of Rs 34.56 crore, consisting entirely of a fresh issue of 0.84 crore equity shares.
The public issue opened for subscription on January 7, 2026, and will close on January 9, 2026. The basis of allotment is expected to be finalised on January 12, 2026, while the company’s shares are proposed to be listed on the NSE SME platform, with a tentative listing date of January 14, 2026.
The IPO has been priced at ₹41 per share. Investors can apply in lots of 3,000 shares each. At this price, retail investors are required to invest a minimum of Rs 2.46 lakh for two lots, or 6,000 shares, while high net-worth investors need to apply for at least three lots, or 9,000 shares, involving an investment of Rs 3.69 lakh.
Corpwis Advisors Pvt Ltd is acting as the book-running lead manager for the issue, while Maashitla Securities Pvt Ltd has been appointed as the registrar. Alacrity Securities Ltd will serve as the market maker for the IPO.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google.
January 07, 2026, 15:13 IST
Read More
Two former finance directors of collapsed firm Carillion have been fined by the City watchdog after acting “recklessly” and playing a part in misleading statements issued by the outsourcing giant before its high-profile demise eight years ago.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said Richard Adam and Zafar Khan were “both aware of serious financial troubles in Carillion’s UK construction business but failed to reflect this in company announcements or alert the board and audit committee”.
The regulator said it had fined Mr Adam and Mr Khan £232,800 and £138,900 respectively, after the pair withdrew their challenges to the FCA’s findings.
It comes six years since the outsourcing giant, which employed 12,000 people, collapsed in January 2018 with massive debts.
Before its failure, Carillion had been one of the UK’s biggest construction and facilities management companies, with several major government contracts.
The FCA said it found the ex-finance directors at Carillion “acted recklessly and were knowingly concerned in breaches by Carillion of the Market Abuse Regulation and the Listing Rules”.
Mr Adam was Carillion’s group finance director from April 2007 to the end of 2016 and was succeeded by Mr Khan, who acted in the role from January 2017 until September of that year.
The FCA said the pair had responsibility for Carillion’s procedures, systems and controls relating to financial reporting.
“These were not sufficient to ensure that contract accounting judgments made in its UK construction business were made, recorded and reported appropriately,” it added.
Steve Smart, joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: “Those in positions of responsibility have a duty to keep the market accurately and adequately informed.
“With Carillion, we have seen the serious impact it can have when they don’t.
“The action taken against Mr Adam and Mr Khan demonstrates our commitment to preventing market abuse and upholding the standards we expect.”
$175-Million Scam: How This 28-Year-Old Woman Fooled The World’s Biggest Bank
Karachi mayor pushes for culling over neutering to curb rising dog bite cases
Vietnam’s foreign trade hits record high of over $930 bn in 2025
-
Entertainment1 week agoGeorge Clooney, his wife Amal and their twins granted French citizenship
-
Sports1 week agoMorocco reach AFCON last 16 | The Express Tribune
-
Business1 week agoA major drop in the prices of petroleum products is likely with the arrival of the New Year. – SUCH TV
-
Entertainment1 week agoBeyoncé is now a billionaire, according to Forbes
-
Fashion1 week agoUK year-end review 2025: Seeking new avenues
-
Politics1 week agoUS pledges $2bn for UN aid, with ‘adapt, shrink or die’ warning
-
Business7 days agoEnergy price cap rises slightly as temperatures fall
-
Entertainment7 days agoFrance president ‘wants to ban under-15s from social media’