NBC News now fully owns msnbc.com

NBC News announced in New York Monday it is now full owner and operator of MSNBC Digital Network, which includes msnbc.com and TODAY.com. Also included in the group are NightlyNews.com, BreakingNews.com, Newsvine.com and EveryBlock.com, as well as the existing apps and digital extensions of these respective properties. NBC News President Steve Capus said NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News, acquired Friday from Microsoft its 50 percent share of the joint venture that was formed in 1996. All of NBC News' digital businesses, including MSNBC Digital Network properties, theGrio.com, NBCLatino.com, NBCPolitics.com, EducationNation.com, social media and all of the network's digital initiatives, will combine to form a new division called NBC News Digital. Under the NBC News umbrella, NBC News Digital joins the news network's television properties including "TODAY," "NBC Nightly News," "Meet the Press," "Dateline" and "Rock Center"; its cable arm, MSNBC TV; its radio and mobile arms, NBC News Radio and NBC News Mobile; its educational arm, NBC Learn; its production arm, Peacock Productions; its NBCUniversal partners, CNBC, The Weather Channel and Telemundo; and more than 200 of its local affiliate stations across the country. The current msnbc.com Web site has been renamed NBCNews.com. "When msnbc.com launched 16 years ago, it set the standard for how people consume news online -- creating trends and leading the marketplace. Today, NBC News enters a new phase of its history better positioned to compete and grow in a digital environment, as well as deliver consumers and clients a multi-platform news experience unlike anything else in the industry," Capus said in a statement. "We'd like to thank Microsoft for everything they've done for this partnership and for helping us build these properties into what they are today." "After years of working together with NBC to successfully build msnbc.com into a leading online news outlet, we are excited to explore future innovations, relationships and opportunities that will continue to provide the most relevant news and conversations at MSN," said Bob Visse, general manager of MSN. "We are looking forward to seeing how the msnbc news team thrives under NBC, and we will continue to feature the great stories from NBC News as well as expand our news offerings to best serve the evolving interests of our broad global audience."