History of CNBC in Timeline

CNBC is an American business news channel owned by NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast. It provides live business news and analysis during trading hours and other business-related content during off-peak times. CNBC also operates CNBC.com, a financial news website offering articles, videos, podcasts, and subscription services. Its main headquarters and studios are located in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with an additional studio at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City.

1979: Founding of Satellite Program Network (SPN)

In 1979, the Satellite Program Network (SPN) was founded, which would later evolve into Tempo Television and eventually play a role in the creation of CNBC.

June 1988: NBC Leases Tempo Television Transponder

In June 1988, NBC opted for a deal to lease Tempo Television's transponder, setting the stage for the launch of CNBC.

April 1989: CNBC Founded

In April 1989, CNBC was founded as a joint venture between NBC and Cablevision.

April 17, 1989: CNBC Relaunch

On April 17, 1989, the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) was relaunched with Neil Cavuto as anchor, operated as a joint venture between NBC and Cablevision.

1990: CNBC struggles to gain cable carriage

By the winter of 1990, CNBC faced difficulties in securing cable carriage, reaching only 17 million homes, less than half of FNN's reach, due to skepticism from providers.

March 2, 1991: FNN Files for Bankruptcy Protection

On March 2, 1991, the Financial News Network (FNN) filed for bankruptcy protection and was put up for sale after an accounting scandal.

May 21, 1991: CNBC Acquires FNN

On May 21, 1991, CNBC acquired the Financial News Network (FNN) for $154.3 million following a bankruptcy auction, merging the two operations.

1992: End of CNBC/FNN Daytime branding

In 1992, CNBC ceased branding its daytime programming as "CNBC/FNN Daytime", fully integrating FNN's elements into its own on-air presentation.

August 1993: Roger Ailes Hired as President of CNBC

In August 1993, Roger Ailes was appointed as the president of CNBC, tasked with revitalizing the struggling network.

June 1995: Launch of CNBC Asia

In June 1995, CNBC launched CNBC Asia, based in Hong Kong, expanding its international presence.

January 1996: Roger Ailes Resigns from CNBC

In January 1996, Roger Ailes resigned as the president of CNBC due to disagreements with management, including the decision to form a joint venture with Microsoft.

March 1996: Launch of CNBC Europe

In March 1996, CNBC Europe, headquartered in London, was launched, further extending CNBC's global operations.

1996: Previous CNBC Logo Update

In 1996, CNBC updated its logo, marking the previous instance of a major rebranding before the December 11, 2023 update.

December 1997: Strategic Alliance with Dow Jones

In December 1997, CNBC formed a strategic alliance with Dow Jones, involving content sharing and rebranding the channel as "a service of NBC and Dow Jones."

2000: Peak Daytime Viewership

In 2000, CNBC achieved its highest daytime viewership, reaching 343,000 viewers during market hours.

2001: CNBC Website Operated by MSN

From 2001, the CNBC website was operated by MSN.

2001: Plans to open CNBC airport shops announced

In 2001, the company announced plans to open as many as 100 airport shops in the United States.

2002: CNBC Ratings Decline

In 2002, CNBC experienced a 44% drop in ratings following the burst of the dot-com bubble.

August 2003: Weather Content Deal with AccuWeather

In August 2003, CNBC partnered with AccuWeather to provide weather content for its broadcasts.

October 2003: CNBC Relocates Headquarters

In October 2003, CNBC moved its world headquarters from Fort Lee, New Jersey to a new digital video production studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

2003: Further Decline in CNBC Ratings

In 2003, CNBC's ratings continued to decline, falling another 5% after the previous year's significant drop.

2005: NBC Universal Reacquires Full Control of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia

At the end of 2005, NBC Universal reacquired full control of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia from Dow Jones.

2005: CNBC Ratings Bottom Out

In Q1 2005, CNBC's ratings reached their lowest point, with an average daytime viewership of 134,000.

September 2006: Launch of FTSE CNBC Global 300 Index

In September 2006, CNBC launched the FTSE CNBC Global 300 stock market index in partnership with FTSE Group.

2006: CNBC Website Operated by MSN ends

In 2006, the CNBC website operation by MSN ended.

June 1, 2007: Launch of CNBC Africa

On June 1, 2007, CNBC Africa was launched, expanding the network's global reach.

October 10, 2007: CNBC HD launched on DirecTV

On October 10, 2007, CNBC HD, a 1080i high-definition television simulcast of CNBC, was launched, first on DirecTV.

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October 22, 2007: Introduction of CNBC Investor Network

On October 22, 2007, CNBC launched the "CNBC Investor Network", utilizing webcams in financial institutions to facilitate instant interviews with traders during news events.

December 2007: Content Partnership with Yahoo! Finance

In December 2007, CNBC established a content partnership with Yahoo! Finance to expand its online presence.

2007: CNBC Profitability and Ratings Peak

In 2007, CNBC's profits exceeded $333 million, becoming NBC Universal's second most profitable cable channel, and ratings hit an all-time high.

2007: Barron's article questions Jim Cramer's stock picks

In 2007, an article in Barron's stated that Jim Cramer's stock picks had not beaten the market over the past two years. Viewers holding Cramer's stocks would be up 12%, while the Dow rose 22% and the S&P 500 16%.

January 2008: Content Partnership with The New York Times

In January 2008, CNBC partnered with The New York Times to address increasing competition from News Corporation.

May 2008: Content Partnership with AOL

In May 2008, CNBC established a content partnership with AOL to broaden its online reach.

2008: Peak Daytime Viewership in Q1

In the first quarter of 2008, CNBC's average daytime viewership reached a seven-year high of 310,000 viewers.

2009: Ratings Plunge Due to Economic News

In 2009, CNBC's ratings experienced a sharp decline as the network broadcasted negative economic news related to the Great Recession.

January 2010: Launch of SBS-CNBC

In January 2010, the Korean language channel SBS-CNBC was launched, marking the fifteenth CNBC-branded channel globally.

July 2010: BT Content Distribution Agreement

In July 2010, BT signed a five-year contract with CNBC Europe to distribute content from its London headquarters to sister sites in Europe and the US.

2011: IBC Award for CNBC 4D

In 2011, CNBC was awarded at the International Broadcasting Convention for its CNBC 4D: Interactive motion tracking, utilizing technology from Unreel, Brainstorm, and Motion Analysis.

June 2012: Expanded Partnership with Yahoo! Finance

In June 2012, CNBC expanded its partnership with Yahoo! Finance to increase its reach to online viewers.

2012: Expiration of Licensing Agreement

In 2012, the licensing agreement between Dow and CNBC U.S. expired.

2013: CNBC Takes Over Production of Nightly Business Report

Also in 2013, CNBC assumed production responsibilities for the public television program Nightly Business Report.

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2013: Launch of CNBC Disruptor 50 List

In 2013, CNBC began publishing the annual CNBC Disruptor 50 list.

2013: Maria Bartiromo Leaves CNBC for Fox Business

In 2013, Maria Bartiromo departed from CNBC to join Fox Business, partly due to a more lucrative offer.

October 13, 2014: CNBC switches to 16:9 letterbox presentation

On October 13, 2014, CNBC switched to a full 16:9 letterbox presentation, in line with CNBC Asia and CNBC Europe.

2014: Launch of CNBC25 List

In 2014, CNBC introduced the annual CNBC25 list.

January 6, 2015: Change in Ratings Calculation Methodology

On January 6, 2015, CNBC transitioned from Nielsen ratings to a Cogent Research system for measuring business day programming viewership, aiming for a more accurate assessment of out-of-home viewers.

October 2015: Record Viewership for Republican Debate

In October 2015, a Republican Party candidates debate hosted by CNBC drew 14 million viewers, becoming CNBC's most-watched program to-date.

January 10, 2016: Partnership with Trans Media to form CNBC Indonesia

On January 10, 2016, CNBC announced a partnership with Indonesian broadcaster Trans Media to establish CNBC Indonesia.

2016: Launch of Make It Brand

In 2016, CNBC launched the “Make It” brand, which offers personal finance tips, career guidance, and other forms of advice-based content to consumers.

2017: Fox Business Overtakes CNBC in Daytime Viewership

By 2017, Fox Business surpassed CNBC as the most-watched daytime business news network.

2019: Cramer Media replaces Jim Cramer arrangement with TheStreet

In 2019, CNBC's new deal with Jim Cramer replaced his arrangement with TheStreet, which Cramer had co-founded and sold to The Arena Group.

2020: Hiring of Shepard Smith

In 2020, CNBC hired Shepard Smith, previously with Fox News Channel, to host a new evening newscast called The News with Shepard Smith.

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2020: Record Digital Video Starts

In 2020, CNBC's online video operations reached an all-time high of 1.92 billion total digital video starts across various platforms.

September 2021: New Multi-Platform Deal with Jim Cramer

In September 2021, CNBC entered into a new multi-platform agreement with Jim Cramer, encompassing television roles, live events, and digital content through Cramer Media.

January 2022: Launch of CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer

In January 2022, CNBC launched the "CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer", a subscription service featuring commentaries, stock picks, and online meetings, operating alongside the "CNBC Pro" subscription service.

August 2022: KC Sullivan Succeeds Mark Hoffman as President of CNBC

In August 2022, Mark Hoffman stepped down as president of CNBC, and was succeeded by KC Sullivan.

November 2022: Cancellation of 'The News with Shepard Smith'

In November 2022, CNBC cancelled the low-rated 'The News with Shepard Smith'.

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January 2023: Premiere of 'Last Call with Brian Sullivan'

In January 2023, CNBC premiered the new financial news program 'Last Call with Brian Sullivan'.

December 11, 2023: CNBC Rebranding

On December 11, 2023, CNBC underwent a major rebranding, updating its logo for the first time since 1996 and revamping its on-air graphics.

2023: CNBC Viewership Update

In 2023, CNBC's total day and primetime viewership surpassed Fox Business, but lagged behind Fox in trading day viewership.

March 2024: Make It Brand Added to Weekend Programming

In March 2024, CNBC announced its plans to integrate its personal finance brand “Make It” into its weekend programming lineup.

April 2024: CNBC Celebrates 35th Anniversary

In April 2024, CNBC celebrated its 35th anniversary with a ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange.

July 18, 2024: End of 'Last Call with Brian Sullivan'

On July 18, 2024, 'Last Call with Brian Sullivan' concluded its run on CNBC.

November 2024: Launch of Times Brasil as CNBC Affiliate

In November 2024, Times Brasil launched as CNBC's first local franchise in South America.

November 20, 2024: NBCUniversal to spin off cable networks including CNBC

On November 20, 2024, NBCUniversal announced plans to spin off most of its cable networks, including CNBC, into a new publicly traded company controlled by Comcast shareholders, later named Versant.

2024: CNBC airport stores expand

As of 2024, CNBC airport stores continue to expand, with a Pensacola International Airport location unveiled in Florida that November.

April 2025: Current notable programming

Current notable programming (as of April 2025)

August 18, 2025: CNBC to undergo rebranding to reduce ties to NBC brand

On August 18, 2025, it was announced that CNBC would undergo a rebranding to reduce its ties to the NBC brand due to the spin-off. The channel will retain the "CNBC" name. MSNBC will undergo a rebrand to "MS NOW".

2025: CNBC+ launched

In 2025, CNBC launched CNBC+, a new subscription streaming platform with live and on-demand streaming of CNBC and CNBC World programming. It is also available in bundles with CNBC Pro, and an all-access tier bundled with CNBC Investing Club.