Versant confirms Manhattan office as long-term headquarters

Versant has designated its office space at 229 West 43rd St. in Manhattan as its permanent headquarters, finalizing a move that began earlier this year.

The company, a spinoff of NBCUniversal’s cable networks, moved into the Midtown Manhattan building in August with the intention of using the site as a temporary office.

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The location, formerly occupied by The New York Times, is also home to Snap Inc., TikTok, Paramount Global, and Bank of America.

In a staff memo sent Monday, Versant Chief Executive Mark Lazarus said the company had chosen to remain at the site after determining that it better met operational needs and employee preferences than other options.

“When we set out to find a temporary New York office, our top priority was finding a location that allowed us to house our new company and studios to produce our programming. In less than six months, we accomplished the impossible,” Lazarus said.

He added that feedback from staff regarding commute times and the suitability of the space contributed to the decision.

“When a temporary home, the historic New York Times building, became the best permanent option, we listened,” Lazarus said.

The company is expanding its footprint in the building by 50 percent. Versant will add three more floors to its occupancy, which will include additional offices, conference rooms, seating, and outdoor amenities.

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The decision was influenced by the building’s production facilities, studio space availability and commuter accessibility within the Tri-State area. Lazarus also cited the importance of creating physical separation from NBCUniversal’s operations.

“Leaving 30 Rock and settling into this unique space was not always easy, but it has also become a special moment in our company’s history,” Lazarus said. “Now, we look forward to setting down roots.”

The new headquarters will house several corporate and entertainment divisions, including MS NOW, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel. Digital properties such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine will also operate from the site.

CNBC will continue to operate from Englewood Cliffs, N.J., which will also serve as a technical operations hub.