Versant Media, the cluster of cable and other businesses spun out from Comcast early this year, is settling into its first solo corporate headquarters as it takes three more floors and signs an 18-year lease extension at 229 West 43rd Street.
The company’s perch at the historic former home of The New York Times had been considered possibly temporary digs until today’s announcement. Versant will grow its footprint to nearly 250,000 square feet on six contiguous floors to become the largest office tenant in the building.
Versant’s portfolio includes cable brands MS NOW, CNBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, E!, SYFY and Oxygen, complementary digital platforms Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass and other assets as it looks to build out a new business under CEO Mark Lazarus.
“We are proud to support Versant’s next chapter of growth at a building whose storied media legacy began over a century ago with The New York Times,” said Ted Koltis, EVP, Head of Real Estate at owner Columbia Property Trust. He said the site is becoming a destination for media and tech companies with social media giant Snap among high-profile new tenants.
“Since moving into 229 West 43rd Street, our focus has been on standing up state-of-the-art studios and creating the infrastructure to support our live production,” said Versant President of Operations & Technology, Jeff Mayzurk. “With this expansion and long-term lease extension, we are turning what began as a temporary New York corporate office into Versant’s home in the city, building on that foundation with additional collaborative space, an employee dining hub, and the technology infrastructure and production capabilities to support our brands efficiently and help power where Versant is going next.”
Constructed in 1912 as the home of The New York Times, 229 West 43rd Street has a distinctive architectural profile, including its iconic pyramidal cupola. It was designated a New York City Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2001. The New York Times moved to a its current Renzo Piano-designed headquarters at 620 Eighth Avenue in 2007.
