Editing Openai/69486775-45a4-8009-8cd1-c5cd3e355c65 (section)

===== Why did Microsoft exit? =====

It looks like a mix of strategy + brand/fit issues + control:
# Strategic focus shift: By the mid-2000s Microsoft was increasingly prioritizing its core businesses (Windows/Office at the time, later cloud/services). Exiting a media JV fit that “focus on core” direction reported at the time. Forbes<ref>{{cite web|title=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/12/27/gates-microsoft-msnbc-cx_po_1227autofacescan01.html|publisher=forbes.com|date=2005-12-27|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
# The TV and the website drifted apart editorially: The cable channel evolved toward a stronger opinion/identity, while the website functioned more like a broad NBC News-style portal—NBC executives worried about confusion. Wikipedia<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikipedia|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBCNews.com|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
# NBCUniversal wanted full control of the news brand: By 2012, NBC moved to consolidate its digital news properties under NBCNews.com and take full ownership of the joint venture assets. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/comcast-buys-microsoft-stake-in-msnbccom-idUSBRE86F04W/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

If you want, I can try to reconstruct an approximate ROI range using (1) Microsoft’s disclosed original investments (where available) and (2) the sale-price reporting—just note it will still be an estimate because the 2005 TV terms aren’t cleanly public.