Sources with first-hand knowledge of the situation told Adweek that negotiations between the companies were far enough along that Comcast, NBCU's parent company, was conducting due dilligence. The deal could close within months.
While MSNBC has evolved into a left-leaning counterpoint to conservative-leaning Fox News, MSNBC.com is a general news site that uses content from NBC News and a variety of other sources (including The Wrap).
MSNBC and MSNBC.com were launched as joint ventures between NBC and Miscrosoft in 1996, but NBC has since bought out Microsoft's share in the network. The companies remain co-owners of the website.
Adweek reported that NBCU hopes to use the site to better promote MSNBC personalities like Rachel Maddow.
The MSN portal and general news approach, however, helped the site pull in a whopping 55.7 milion uniques as of April 2012. So the companies would likely reach a deal in which MSNBC.com woud still receive prominent linkage from MSN.com, Adweek said.
