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The revived NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) pay-TV channel will launch on 17th November, serving up a linear feed of premium sports content from NBC’s Peacock direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service.
NBCSN will initially launch on YouTube TV and parent company Comcast’s Xfinity platform, and will be available to all major distributors in the US.
The channel will air live National Basketball Association (NBA), Premier League soccer, college football and the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, as well as games from NBC’s soon-to-be-announced deal with Major League Baseball (MLB).
The original NBCSN launched in 2012 with parent company Comcast seeking to secure a larger share of cable carriage fees. It closed in 2021 amid declining ratings and the belief that live sport would be a key subscription driver for its Peacock streaming service, which would eventually prove more lucrative.
However with NBC’s other cable networks, including USA Network, spun off into the legally separate entity Versant, and with a new US$2.45 billion-a-season deal for the NBA to pay for, the company has decided to revive the concept in order to maximise revenues.
“The new NBCSN gives pay-TV customers a seamless way to enjoy the wide range of sports in our portfolio, adding an important pillar in our linear and streaming strategy,” said Matt Schnaars, president, platform distribution and partnerships at NBCUniversal.
“NBCSN is a win across the board – driving value for fans and distributors who prefer an aggregated experience, league and conference partners seeking broad reach, and advertisers targeting engaged sports audiences – while also creating a new monetisation path for some of our most premium programming and supporting NBCU’s commitment to serving viewers wherever they watch, whether on Peacock, pay-tv, or both.”
Meanwhile Versant has revealed its new sports division will be known as ‘USA Sports’. The company, which also owns the Golf Channel, has made sport a priority, so far striking deals with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), League One Volleyball (LOVB) and US Golf Association (USGA).
It has now agreed a five-year deal with the Pac-12 college sports conference, which will expand to eight teams next season. USA Sports will air 22 regular season football games, 50 men’s basketball games and up to 10 women’s basketball games. The Pac-12 also has deals with CBS Sports and The CW.
“USA Sports is proud to partner with the new Pac-12 and showcase the league to a national audience on USA Network,” said Matt Hong, president of USA Sports. “Our partnership further establishes USA Network as a destination for all sports fans, with weekends packed with Pac-12 football doubleheaders and men’s and women’s basketball double- and triple-headers beginning next fall.”
“The new Pac-12 is where tradition meets transformation — a unique opportunity in the rapidly-evolving college sports landscape that strongly aligns with the go-forward vision of USA Sports,” added Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould. “We are thrilled to launch this partnership with the USA Sports team and leverage our shared vision to build something unique and special.”
NBC’s return to cable television seems surprising at first glance given its recent moves to insulate itself from the market and its focus on streaming. But it also makes sense given changing market dynamics and the company’s acquisition of the NBA.
The acquisition of Versus and the subsequent launch of NBCSN was designed to secure more carriage fees from cable providers at a time when pay-TV was dominant. But competition from other sports broadcasters and the migration to digital meant NBC went all in on streaming.
Peacock has used premium sport, arguably more than any other streaming service, to grow its customer base. However, premium rights come with a premium price tag.
Although NBC believes the NBA will drive subscriptions and increase revenues (the cost of Peacock has already gone up ahead of the new season), it also knows that there are still millions of viewers interested in basketball, but who are still on cable and have no intention of subscribing to Peacock.
While there might be concerns that a linear channel would cannibalise Peacock’s subscription revenues, the reality is that this is additional revenue – especially given the recent trend of genre-specific bundles.
The expansion of NBC’s linear presence will also do wonders for advertising revenue and NBC’s efforts to diversify the means with which it plans to make money from its expensive new acquisition.
The decision to partner with YouTube TV is canny given the ongoing carriage dispute with Disney has seen ESPN and other channels removed from the platform.
As for Versant, it is emerging as an alternative route to market for properties seeking expanded coverage on linear television. It remains to be seen whether it has the appetite to go for truly premium rights in the future.
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