NBCUniversal launches new sports cable network
NBCUniversal is launching a new cable network Monday that will carry live sports events, including some that are currently exclusive to its streaming service Peacock.
The company announced Thursday that the new NBC Sports Network will be carried on YouTube TV and parent Comcast’s Xfinity service. Deals with other pay-TV providers are expected in the coming months, the company said.
The new channel will enable NBC to make its sports offerings more attractive to advertisers who may balk at the limited reach of its Peacock streaming service, which currently has 41 million subscribers. There is little duplication between Peacock subscribers and the nearly 60 million households still buying a traditional pay-TV package.
Sports is also a key reason consumers keep paying for cable and satellite TV. NBCU executives believe the channel will help distributors such as Comcast to retain customers.
The new channel will carry Monday night NBA games that were previously exclusive to Peacock. During the Winter Olympic Games in February, it will be the home of Gold Zone, the daily whip-around coverage show hosted by Scott Hanson that was offered only on Peacock during the Summer Games in 2024.
While the deal has not been officially announced, NBCU is expected to get a package of Major League Baseball games, some of which will be shown on NBCSN.
Other events from the NBC sports portfolio that will appear on the channel include WNBA regular-season and playoff games, Big Ten, Big East and Big 12 men’s and women’s college basketball, select coverage of major golf tournaments, Premier League Soccer and undercard races at the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oats.
NBCUniversal had a cable sports network but folded it in 2021 after it lost the TV rights to the NHL. But the company has since made a significant investment in live sports that has strong appeal to advertisers.
In 2024, the company entered an 11-year deal to be a major media rights partner with the NBA.
The new channel will also carry Peacock’s sports talk shows including “The Dan Patrick Show,” “The Dan Le Batard Show,” and “Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry.”