Jump to content

NBCSN

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from NBC Sports Channel)
This article is about the former American cable home of NBC Sports. For the current de facto cable home of NBC Sports, see NBC Sports on USA Network.
"Versus (TV channel)" redirects here. For other uses, see Versus.

NBCSN
CountryUnited States
Broadcast areaNationwide
HeadquartersStamford, Connecticut
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerNBCUniversal
(Comcast)
ParentNBC Sports Group
Sister channelsNBC
Universo
Golf Channel
NBC Sports Regional Networks
Olympic Channel
USA Network
Syfy
CNBC
History
LaunchedJuly 31, 1995 (1995-07-31)
ClosedDecember 31, 2021 (2021-12-31)
Former namesOutdoor Life Network
(1995–2006)
Versus (2006–2011)
NBC Sports Network
(2012–2013)

NBCSN (also known as NBC Sports Network) was an American sports television channel owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which was dedicated to programming primarily involving fishing, hunting, outdoor adventure programs, and outdoor sports. By the turn of the 21st century, OLN became better known for its extensive coverage of the Tour de France but eventually began covering more "mainstream" sporting events, resulting in its relaunch as Versus in September 2006.

In 2011, Comcast, the original owner of the network, acquired a majority stake in NBCUniversal. As a result, Comcast merged the operations of its pay channels with those of NBC. In particular, it aligned the operation of its sports channels with NBC's sports division, NBC Sports. On January 1, 2012, Versus was rebranded as the NBC Sports Network. The branding was later shortened to NBCSN. By September 15, 2014, most of NBC Sports' operations, including NBCSN, had been moved to facilities in Stamford, Connecticut.

As of February 2020, NBCSN was distributed to 79.879 million homes and was the second most watched cable sports network besides ESPN (though some sources included ESPN2 as a separate network in those figures).[1] On January 22, 2021, NBCUniversal announced that the network would cease operations by the end of the year. NBCSN ceased operations on December 31, 2021, with its sports properties moved to USA Network, Peacock, and other NBCUniversal networks.[2]

History

[edit]

As the Outdoor Life Network

[edit]

The channel originally launched as the Outdoor Life Network (or OLN) on July 31, 1995;[3] the name was licensed from Outdoor Life magazine. Its programming consisted of hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure shows. In its early days, the channel reached around one million homes and found most of its carriage via the then-infant platforms of direct broadcast satellite services and digital cable.[4] The network was one of two (the other being Speedvision) formed out of a partnership of Cox Cable and Times Mirror which had combined their cable systems operations a year earlier. Outdoor Life was originally planned to have launched at the beginning of July 1995. However, it was delayed when Times Mirror decided to reassess its media holdings. Times Mirror decided to reduce its stake in the two new networks to 10%; bringing Comcast and Continental Cablevision on as partners. The network initially had trouble gaining carriage and was also broadcast on several low power television stations.[5]

In 1999, OLN acquired the U.S. broadcast rights to the Tour de France for US$3 million. Coverage of the Tour on OLN brought substantially greater viewership to the then fledgling channel, due in part to the then-growing popularity of American rider Lance Armstrong. In 2004, where Armstrong would aim for a record-breaking sixth straight Tour de France title, OLN would devote over 344 hours in July to coverage of the Tour, along with documentaries and other original programming surrounding the event, all of which promoted through a $20 million advertising campaign.[6]

Overall, while its coverage of the Tour de France helped OLN expand its carriage to over 60 million homes, rumors surrounding Armstrong's possible retirement from cycling led to concerns over the channel's overemphasis on him in its coverage (to the point that some critics sarcastically stated that OLN actually stood for "Only Lance Network").[7] Critics questioned whether the network could sustain itself without the viewership that Lance Armstrong's presence had brought to its coverage.[4]

Following the 2005 Tour (where Armstrong captured his seventh victory in the race, and announced his retirement from cycling afterward), OLN debuted a new lineup of programming–led by the acquisition of off-network reruns of the reality competition series Survivor. OLN's executives believed that bringing Survivor into its lineup would fit well with the new direction it had planned for OLN, and could attract viewership from fans of the show who had watched it on CBS, though it was also the first example to prove that traditional repeats of reality competitions with the results already known was an unviable strategy.[8]

Around the same period, OLN also acquired the rights to the Dakar Rally, America's Cup, the Boston Marathon, and the Iditarod. OLN planned to cover these events in a similar style to how it covered the Tour, hoping that its coverage might bring "surprise" results for the channel.[8] Due in part to Armstrong's absence from the Tour in 2006, its ratings for live coverage of the first four stages of the race drew 49% fewer viewers than previous years.[7]

OLN and the NHL

[edit]
OLN interview with John Lieswyn after he won the Stillwater, Minnesota, Criterion in 2005

In May 2005, ESPN rejected a $60 million offer to renew its broadcasting contract with the National Hockey League into the 2005–06 season, and the league rejected its alternate proposal for a revenue sharing agreement similar to the one it had established with NBC. With the NFL also shopping a new late-season package of Thursday and Saturday night games to potential broadcasters, speculation began to emerge that Comcast would bid on the new NHL contract as its first step to transforming OLN into a mainstream sports channel that could compete with ESPN.[8] Comcast had already been involved in NHL broadcasting; at the time, it owned majority control of the Philadelphia Flyers, and four Comcast SportsNet regional sports networks.[9]

In August 2005, ESPN declined to match Comcast's offer, and OLN acquired pay television rights to the NHL beginning in the 2005–2006 season in a three-year deal worth close to $200 million. The new deal would include 58 regular season games on Monday and Tuesday nights, coverage of the NHL All-Star Game, conference finals, and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals.[9] With the help of its new NHL package, by June 2006, OLN had now reached 75 million subscribers. However, due in part to OLN's lesser carriage in comparison to ESPN, the NHL's ratings that season had suffered in comparison.[10]

In 2006, OLN broadcast selected games in the Arena Football League's 2006 season. The channel televised a weekly regular-season game for 11 weeks as well as a wild card playoff game.[11] However, the agreement was not renewed and was later picked up by ESPN, who also acquired a minority stake in the league's ownership.[12]

As Versus

[edit]
Versus logo used from 2006 to 2011

In April 2006, Comcast announced that it would be renaming Outdoor Life Network to Versus in the fall of 2006. As the network had shifted beyond simply "outdoor" programming, the name "Versus" was intended to represent the common element of competition within its lineup.[13] OLN's re-launch as Versus occurred on September 25, 2006.

Among the new programming acquired by Versus was a number of combat sports, beginning with a series of boxing programs promoted by Bob Arum's Top Rank promotion. The channel also began televising Chuck Norris's World Combat League, a kickboxing promotion featuring a unique round ring without ropes. Versus entered into a partnership with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) to bring mixed martial arts events to the channel, with the first being broadcast live on June 3, 2007.

The channel also added a variety of sports events as part of the rebranding, including men's and women's college basketball, high school basketball,[14][15] a weekly "game of the week" for the National Lacrosse League, darts competitions, the Major Indoor Soccer League, and the USA Sevens, one of the nine tournaments (then eight) that make up the IRB Sevens World Series, the top annual circuit in the sevens version of rugby union.

In 2007, Versus expanded its college football coverage; the network acquired a portion of the rights to the Mountain West Conference (as part of the deal, Comcast also took a stake in the conference's new cable network MountainWest Sports Network),[16] and acquired a package of 10 Big 12 and Pac-10 football games sublicensed from Fox Sports Net (replacing a package it had previously sub-licensed to TBS).[17]

In 2008, Versus announced a contract with the Ivy League to broadcast at least three games each year beginning in the 2008 season, culminating with the annual Harvard–Yale rivalry game. The initial two-year contract was later renewed in 2010.[18]

Versus secured coverage for the 2007 America's Cup, which had been a staple on ESPN and ESPN2 for years. The channel began to show qualifying regattas in late 2005, aired the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers in 2007, and the America's Cup match between the Louis Vuitton winner and current champions, won by Alinghi of Switzerland in Valencia, Spain. In 2006, it picked up American broadcast rights (in conjunction with The Tennis Channel) of Davis Cup events.

Versus, with NBC Sports and the World Championship Sports Network (later Universal Sports), broadcast coverage of the 2007 World Championships in Athletics from Osaka, Japan, as well as the 2009 World Championships in Athletics from Berlin, Germany.

On January 28, 2008, Versus and the NHL extended their television contract through the 2010–11 season.[19] In June 2008, operations were moved from Stamford, Connecticut, to Comcast's headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[20] On August 7, 2008, the channel announced a 10-year deal with the Indy Racing League to broadcast at least 13 IndyCar Series events a year in HD, beginning in 2009.[21] The channel would also broadcast various motorsports series on its Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour program such as USAC, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, and World Series of Off-Road Racing.[22]

The channel aired the 96th Grey Cup, the championship game of the Canadian Football League in 2008.[23]

On April 5, 2010, Versus debuted The Daily Line, a sports betting show consisting of a four-person panel (host Liam McHugh before moving to NBC Sports, handicapper Rob DeAngelis, comedian Reese Waters, and Jenn Sterger) who discussed, often with heavy satire, sports-related topics that were popular that day.[24] However, the show was cancelled due to low viewership on November 4, 2010.[25] It was revived by NBC Sports Radio in 2019 after the PASPA Act was declared unconstitutional, though NBCSN instead blended betting content into regular programming.[26]

The Ultimate Fighting Championship would air two live events on the channel due to the new contract agreement with UFC sister promotion World Extreme Cagefighting. The first edition of UFC on Versus aired on March 21, 2010, headlined by Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones in the Light Heavyweight division. The second event aired on August 1 with Jon Jones facing Vladimir Matyushenko. Also as part of the agreement with the UFC, several UFC Countdown shows would air. A countdown show aired the week of a pay-per-view event, usually lasting for one hour, and covering 2–3 of the biggest fights on the card. In August 2011, the UFC announced a new broadcasting deal with the channels of rival Fox Sports, which would begin to take effect in November 2011.[27]

Versus had also struck a deal with the NBA to air 10 regular season NBA Development League Saturday night games, as well as six playoff games a year. In total, the channel would air 16 NBA Development League games,[28] in addition to 25 hours of NBA specials.

Starting in August 2010, Versus aired nine races of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour each Wednesday at 7 p.m. The races originated from a variety of locations, including Stafford Motor Speedway, Tri-County Speedway, and Thompson Motor Speedway.[29]

Merger with NBC Sports

[edit]

In February 2011, Comcast acquired a majority stake in NBC Universal, and merged its content operations into the company. As part of the acquisition, Versus and Comcast's other sports channels began to be integrated into the NBC Sports division. Coinciding with the merger, President Jamie Davis was replaced by Comcast Sports Group president Jon Litner. Litner began to oversee the channel, in addition to his other duties following the Comcast takeover.[30]

In March 2011, Versus expanded its college football coverage by becoming the pay-TV partner for NBC's coverage of Notre Dame football, airing replays of Notre Dame games, and the first ever live broadcast of the team's annual spring game. Its coverage began with a marathon of three classic Fighting Irish games on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, to serve as a prelude to its coverage of the spring game.[31]

For the 2011 season, Versus also returned to airing National Lacrosse League telecasts with a nine-game package, starting with the 2011 All-Star Game and culminating with the Champion's Cup final.[32] Versus would drop the NLL for the league's 2012 season; U.S. broadcast rights were instead picked up by CBS Sports Network.[33]

Relaunch as the NBC Sports Network / NBCSN

[edit]
Logo using the full "NBC Sports Network" name, used from 2012 to just before the 2014 Winter Olympics

In April 2011, NBC Sports and Versus announced they had reached a ten-year extension to their television contract with the National Hockey League worth nearly $2 billion over the life of the contract. As part of the announcement, Dick Ebersol, the former chairman of NBC Sports, said that Versus would be renamed "within 90 days" in order to reflect the synergy resulting from the merger.[34] However, the announcement of a new name did not come until August 1, 2011, when Comcast announced that Versus would be relaunched as the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN)[35] on January 1, 2012. The relaunch coincided with NBC's coverage of the NHL Winter Classic, which took place on the same day.[36]

In an interview with TV Guide, president of programming Jon Miller stated that NBCSN was to be positioned as a credible "full-service sports network", dropping low-brow programming (such as Whacked Out Sports and The T.Ocho Show) in favor of focusing on event coverage, and sports news and talk programs, including new original programming.[37] NBC also made efforts[38] to expand its current broadcasting relationships and acquire new rights for additional sports events to be broadcast on the channel. In the months leading up to the relaunch, NBC struck deals with Major League Soccer,[39] dropped the UFL,[40] and added coverage of college hockey games.[41]

On June 6, 2011, it was revealed that NBC Sports would extend its rights to the Olympic Games through 2020, outbidding competing bids by Fox Sports and ESPN in a $4.38 billion contract. The network began to participate in NBC's overall coverage beginning at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[36][42][43] Its coverage of the women's soccer gold medal match between the United States and Japan set a new viewership record for the network, with 4.35 million viewers.[44]

In August 2013, after having largely been used as an initialism in unofficial capacities, the channel officially shortened its name to NBCSN.[45][46] The change was made to help streamline its branding in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics, by which time the name change was mostly complete.[45]

On September 22, 2013, NBCSN broadcast an episode of Under Wild Skies—a hunting program aired as a time-buy by the NRA—in which host and NRA lobbyist Tony Makris was shown killing an African elephant on a trip to Botswana. The network was criticized by the media for airing such material; while NBC responded by pulling the episode due to its "objectionable" content and stating that it would be more "aggressive" towards the content of future episodes of the program. Under Wild Skies was pulled from the network entirely after Makris made remarks on an NRA-produced webcast comparing critics of the show to Hitler.[47][48] The network's outdoors block, its final connection with its OLN era, was slowly wound down by 2016 with natural contract expirations, as the outdoor networks of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment effectively monopolized the market through their own three networks, along with streaming providers. The editorial standards for those venues also had more tolerance to the firearms-centric genre (and advertiser base) of outdoors programming.

NBCSN simulcast Spanish-language coverage of two matches from the 2018 FIFA World Cup from corporate sibling Telemundo: Brazil vs. Switzerland on June 17, and England vs. Belgium on June 28.[49][50]

In December 2018, the yearly ratings rankings for American sports networks saw NBCSN rank second for the first time, ahead of ESPN2, which fell below the second spot for the first time in its history.[51]

Because of Comcast's acquisition of Sky plc, NBCSN partnered with the British media firm's Sky Sports division on coverage of international events. The first collaboration came at the Premier League transfer deadline in January 2019. Two months later, NBCSN added an hour-long simulcast of the Sky Sports News channel to its weekday morning lineup, returning that program to the American airwaves for the first time since the discontinuation of Fox Soccer in September 2013.[52][53]

Closure

[edit]

On January 22, 2021, an internal memo sent by NBC Sports president Pete Bevacqua announced that the network would cease operations by the end of the year, and that USA Network and NBC would begin "carrying and/or simulcasting certain NBC Sports programming," including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, IndyCar Series, and NASCAR Cup Series, before NBCSN's shutdown (NBC lost the rights to the NHL to an ESPN/Turner Sports consortium after the 2020–2021 season).

When NBCSN was shuttered, its programming was effectively merged into USA Network's schedule, with some events also moving to CNBC on weekends, freeing NBC Sports from the burden of having secondary programming to fill time without any live sporting events. Peacock, NBCUniversal's new streaming service, began to broadcast some of the network's former programming such as Notre Dame hockey, and would also simulcast several major sports events held by NBCSN as a transitional move, most notably the opening games of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals.[54][55]

The move was cited by industry analysts as a response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sports and television industries, the acceleration of cord-cutting, as well as formidable competition from rival sports networks such as ESPN and Fox Sports 1, noting the company saw an overall revenue drop by 19% to $6.72 billion.[55][56]

Following a gradual "wind-down" of operations (even further aggravated by NBC's loss of NHL rights), it was further disclosed as to the process of how NBCSN would cease operations on November 2, 2021; specifically, it was revealed on that date that a majority of NBCSN's sports rights, beginning with rights to Premier League soccer, would transfer over to USA Network, the Olympic Channel (which itself shut down nine months after NBCSN did)[57] and Peacock, beginning at 12:00:01 a.m. on January 1, 2022; at that time, the network, after signing off, would then carry a looping advisory video advising viewers where their programs could be found until January 10, though the provider could simply take the channel dark immediately after sign-off.[58] NBC also advised viewers during broadcasts of affected games as to their new location, along with making sure electronic program guide listings reflected the channel's closure, and the company's social media was used to advise viewers as well.[2] Mecum Auctions already had a secondary content deal with Motor Trend and a tertiary deal with RFD TV; Motor Trend became its primary television partner at the start of 2022,[59] though the fate of other surrounding non-NBC programming such as PowerNation programming (which is offered through its owner's own streaming service, Vuit), is unknown.

The final live sports broadcast aired on NBCSN was an exhibition cornhole "Team USA vs. The World" event (both men's and women's) from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (during the 2021 US Open Cornhole Championships)[60] on December 31. It led into the final program, a replay of the second day of Mecum's Kansas City auction event from December 3, and following the program the transition to the advisory loop was done without ceremony. Said loop continued until 2:34 p.m. ET on January 10, when it went dark.[61]

The Canadian iteration of the former OLN was relaunched as Bravo in 2024 licensing the name to Toronto-based Rogers Sports and Media.

Facilities

[edit]

As of September 15, 2014, the entirety of NBC Sports' operations, including NBCSN, moved to a new campus in Stamford, Connecticut.

Football Night in America remained at NBC Studios in Rockefeller Center until September 7, 2014, when that program also moved to Stamford.[62]

Notable personalities

[edit]

Announcers, reporters and hosts

[edit]

Hockey

[edit]

Motorsports

[edit]

Soccer

[edit]

Mixed martial arts

[edit]

Programming

[edit]
Main article: List of programs broadcast by NBCSN

Event coverage

[edit]

Olympics

[edit]

Motor sports

[edit]

Soccer

[edit]

Hockey

[edit]
NBCSN broadcast set at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft

Rugby union

[edit]

College sports

[edit]

Other sports

[edit]

WSOF was formed in 2012, having signed a broadcast deal with the NBC Sports Network. This was the third MMA promotion that NBC Sports has hosted, having broadcast World Extreme Cagefighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship events when the channel was formerly known as Versus.[71] NBC Sports had been one of the bidders for the rights to broadcast future UFC events, but lost out to Fox.[72] However, some journalists regarded WSOF's deal with NBC Sports to be a considerable coup for a debuting promotion, considering NBC Sports' past interest in the UFC.[72] Upon the announcement of the broadcast deal, WSOF President Ray Sefo stated that the promotion wanted to host 8–10 events per year, whilst holding a one-year deal with NBC Sports.[73] However, the next day, an NBC spokesman revealed that the deal only covered WSOF's inaugural event, with the option for more, should NBC hold a positive evaluation.[72] On February 4, 2013, it was reported by several news outlets that NBC Sports signed a 3-year deal with WSOF.[74][75]

On December 16, 2012, NBC Sports Network, along with CNBC, aired a portion of the Sunday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New England Patriots. This was because the game's coverage on NBC was interrupted by President Barack Obama's press conference following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. NBCSN will continue to serve as overflow coverage for Sunday Night Football and other NFL games covered by NBC in the event the ongoing game is interrupted by an NBC News special coverage.[76]

On July 23, 2013, NBC announced that coverage of NASCAR racing would return to NBC beginning in the 2015 season under a new contract lasting through 2024. The deal includes broadcast rights to the second half of the NASCAR Playoffs and Xfinity Series seasons; the majority of which will air on NBCSN.[77][78]

On August 17, 2014, NBCSN aired rain-delayed coverage of the USGA's 2014 United States Amateur Challenge, making it the first golf event to be televised on the network.

Original programming

[edit]

Original programs aired by the network include NBC SportsTalk, and the weekly CNBC Sports Biz, which both debuted in the fall of 2011 (the latter ending when Darren Rovell moved to ESPN as their sports business correspondent). Bob Costas hosts Costas Tonight, which consists of monthly interview episodes, and quarterly town hall specials – the first of which aired from Indianapolis on February 2, 2012, as part of NBC's overall coverage of Super Bowl XLVI.[37]

The network also added more documentary-style series, including 36, Caught Looking (a weekly series co-produced with Major League Baseball), and Sports Illustrated, a monthly series produced in conjunction with the magazine of the same name.[79][80]

On August 13, 2012, NBCSN premiered a new morning show, The 'Lights, which consists of a 20-minute loop of sports highlights with no on-camera personalities, repeated from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. ET.[80]

In 2014, NBCSN premiered a new auto-themed reality series Mecum Dealmakers. It was renewed for a second season in 2015.[81]

In April 2016, NBCSN acquired rights to air the Dan Patrick-hosted Sports Jeopardy! The premiere run followed nightly 2016 Summer Olympics coverage, and joined NBCSN's Wednesday night schedule later in October.[82]

In February 2019, it was announced that The Dan Patrick Show would be dropped and replaced by an encore of PFT Live and an hour-long simulcast block of British sister channel Sky Sports News.[53] In April 2020, it was announced that the latter would be replaced by the new NFL studio show NBC Sports Football Flex on April 13.[83]

Past carriage disputes

[edit]

At the beginning of September 2009, DirecTV pulled Versus from its lineup, as it was unable to reach terms on a rate increase demanded by Comcast. In public statements (including a message shown on the channel which formerly carried Versus), DirecTV scolded Comcast for its "unfair and outrageous demands", and considered the company to be "simply piggish" in its demands for higher rates, as it derisively pronounced Versus as "a paid programming and infomercial channel with occasional sporting events."[84] On March 15, 2010, an agreement was reached between the two sides and Versus returned to DirecTV's lineup. The channel was returned to its original package on the service, Choice Xtra.[85] The network then drastically reduced its paid programming blocks to a more traditional late night-only arrangement under NBC management (between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. Eastern time), and mainly limited their offerings to trusted advertisers such as Time Life. The paid programming itself was also subject to pre-emption with live sports from Asia or Australia, and fully put on hiatus during Olympic coverage.

High definition

[edit]

A 1080i high-definition feed of the network was launched in January 2007. Initially, its HD feed was shared with sister network Golf Channel in an arrangement marketed as Versus/Golf HD; Golf Channel programming was broadcast during the daytime hours, and Versus programming was broadcast during the evening and primetime hours with some schedule variation during Tour de France coverage. The shared channel was replaced by individual HD feeds for both channels in December 2008.[86]

In May 2013, the network's standard-definition feed was converted to a widescreen presentation with letterboxing to duplicate the display seen on the high-definition feed in line with their competitors' presentations of their SD channels.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Ourand, John. "FS1, NBCSN Seeing Big Dips In Home Distribution Numbers". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "SBJ Media: NBC Sports plans shift to USA; NBCSN goes dark Dec. 31". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  3. ^ "Delays typical for new channel launches" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. September 11, 1995. p. 46. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Deitsch, Richard (July 30, 2004). "Life after Lance: What happens to OLN once Armstrong finally retires from cycling?". CNNSI. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  5. ^ "Continental, Comcast join Cox/TM team" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. July 31, 1995. p. 30. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  6. ^ Bernstien, Andy. "No word could describe the Tour de France, so OLN made one up". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Sandomir, Richard (July 7, 2006). "OLN Sizing Up Impact of the Post-Lance Era". The New York Times. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Sandomir, Richard (July 28, 2005). "With Armstrong Out, N.H.L. May Be in at OLN". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Rovell, Darren (August 18, 2005). "ESPN decides not to match Comcast's offer". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  10. ^ El-Bashir, Tarik; Heath, Thomas (June 5, 2006). "NHL's Strong Comeback Marred by Poor TV Ratings". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  11. ^ "OLN and AFL announce national TV partnership" (Press release). Arena Football League. February 17, 2006. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  12. ^ "ESPN acquires minority stake, TV rights in AFL". ESPN.com (Press release). December 20, 2006. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  13. ^ "OLN Network getting new name". Philadelphia Business Journal. April 24, 2006. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  14. ^ "MWC Announces 2006–07 Men's Basketball Television Schedule" (Press release). Mountain West Conference. September 14, 2006. Archived from the original on October 30, 2006. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  15. ^ Morfoot, Addie (December 7, 2006). "Versus gets rights to basketball tourney; Network will televise all eight high school games live". Variety. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  16. ^ "OLN joining TV team for MWC distribution". The Denver Post. July 19, 2006. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  17. ^ Consoli, John (June 6, 2007). "FSN, Versus Ink College Football Game Deal". MediaWeek. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved October 15, 2007.
  18. ^ "Versus renews Ivy League football contract". Ivy League Sports. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
  19. ^ "NHL, Versus extend TV contract by 3 Years". yahoo.com. January 22, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
  20. ^ "Time Warner Cable Closing Conn. Offices". courant.com. August 6, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ "Solid Partnerships". indycar.com. August 7, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  22. ^ "WSORR Oshkosh Races Garner More National TV". Motorsports Journal. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  23. ^ "Grey Cup to air live on Versus in the U.S." CFL.ca. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  24. ^ Huff, Richard. "Versus seeks game-changer with 'Daily Line' news show starring Jenn Sterger." New York Daily News April 2, 2010, Print.
  25. ^ McCarthy, Michael (October 29, 2010). "Versus cancels Jenn Sterger's sports TV show". USA Today. Retrieved October 29, 2010.
  26. ^ "NBC Sports Radio Launches New Sports Betting Focused Afternoon Show". Radio Insight. January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  27. ^ "It's Official: UFC and Fox Are Now in Business Together". MMAWeekly.com. August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  28. ^ "VERSUS To Air 16 NBA D-League Games This Season". NBA. January 4, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  29. ^ "Whelen Modified Telecasts Set For VERSUS". NASCAR.com. July 22, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  30. ^ Renyolds, Mike. "McCarley To Head Golf Channel, Davis Out at Versus in NBC Sports Group Reorg: Sources". Multichannel News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  31. ^ Rosentha, Phil (March 7, 2011). "Notre Dame football: Comcast-NBC Universal merger helps Versus get its Irish up". Tower Ticker. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  32. ^ "2011 NLL TV Schedule with VERSUS features two playoff games, plus VERSUS name change?". ILOnline.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved February 28, 2011.
  33. ^ Bailey, Budd (November 14, 2011). "Bandits notebook: New TV package". The Buffalo News. Berkshire Hathaway. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  34. ^ a b Condor, Bob (April 19, 2011). "NHL, NBC sign record-setting 10-year TV deal". NHL. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  35. ^ Koo, Ben (February 27, 2013). "Looking Back at NBC Sports Network's Lack of Growth". AwfulAnnouncing.com. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
  36. ^ a b Fernadez, Bob. "Goodbye Versus, hello NBC Sports Network". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philly.com. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  37. ^ a b Sands, Rich. "Channel Changing: Versus Becomes NBC Sports Network". TV Guide. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
  38. ^ Karangu, Jesse. "Guest Column: How To Improve NBC Sports Network". Fangsbites.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  39. ^ Goal Blogs, New York Times (August 10, 2011). "MLS and NBC Sports announce new TV deal". NYTimes.com. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
  40. ^ Glanville, Jerry (March 21, 2011). "Jerry Glanville Named Hartford Colonials Head Coach and General Manager". United Football League. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  41. ^ "NBC Sports Announces National College Hockey TV Package". College Hockey News. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
  42. ^ "NBC Wins TV Rights For 4 More Olympic Games, All Events Will Be Live Either on TV Or Internet". TV by the Numbers. June 7, 2011. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  43. ^ "Update: NBC Bids $4.38 Billion for Olympic Gold". Ad Week. June 7, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  44. ^ "2012 Olympics: NBC Sports Net Scores Most-Watched Telecast with Women's Gold-Medal Soccer Match". Multichannel News. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  45. ^ a b Tim Basinger (August 13, 2013). "NBC Sports Network Rebranding as NBCSN". Multichannel News. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  46. ^ Matt Yoder (August 26, 2013). "NBC Sports Network will rebrand as NBCSN". AwfulAnnouncing.com. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  47. ^ "NBC Sports Network Cancels NRA-Sponsored Elephant Hunting Show". Deadspin. September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  48. ^ Blake, Meredith (September 26, 2013). "NBC Sports Network under fire for elephant killing on NRA show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  49. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (June 13, 2018). "World Cup: Telemundo Ready For Kickoff In First Year Of Rights Deal". Deadline. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  50. ^ "NBCSN to broadcast England-Belgium in World Cup". ProSoccerTalk (NBC Sports). June 26, 2018.
  51. ^ "ESPN2 won't finish the year as the #2 sports network, falling behind both NBCSN and FS1". December 10, 2018.
  52. ^ "First major NBC-Sky collaboration is for extra Premier League transfer deadline coverage". Awful Announcing. January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  53. ^ a b "NBCSN will replace the Dan Patrick Show with a PFT Live replay and an hour of Sky Sports News". Awful Announcing. February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  54. ^ Pallotta, Frank (January 22, 2021). "NBC Sports Network to shut down by the end of the year". CNN. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  55. ^ a b Flint, Joe; Rizzo, Lillian (January 22, 2021). "Comcast's NBCUniversal to Shut Down Sports Cable Channel NBCSN by Year-End". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  56. ^ Hayes, Dade (January 22, 2021). "Cable Network NBCSN To Go Dark By Year-End, With Live Sports Telecasts Shifting To USA Network, Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  57. ^ Hayes, Dade (July 1, 2022). "NBCUniversal Will Unplug The Olympic Channel After Five-Year Linear TV Run". Deadline. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  58. ^ "HITS - ESPN Classic & NBC Sports Cessation" (Press release). Comcast Technology Solutions/National Cable Television Cooperative. November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  59. ^ "MotorTrend Group and Mecum Auction, Inc. Create a Multi-Year Strategic Partnership to Deliver Exclusive, Live Coverage of All Mecum Auctions | News". www.mecum.com. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  60. ^ "US Open Cornhole Championships". USA Cornhole. NBC SportsEngine. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  61. ^ Burke, Timothy (January 10, 2022). "And here, at 14:34 ET, it appears NBC has shut the transmission down". @bubbaprog account. Twitter. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  62. ^ Heistand, Michael (March 13, 2013). "NBC to air MLS marathon in new digs". USA Today. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  63. ^ "AMA Pro Racing and Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG) Extends Contract with MX Sports Pro Racing for 2014 and Beyond – MX Sports".
  64. ^ "NBC wins $250m rights to broadcast English Premier League in US". London. Associated Press. October 29, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2012.
  65. ^ Bucholtz, Andrew (June 22, 2019). "NBCSN will simulcast Telemundo's Spanish feeds of Women's World Cup games Monday". Awful Announcing. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  66. ^ Tannenwald, Jonathan (September 1, 2020). "Women's soccer leagues make big TV splash: NWSL with CBS, England's FAWSL with NBC Sports". The Inquirer. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  67. ^ East, Les (August 4, 2015). "Bayou Classic moving to 4 p.m. start time, will air on NBC Sports Network". The Advocate. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  68. ^ a b "NBCSN Announces 2016–17 Atlantic 10 Basketball Schedule". NBC Sports Pressbox. September 29, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  69. ^ Sharrow, Ryan (February 22, 2011). "NBC re-ups deal to carry Preakness through 2015". Baltimore Business Journal.
  70. ^ Murphy, Jim. "NBC Signs Five Year Deal To Televise Belmont Stakes". Belmont Stakes. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
  71. ^ Critchfield, Tristen (September 10, 2012). "Viewpoint: Uphill Climb". Sherdog.
  72. ^ a b c "NBC Sports: World Series of Fighting deal only covers one event". MMA Fighting. September 7, 2012.
  73. ^ Samuelson, Andy (September 6, 2012). "Ray Sefo ready for new challenge with World Series of Fighting". MMA Fighting.
  74. ^ Martin, Damon (February 4, 2013). "World Series of Fighting Inks 3-Year Deal with NBC Sports Network". Bleacher Report.
  75. ^ Chiappetta, Mike (February 4, 2013). "World Series of Fighting signs 3-year deal with NBC Sports Network". MMA Fighting.
  76. ^ Diamond Joe (December 18, 2012). "Over 1 Million Viewers Watched "Sunday Night Football" On NBCSN During Obama Newtown Address". SportsRants. Archived from the original on December 22, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  77. ^ "NBC wins NASCAR TV rights, signs 10-year deal to replace ESPN, Turner". Sporting News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
  78. ^ "NASCAR and NBC Sports Group Reach Landmark Media Rights Agreement". NBC Sports Group Press Box. July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  79. ^ "Sports Illustrated on the Air". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  80. ^ a b "Break Glass in Case of Lockout: What's Left Of NBC Sports Network". SB Nation. August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  81. ^ "NBC Sports Group Presents Season Premiere of "Mecum Dealmakers" Thursday, July 30 at 10 P.M. ET on NBCSN". The Futon Critic. July 27, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  82. ^ "NBCSN Acquires TV Rights to Sports Jeopardy". Awful Announcing. April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  83. ^ "NBCSN replaces Sky Sports News with "NBC Sports Football Flex" as it ramps up NFL Draft coverage". Awful Announcing. April 12, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  84. ^ Hiestand, Michael (September 1, 2009). "Versus does disappearing act after dispute with DirecTV". USA Today. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  85. ^ DIRECTV and VERSUS Reach Carriage Agreement; Sports Net Returns to DIRECTV Lineup Today Market Watch March 15, 2010
  86. ^ Moss, Linda. "Comcast To Launch Three HD Nets, Including E!". Multichannel News. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBCSN&oldid=1258887951"