NBCUniversal is launching a new cable network Monday that will carry live sports, including those currently exclusive to its Peacock streaming service.
The company announced Thursday that NBC's new sports network will air on YouTube TV and Comcast's parent Xfinity service. Deals with other pay-TV providers are expected in the coming months, the company said.
The new channel will allow NBC to make its sports offerings more attractive to advertisers who may be put off by the limited reach of its channels. Streaming service Peacockwhich currently has 41 million subscribers. There is virtually no overlap between Peacock subscribers and the nearly 60 million households that still buy traditional pay-TV packages.
Sports are also a major reason why consumers continue to pay for cable and satellite television. NBCU executives believe the channel will help distributors like Comcast retain customers.
The new channel will air NBA games on Monday nights, which were previously exclusive to Peacock. During the Winter Olympics in February, it will be home to “Golden Zone,” a daily reporting show hosted by Scott Hanson and offered exclusively on Peacock during the 2024 Summer Games.
Although the deal has not been officially announced, it is expected that NBCU will receive Major League Baseball Game Packsome of which will be shown on NBCSN.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news about the upcoming sports network.
Other events from NBC's 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 Soccer and the undercard races of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oats.
NBCUniversal had a cable sports network but shut it down in 2021 after losing the NHL television rights. But the company has since invested heavily in live sports broadcasts, which is a big draw for advertisers.
In 2024, the company entered into an 11-year agreement to become a major media rights partner with the NBA.
The new channel will also feature Peacock's sports talk shows, including “The Dan Patrick Show,” “The Dan Le Batard Show” and “Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry.”
