What’s old is new again in the world of sports media.
According to a report by Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal, NBC is exploring launching a cable network dedicated to sports as it completes its spinoff of Versant, which will house the majority of NBCUniversal’s current suite of cable channels. Per Flint, the potential new cable network would primarily focus on simulcasting sporting events that are slated to be exclusive to Peacock, NBC’s streaming platform.
Of course, NBC shuttered its sports-focused cable network NBCSN in 2021.
The new network would only be available in select cable offerings, according to the Wall Street Journal. “To protect Peacock, the people familiar with the discussions said, NBCU wouldn’t make the channel available in the big broad channel packages that typically include networks with sports such as Disney’s ESPN and Fox Corp.’s Fox Sports 1. Instead, it would only offer the channel through specific cable packages,” the report reads. The channel, then, could likely find itself apart of sports-focused skinny bundles like DirecTV’s MySports.
Starting this fall, NBC is set to begin airing its brand new package of NBA games. As part of that package, about half of games are set aside exclusively for Peacock. This potential new cable channel would likely make those games available as part of some more premium pay TV bundles. The news comes as Peacock is set to raise its monthly prices by $3 this week.
The potential channel is still in its early stages, and NBC has yet to make a final decision on whether it will go forward with the plan, Flint reports. If they do, the goal is to compliment Peacock rather than cannibalize its customers. NBC realizes that sports fans are some of the stickiest in the cable bundle and is weighing this option as a means of reaching those still loyal to the bundle.
Peacock has made sports a primary focus, gaining rights for the NBA, an exclusive NFL game, a number of exclusive Big Ten football and basketball games, Premier League soccer, and much more.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.