NBC to shut down their Sports Network

[Axeman33]

After 26 years....


https://twitter.com/Ourand_SBJ/statu...00248800579588

NBC has told distributors and some sports leagues that it plans to shut down its NBCSN sports channel by the end of the year. Story coming in SBD

https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/status...16972593733632

NBC to shut down NBC Sports Network at end of 2021. NBCSN is best known for carrying NHL and Premier League games as well as NASCAR and IndyCar races. It also carries a significant amount of programming during the Olympics.

[Axeman33]

https://twitter.com/Sportico/status/1352761092230012928

“USA Network will begin carrying and/or simulcasting certain NBC Sports programming, including NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games and NASCAR races,” No final decision on English Premier League coverage and other sports.

[audiopile]

Moving it to a channel with a bigger userbase.

Too bad its not NESN

[Axeman33]

Moving it to a channel with a bigger userbase.

Too bad its not NESN

No more regular season games though, from what I am reading. Only playoffs.

[hockeyrobot]

No more regular season games though, from what I am reading. Only playoffs.

Doesn't this coincide with a possible move back to ESPN on their new deal?

[Axeman33]

Doesn't this coincide with a possible move back to ESPN on their new deal?

Im not sure.

[hockeyrobot]

Doesn't this coincide with a possible move back to ESPN on their new deal?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadg...20rights%20fee.

NHL: The NHL’s ten-year agreement with NBC Sports at $200 million per annum expires at the end of the 2020-21 season. The NHL is looking for a significant increase in TV rights fee.

[kovalchuk17]

Alot of upside in this news in my books. While I'm sure there is a niche audience that likes to watch games at 10am PST/1pm EST on the weekend, i am not in that boat unless one of my fantasy players are in the game. I could be wrong, but I believe the early game slot was NBC's doing.

If this raises the salary cap in a few years due to a newer more expensive TV deal with ESPN or any other network. SIGN ME UP!

[Pengwin7]

It could be ESPN...
They've had a nice array of games on some kind of contract over last 3-4 years.

Personally, I love the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ package... and pretty much tune in for parts of every game on ESPN+.
NBCSports was fine, they're coverage was good. But it was basically just Wednesday nights (for me)... and so it wasn't on the tip of my mind.

I am curious to see who picks it up... because the revolving door on who airs hockey... suggests nobody has been able to properly market & monetize their returns on it.

It wouldn't surprise me to see the next contract have heavy ties to the betting market.

[stevegamer]

If it goes to ESPN, then they will start covering hockey again. They used to be really solid for sports news, but once they started mostly covering sports they showed, it went downhill.

[Daydream Nation]

I've read quite a bit about this and we don't really know what the future brings for NBC sports programming and the US NHL rights. NBC could be looking to build up USA in the mold of a TNT or they could be pushing programming to their Peacock streaming platform. I want to know what happens to blackouts with NHLTV if they split up the TV deal and a couple different networks are showing games 3-4 nights per week. And are they going to split the playoffs to different networks?

It has really been convenient and cost-effective for me to have NHLTV and then pick up Sling for $35 a month and watch the playoffs. I also watch Nascar and cycling on NBC Sports and Fox Sports 1 which are both on the same Sling tier so I am curious where everything ends up.