The back story as to why there will soon be additional options for watching sports is more complicated than simply NBC Sports needing more space for its growing portfolio of live events.
There is a new channel that’s technically a relaunch with a familiar name. There is also a redefined brand encompassing multiple channels created through a new company, which was formed as a spin-off from the media giant that also happens to own the aforementioned relaunched network.
So the introduction, or reintroduction, of NBC Sports Network and USA Sports this year can seem a bit confusing. It involves NBC parent company Comcast, its reported interest in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery, the requisite politics to get a merger of that size done and a media landscape that’s evolving rapidly. All these factors led to Versant, a new company that will house USA Sports and most of NBCUniversal’s U.S. cable networks, including MSNBC, USA Network, CNBC, E! and the Golf Channel.
The end result should be a net positive for sports fans, with more platforms to watch NBA, WNBA, MLB, college football and basketball, NASCAR, Premier League soccer and Olympics coverage. Here’s what to know about NBC Sports Network and USA Sports, including the sports events each will broadcast and answers to key questions on what this means for viewership moving forward:
UPDATE: Rebuilt Pac-12 announces five-year TV deal with newly formed USA Sports
NBC Sports Network, owned by NBCUniversal, is a new linear network with the same name as the sports-based linear network NBC previously operated from 2012 through 2021. The channel is seen as a vehicle for pay-TV customers to watch the thousands of hours of live events and studio coverage that could previously only be seen with a subscription to NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock.
The new NBC Sports Network will feature games and programming from NBC’s new media rights deal with the NBA and WNBA, a new MLB rights package, Big Ten and Notre Dame football, college basketball, various daily podcasts and sports talk shows and more.
“The new NBC Sports Network gives pay-TV customers a seamless way to enjoy the wide range of sports in our portfolio, adding an important pillar in our linear and streaming strategy, Matt Schnaars, NBCUniversal’s president, platform distribution and partnerships, said in a statement. NBCSN is a win across the board driving value for fans and distributors who prefer an aggregated experience, league and conference partners seeking broad reach, and advertisers targeting engaged sports audiences while also creating a new monetization path for some of our most premium programming and supporting NBCUs commitment to serving viewers wherever they watch, whether on Peacock, pay-TV, or both.
NBCUniversal announced that NBC Sports Network will officially launch on Monday, Nov. 17. The channel will be available initially to all YouTube TV subscribers, and soon with Xfinity, according to an NBCUniversal press release. Other distributors will be announced at a later date, the company said.
USA Sports is a collection of sports media rights packages that will air on three Versant channels (USA, Golf Channel and CNBC) throughout the year. Coverage includes WNBA regular season and Finals games, the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, PGA Tour events, Premier League soccer and WWE Smackdown, among other offerings. Versant officially launched the USA Sports brand on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and announced it will produce more than 10,000 hours of game and studio programming.
Our new USA Sports brand and division name leans into USA Networks decades-long reputation as a top national sports and entertainment network, USA Sports president Matt Hong said in a statement. USA Sports has something for all sports fans across the country.
Note: Games/events will air on USA Network, Golf Channel or CNBC
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What’s on NBC Sports Network and USA Sports? New TV channel explained