Executives at NBCUniversal are eying a brand new sports activities cable community, roughly 4 years after they shuttered the earlier one the corporate operated.
The unnamed cable channel would carry sports activities that will even stream on the corporate’s service, Peacock, with the community doubtlessly going stay as early as the autumn, the Wall Road Journal reported Wednesday.
No choice has been made, and talks are within the early stage, in response to the report, however the community can be accessible on cable and satellite tv for pc companies as a part of specialty packages.
The channel would complement the Peacock streaming platform and would give the corporate a security internet of kinds if its subscriber base doesn’t develop as rapidly because the community anticipates.
The information comes months earlier than NBC formally joins as a broadcast associate for the NBA, which value NBCU roughly $2.5 billion yearly for the rights to hold the league package deal.
NBA video games this season will air on each linear NBC and on Peacock.
The Wall Road Journal report additionally indicated that the potential sports activities community can be made accessible via particular cable packages, quite than the broader plan that features different sports activities networks reminiscent of ESPN and Fox Sports activities 1.
Beforehand, NBC operated NBC Sports activities Community — also referred to as NBCSN — earlier than it shut down in 2021 because of low rankings and its incapacity to compete with ESPN.
NBCU has aired “Sunday Night Football” simulcasts on Peacock, together with an unique NFL recreation that’s carried solely on the streaming service.
Different sports activities choices on the streamer embrace golf, faculty soccer, the Olympics and Premier League soccer earlier than the NBA enters the fray within the fall.
Peacock’s subscription value went up by $3 to $10.99 a month for its ad-supported tier and to $16.99 for its tier with no commercials.
