NBCUniversal announced Friday that it will be shut down its sports cable channel, NBCSN, at the end of 2021.
Much of NBCSN’s sports programming will move to USA Network and to Peacock, the company’s new streaming service.
The announcement comes amid a broader effort at NBC to consolidate its operations, a strategy that could see the closure of other channels. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has also forced cost-cutting across numerous companies, including NBCUniversal.
“We’re all aware of how quickly the media landscape is evolving, and our Company is taking thoughtful steps to stay ahead of these trends wherever possible and, in many instances, help set them,” NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua said in an email to the company.
Bevacqua said he will be hosting a virtual meeting on Jan. 26 to answer questions following the news. NBCUniversal is the parent company of both the NBC Sports Group and NBC News.
The company said programming that aired on the cable channel will eventually be broadcast across other platforms within NBCUniversal, including the cable channel USA Network and the streaming platform Peacock. As part of the change, USA Network will air NHL Stanley Cup Playoff games and NASCAR races.
“This will make USA Network an extraordinarily powerful platform in the media marketplace, and gives our sports programming a significant audience boost,” Bevacqua said.
More of NBC’s sports programming is also likely to end up on Peacock, which launched widely in July 2020 and is already host to much of the company’s Premier League soccer content, for which it holds the rights through the 2021-2022 season.
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