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January 22, 2021 11:34 pm  #1


NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

NBC has announced that the cable NBC Sports Network will close the end of this year...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/nbc-shut-down-sports-cable-channel-nbcsn-n1255366 

 

January 23, 2021 5:25 am  #2


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Interesting. Does this mean that Stacked TV will suddenly have a Stacked Sports option to carry all the Peacock Sports content?


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

January 23, 2021 11:48 am  #3


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Another report in the Wall Street Journal said that NBC was also looking at the possible closure of additional cable channels.  Others that NBCUniversal owns include Bravo and E!

Still a little odd with NBC Sports Network since one year ago it had about 79 million households in the US receiving the channel.

     Thread Starter
 

January 23, 2021 3:45 pm  #4


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

NBC Sports owns the NHL rights in the US. I wonder what will happen to those.

 

January 23, 2021 4:01 pm  #5


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

The article indicated that the USA network would be picking up some of the leagues that NBC Sports Network was carrying and also Peacock would carry some sports.  In fact those services will start to simulcast some hockey and soccer with the NBCSN before the end of the year.

     Thread Starter
 

January 23, 2021 4:03 pm  #6


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Prod Guy wrote:

NBC Sports owns the NHL rights in the US. I wonder what will happen to those.

2011 + 10 = 2021.  Was the deal renewed? For how long?  https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-nbc-sign-record-setting-10-year-tv-deal/c-560238

Edit: Found this info: We have to wait a bit due to the Pandemic:  https://awfulannouncing.com/nhl/nhl-reportedly-pausing-media-rights-negotiations-until-the-end-of-2020.html

Last edited by Radiowiz (January 23, 2021 4:34 pm)


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

January 23, 2021 6:52 pm  #7


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Not a big fan of NBCSN, But  I noticed last night that most of the IndyCar races were being moved to the network, which is fine for me but bad for Rogers because it's on NBC channel 2 in Buffalo, rivalling Sportsnet 360, one of their "extras".  
 

 

January 24, 2021 11:20 am  #8


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

SpinningWheel wrote:

Not a big fan of NBCSN, But  I noticed last night that most of the IndyCar races were being moved to the network, which is fine for me but bad for Rogers because it's on NBC channel 2 in Buffalo, rivalling Sportsnet 360, one of their "extras".  
 

You may see more sports on the NBC main network, even prime time though the week.  Sports are cheap to produce, they have already paid for the rights, and often live sport broadcasts get better ratings than many expensive scripted shows.  Hollywood is still way behind in production since COVID has been running rampant through California over the past few months.

     Thread Starter
 

January 24, 2021 11:43 am  #9


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

There may be another reason for the move.

How the Shutdown of NBCSN Could Be a Lifeline for USA Network

 

January 24, 2021 1:31 pm  #10


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Between this and the recent news of a couple cable channels being shut down in Canada, I can’t help but think about how many other cable (speciality) channels on both sides of the border could shut down in the coming years as more and more people abandon cable TV.

I’ve long believed there are too many channels on TV and that adding more and more channels was creating an illusion of choice.

 

January 24, 2021 2:17 pm  #11


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

In Canada, licensing dozens of specialty channels was never going to work in the long term. Creating new programming that fits each channel's niche is money you can never make back -- because you've diluted both ratings and revenue potential by having so many channels in the first place.

The short-term fix was for each channel to run popular programming from outside its niche on repeat, which temporarily improves ratings, but kills the demand for the channels and their packages in the long term.

 

January 24, 2021 10:36 pm  #12


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

I think you are going to see more cable channels here and in the US close down or more become only a streaming service.  I think the market will determine what survives. Odd though at least for Bell which I have regularly adds new channels to test to see if I want to buy.  And they are mostly Canadian and the odd US channel or international, some I have never heard of.  However so far, even the US channels don't interest me. Even the 5 US super channels that I used to have all had a lot of the same programming.  Mostly sitcoms like Big Bang, Friends, Broke Girls, Will and Grace etc. basically shows I could watch already.  And I am not going to pay extra just to see Boston or LA's local newscasts.    Can only watch one channel at a time!   

     Thread Starter
 

January 24, 2021 11:05 pm  #13


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

For what it's worth, here are the most popular networks in the US for 2020 courtesy of Variety.  Judging by this list there could be more cable channels go dark this year, some very low ratings. Over the air networks are still barely on top but all had significant drops as did many cable channels.  However, news channels were gold...
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/network-ratings-2020-top-channels-fox-news-cnn-msnbc-cbs-1234866801/

     Thread Starter
 

January 25, 2021 11:42 am  #14


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Another wrinkle in the changes at NBCUniversal.

WWE to Shutter Streaming Service, Move Content to Peacock in New Deal

 

January 25, 2021 7:37 pm  #15


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

NBC must have paid a fortune because I'm sure I heard the WWE streaming service was more successful than they ever imagined.

 

January 26, 2021 11:29 pm  #16


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Radiowiz wrote:

Interesting. Does this mean that Stacked TV will suddenly have a Stacked Sports option to carry all the Peacock Sports content?

That would require Corus to buy into sports programming, which is not something they usually do. Their contract for Peacock shows only covers stuff NBC Universal owns outright.

 

January 26, 2021 11:43 pm  #17


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Retaw wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

Interesting. Does this mean that Stacked TV will suddenly have a Stacked Sports option to carry all the Peacock Sports content?

That would require Corus to buy into sports programming, which is not something they usually do. Their contract for Peacock shows only covers stuff NBC Universal owns outright.

Then how do Canadians (legally) watch WWE content once this takes effect?


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

January 26, 2021 11:44 pm  #18


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Retaw wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

Interesting. Does this mean that Stacked TV will suddenly have a Stacked Sports option to carry all the Peacock Sports content?

That would require Corus to buy into sports programming, which is not something they usually do. Their contract for Peacock shows only covers stuff NBC Universal owns outright.

Right. Corus would need to get overall rights for whatever they'd want to stream on Stacked, and that's basically impossible with how Bell and Rogers have vertically stacked every aspect of sports from team ownership to broadcasting to distribution.

At best they could maybe put together a college football package.
 

 

January 26, 2021 11:56 pm  #19


Re: NBC Closing Sports Cable Network

Radiowiz wrote:

Retaw wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

Interesting. Does this mean that Stacked TV will suddenly have a Stacked Sports option to carry all the Peacock Sports content?

That would require Corus to buy into sports programming, which is not something they usually do. Their contract for Peacock shows only covers stuff NBC Universal owns outright.

Then how do Canadians (legally) watch WWE content once this takes effect?

Unless stated otherwise, I wouldn't expect any changes on the Canadian side of things yet. AFAIK, WWE never actually offered the SVOD service in Canada - just a programming deal licensed to Rogers.
 

Last edited by Retaw (January 26, 2021 11:56 pm)