History of CNBC in Timeline
CNBC is an American business news channel owned by NBCUniversal. It provides business news and analysis during market hours, complemented by documentaries and reality TV programming during off-peak times. The network also operates CNBC.com, a financial news website offering articles, videos, and subscription services. CNBC is headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, with a studio at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City.
June 1988: NBC Leases Transponder
In June 1988, NBC opted to lease Tempo Television's transponder instead of acquiring the channel. The channel was relaunched as CNBC.
April 17, 1989: CNBC Relaunch
On April 17, 1989, the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) was relaunched with Neil Cavuto as the anchor. It was initially operated as a 50-50 joint venture between NBC and Cablevision.
March 2, 1991: FNN Files for Bankruptcy
On March 2, 1991, the Financial News Network (FNN) filed for bankruptcy protection after an accounting scandal and was put up for sale.
1992: CNBC simulcasted coverage of the Olympics Triplecast
During NBC's coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics, CNBC simulcasted the Olympics Triplecast in a whip-around format without audio.
August 1993: Roger Ailes Hired as President
In August 1993, Roger Ailes was hired as the president of CNBC to revitalize the struggling network.
June 1995: CNBC Asia Launched
In June 1995, CNBC launched CNBC Asia, which is based in Hong Kong.
January 1996: Ailes Resigns
In January 1996, Roger Ailes resigned as president of CNBC due to disagreements with NBC management.
March 1996: CNBC Europe Launched
In March 1996, CNBC Europe, headquartered in London, was launched.
December 1997: Strategic Alliance with Dow Jones
In December 1997, CNBC formed a strategic alliance with Dow Jones, rebranding the channel and merging Dow Jones' business news channels into CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia.
1997: NBC utilized CNBC for post-game analysis programming
Beginning with the 1997 World Series, NBC started using CNBC for their post-game analysis programming.
2000: CNBC carried portions of NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games
Beginning in 2000, CNBC carried portions of NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games outside of business day hours.
2000: CNBC focused on boxing during Olympics coverage
CNBC's 2000 Summer Olympics coverage concentrated heavily on boxing, and together with MSNBC, the networks broadcast 176 original hours of Olympic programming.
2000: Peak Daytime Viewership
In 2000, CNBC's daytime viewership reached its highest point with 343,000 viewers.
2001: CNBC began televising Senior PGA Tour events
In 2001, CNBC initiated a four-year agreement to broadcast events from the Senior PGA Tour, either live or with tape delay, with early-round coverage on Pax cable feeds. This decision, according to CNBC president Bill Bolster, aimed to decrease CNBC's reliance on paid programming during weekends.
2001: CNBC Website Operated by MSN
In 2001, the CNBC website was operated by MSN.
2002: CNBC used same format as 2000 Summer Olympics focusing on Hockey
In 2002, CNBC used the same format as the 2000 Summer Olympics for the Winter Olympics, focusing on hockey. CNBC and MSNBC combined for 207 hours of programming.
2002: Ratings Decline
In 2002, CNBC's ratings fell by 44% following the burst of the dot-com bubble.
August 2003: Weather Content Deal with AccuWeather
In August 2003, CNBC signed a deal to source weather content from AccuWeather.
October 2003: Headquarters Relocation
In October 2003, CNBC moved its world headquarters from Fort Lee to Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
2003: Ratings Continued Decline
In 2003, CNBC's ratings fell another 5% continuing the decline.
2004: CNBC carried 111 hours of Olympic programming
CNBC carried 111 hours of Olympic programming during the 2004 Summer Olympics, focusing on boxing during weekdays and featuring beach volleyball, soccer, and taekwondo on weekends.
2005: NBC Universal Reacquires Full Control of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia
At the end of 2005, NBC Universal reacquired full control of CNBC Europe and CNBC Asia from Dow Jones.
2005: CNBC showed coverage of the NBA playoffs
Beginning in the 2005–06 season, CNBC began showing coverage of the NBA playoffs, as part of the NBA on NBC package.
2005: Lowest Viewership
In the first quarter of 2005, CNBC's average daytime viewership reached a low of 134,000.
September 2006: FTSE CNBC Global 300 Index Launched
In September 2006, CNBC launched the FTSE CNBC Global 300 stock market index in conjunction with FTSE Group.
2006: CNBC focused on curling and hockey during the Olympics
In 2006, CNBC broadcast 61 hours of Olympic programming during the Winter Olympics, focusing on curling during the weekdays and hockey during the weekends.
2006: CNBC Website Operated by MSN
In 2006, the CNBC website was operated by MSN.
June 1, 2007: CNBC Africa Launched
On June 1, 2007, CNBC Africa was launched.
October 10, 2007: CNBC HD Launched
On October 10, 2007, CNBC HD, a 1080i high-definition television simulcast of CNBC, was launched, first on DirecTV.
October 22, 2007: CNBC Investor Network Introduced
On October 22, 2007, CNBC introduced the CNBC Investor Network, a network of webcams in financial institutions.
December 2007: Content Partnership with Yahoo! Finance
In December 2007, CNBC formed a content partnership with Yahoo! Finance.
2007: Record Profits
In 2007, CNBC's profits exceeded $333 million and ratings hit an all-time high.
January 2008: Content Partnership with The New York Times
In January 2008, CNBC formed a content partnership with The New York Times.
May 2008: Content Partnership with AOL
In May 2008, CNBC formed a content partnership with AOL.
2008: CNBC carried 95.5 hours of Olympic coverage
In 2008, CNBC carried 95.5 hours of Olympic coverage focusing on boxing during prime time, and also showed softball, tennis, weightlifting, wrestling, and badminton during the overnight hours.
2008: Average Daytime Viewership Reached Seven-Year High
In 2008, average daytime viewership (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) reached a seven-year high of 310,000 viewers in the first quarter.
2009: Ratings Plummets
In 2009, CNBC's ratings plummeted as the network aired bad economic news due to the Great Recession.
January 2010: SBS-CNBC Channel Launch
In January 2010, the Korean language channel SBS-CNBC marked the fifteenth CNBC-branded channel worldwide.
July 2010: BT Signs Five-Year Contract
In July 2010, BT signed a five-year contract with CNBC Europe to distribute content from its London headquarters to sister sites in Europe and the US.
2010: CNBC focused on curling, Ice Hockey and biathlon during the Olympics
In 2010, CNBC carried 100.5 hours of Olympic coverage during the Winter Olympics, mainly focusing on curling, but also showed Ice Hockey and biathlon.
2010: Curling gains popularity due to CNBC coverage
The frequent delegation of curling coverage to CNBC during the 2010 Winter Olympics helped the sport gain a cult following among the business community.
2011: CNBC showed coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs
Beginning in the 2011–12 season, CNBC showed coverage of the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs, produced as part of the NHL on NBC package.
2011: Award at the International Broadcasting Convention
In 2011, CNBC won an award at the International Broadcasting Convention for its CNBC 4D: Interactive motion tracking.
June 2012: Expanded Partnership with Yahoo! Finance
In June 2012, CNBC expanded its partnership with Yahoo! Finance in an effort to reach more online viewers.
2012: CNBC carried 73 hours of Olympic coverage, focusing on boxing
CNBC carried 73 hours of Olympic coverage during the 2012 Summer Olympics, focusing exclusively on boxing.
2012: Dow and CNBC U.S. Licensing Agreement Expires
In 2012, the licensing agreement between Dow and CNBC U.S. expired.
2013: Maria Bartiromo Leaves CNBC
In 2013, host Maria Bartiromo left CNBC for Fox Business.
2013: CNBC Disruptor 50 Launched
Since 2013, the company publishes annual lists, including the CNBC Disruptor 50.
October 13, 2014: CNBC switches to full 16:9 letterbox presentation
On October 13, 2014, CNBC transitioned to a full 16:9 letterbox presentation, coinciding with the 11th anniversary of its relocation to Englewood Cliffs, NJ. This change aligned CNBC with its Asian and European counterparts.
2014: CNBC focused exclusively on curling during the Winter Olympics
In 2014, CNBC broadcast 36 hours of Olympic coverage during the Winter Olympics, focusing exclusively on curling.
2014: CNBC25 Launched
Since 2014, the company publishes annual lists, including the CNBC25.
January 6, 2015: Changes Ratings Calculation
On January 6, 2015, CNBC changed the way it calculates ratings, switching from Nielsen ratings to a system by Cogent Research to calculate the viewership of its business day programming.
October 2015: Republican Party Candidates Debate
In October 2015, a Republican Party candidates debate hosted by CNBC was seen by 14 million viewers—the highest viewership of a CNBC program to-date.
2015: CNBC aired portions of the 2015 UCI Road Cycling World Championships
In 2015, CNBC broadcast portions of the 2015 UCI Road Cycling World Championships.
January 10, 2016: Partnership with Trans Media
On January 10, 2016, CNBC announced a new partnership with Indonesian broadcaster Trans Media to form CNBC Indonesia.
2016: CNBC aired IndyCar races from Mid-Ohio
In 2016, CNBC aired IndyCar races from Mid-Ohio.
2016: CNBC aired The Game
In 2016, CNBC aired The Game, the annual college football game between Harvard University and Yale University as part of NBC Sports' Ivy League television contract.
2016: CNBC aired the Russian Grand Prix
In 2016, CNBC broadcast the Russian Grand Prix.
2016: CNBC carried 42 hours of Olympic coverage
In 2016, CNBC carried 42 hours of Olympic coverage during the Summer Olympics, focusing on basketball, volleyball, archery, cycling, rugby, water polo, and wrestling.
2017: Fox Business Overtakes CNBC
By 2017, Fox Business had overtaken CNBC as the most-watched daytime business news network.
2017: CNBC aired IndyCar races from Mid-Ohio and Toronto
In 2017, CNBC aired IndyCar races from Mid-Ohio and Toronto.
2017: CNBC aired The Game
In 2017, CNBC aired The Game, the annual college football game between Harvard University and Yale University as part of NBC Sports' Ivy League television contract.
2018: CNBC focused on hockey and curling during the Olympics
In 2018, CNBC carried 46 hours of Olympic coverage during the Winter Olympics, focusing on hockey and curling.
2019: CNBC aired coverage of the final two days of the Amundi Evian Championship
In 2019, CNBC aired coverage of the final two days of the Amundi Evian Championship as part of the LPGA Tour.
2020: CNBC aired 10 matches of FA Women's Super League
During the 2020-21 FA Women's Super League season, CNBC aired 10 matches.
2020: CNBC aired Stage 14 and Stage 15 of the Tour de France
In 2020, CNBC broadcast Stage 14 and Stage 15 of the Tour de France.
2020: CNBC carried 124.5 hours of Olympic coverage
In 2020, CNBC carried 124.5 hours of Olympic coverage during the Summer Olympics, focusing on diving, beach volleyball, skateboarding, rowing, canoeing, archery, water polo, and rugby.
2020: Online Video Operations
In 2020, CNBC's online video operations generated an all-time high of 1.92 billion total digital video starts across platforms.
2020: 2020 YellaWood 500 was bumped to CNBC
In 2020, the 2020 YellaWood 500 was moved to CNBC after the race ran long and interfered with other programming.
September 2021: Deal with Jim Cramer
In September 2021, CNBC signed a new multi-platform deal with Jim Cramer.
2021: CNBC aired coverage of the final two days of the Amundi Evian Championship
In 2021, CNBC aired coverage of the final two days of the Amundi Evian Championship as part of the LPGA Tour.
2021: CNBC aired portions of the Royal Ascot and Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series
In 2021, CNBC broadcast portions of the Royal Ascot and Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
January 2022: CNBC Investing Club Launched
In January 2022, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer launched as a subscription service.
August 2022: Mark Hoffman Steps Down
In August 2022, Mark Hoffman stepped down as president of CNBC and was succeeded by KC Sullivan.
August 28, 2022: CNBC aired the 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400
On August 28, 2022, CNBC aired the 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at 10 AM ET due to a rainout the previous night. The race was originally planned for NBC in primetime.
November 2022: The News with Shepard Smith Cancelled
In November 2022, "The News with Shepard Smith" was cancelled in favor of the new financial news program "Last Call with Brian Sullivan".
2022: CNBC aired stage 8 of the Paris–Nice
In 2022, CNBC aired stage 8 of the Paris–Nice.
2022: CNBC aired the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes
In 2022, CNBC aired the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes from Gulfstream and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes from Santa Anita as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
2022: AMA Supercross Championship races aired on CNBC
In 2022, CNBC broadcasted ten AMA Supercross Championship races.
2022: CNBC focused primarily on curling and ice hockey
In 2022, CNBC carried 80 hours of Olympic coverage during the Winter Olympics, focusing primarily on curling and ice hockey.
2022: CNBC will air portions of the Women's Tour de France
In 2022, CNBC is scheduled to air portions of the Women's Tour de France.
2022: HBCU New York City Football Classic
In 2022, CNBC is scheduled to air the first ever HBCU New York City Football Classic between Howard University and Morehead State University.
2022: CNBC will air coverage of the final two days of the Amundi Evian Championship
In 2022, CNBC will air coverage of the final two days of the Amundi Evian Championship, as part of the LPGA Tour.
January 2023: Last Call with Brian Sullivan Premiered
In January 2023, Last Call with Brian Sullivan, a new financial news program, premiered.
December 11, 2023: Major Rebranding
On December 11, 2023, CNBC underwent a major rebranding with a new logo and updated on-air graphics.
2023: CNBC Viewership
In 2023, CNBC's total day and primetime viewership exceeded Fox Business, while Fox Business led in trading day viewership.
2023: USFL game moved to CNBC due to weather delay
In 2023, a USFL game between the New Orleans Breakers and the Memphis Showboats was moved to CNBC due to a weather delay caused by lightning strikes.
March 2024: Plans Announced to Add Make It to Weekend Programming
In March 2024, CNBC announced plans to add its personal finance brand “Make It” to weekend programming.
April 2024: 35th Anniversary
In April 2024, CNBC celebrated its 35th anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange.
July 18, 2024: Last Call with Brian Sullivan Ended
On July 18, 2024, Last Call with Brian Sullivan ended.
October 2024: Current notable programming
As of October 2024, CNBC has notable programming.
November 2024: Brazilian Affiliate Launched
In November 2024, a Brazilian affiliate known as Times Brasil launched as CNBC's first local franchise in South America.
November 20, 2024: NBCUniversal Announces Spin-Off
On November 20, 2024, NBCUniversal announced its intent to spin off most of its cable networks, including CNBC, as a new publicly-traded company controlled by Comcast shareholders.
2024: Pensacola International Airport location unveiled
As of 2024, CNBC airport stores continue to expand, with a Pensacola International Airport location unveiled in Florida that November.
2024: CNBC aired the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterrey and Iowa Speedway race
In 2024, CNBC aired the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterrey due to a NASCAR delay and the first Iowa Speedway race of the doubleheader weekend due to coverage of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.
2024: CNBC aired coverage of the Travelers Championship
In 2024, due to inclement weather, CNBC aired coverage of the Travelers Championship, utilizing CBS announcers and graphics.
2025: CNBC+ Launch
In 2025, CNBC launched CNBC+, an over-the-top media service with subscriptions starting at $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
