History of NBC Sports in Timeline
NBC Sports, an American programming division of NBC, is responsible for broadcasting a wide variety of sports events. Owned by the NBC Sports Group, a division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast, NBC Sports presents coverage of major sports leagues such as the NFL, Premier League, NASCAR, and IndyCar Series, as well as events like the Olympic Games, the Tour de France, and professional golf. The division also features programming from external producers, such as coverage of the Ironman Triathlon. Following Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, NBC Sports was integrated with Comcast's cable sports networks to form the NBC Sports Group.
1964: NBC Broadcasts the Tokyo Summer Olympics
NBC televised the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, marking one of their early forays into Olympic Games coverage.
1972: NBC Airs the Winter Olympics for the First Time
In 1972, NBC broadcasted the Winter Olympics for the first time, expanding its coverage of the Olympic Games.
1988: NBC Solidifies Olympic Coverage with Seoul Summer Games
NBC's coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul marked a turning point. Since then, the network has branded itself as "America's Olympic Network," broadcasting every Summer and Winter Games.
1989: Previous NBC Sports Logo Retired
The previous NBC Sports logo, which had been in use since 1989, was retired in 2012.
1998: Ebersol Appointed President of NBC Sports and Olympics
In 1998, Ebersol was appointed as the President of NBC Sports and Olympics, a testament to his influence on the network's sports division.
2000: NBC Declines MLB Renewal
In 2000, NBC chose not to renew its broadcasting agreement with Major League Baseball.
2001: Launch of the XFL
NBC partnered with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 2001 to launch the XFL, a new football league. It garnered significant initial attention but lasted only one season.
2002: Loss of NBA Rights
NBC was outbid by ESPN and ABC for the NBA's broadcasting rights in 2002, concluding a 12-year run of NBA games on NBC.
2002: NBC Becomes Exclusive U.S. Broadcaster of the Winter Olympics
Starting with the 2002 Winter Olympics, NBC became the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for both the Summer and Winter Games, solidifying its position as the dominant Olympic network.
2005: Start of NHL Broadcasts
NBC's coverage of the NHL began in the second half of the 2005–2006 NHL season, after a lockout delayed the original start date.
2008: Broadcasting the NHL Winter Classic
NBC aired the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor game held on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The event was a success in terms of both attendance and television ratings.
2009: Record-Breaking Stanley Cup Finals Viewership
Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals achieved the highest television ratings for an NHL game in 36 years, drawing an average of 8 million viewers.
2009: Versus Begins IndyCar Series Coverage
Versus, later rebranded as NBCSN, initiated its coverage of the IndyCar Series in 2009, marking the beginning of a long-term partnership.
2010: Vancouver Winter Olympics Draws Large Audience
The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver garnered significant viewership, with a total of 190 million viewers tuning in, including a substantial audience for the men's hockey gold medal game.
January 2011: Comcast's Acquisition Finalized & Formation of NBC Sports Group
Comcast completed its acquisition of a majority stake in NBC Universal in January 2011. This led to the creation of the NBC Sports Group, which consolidated Comcast's existing sports networks, including Golf Channel and Versus (later renamed NBCSN).
July 3, 2011: ESPN Acquires Wimbledon Rights
ESPN acquired exclusive broadcasting rights to Wimbledon in a 12-year deal starting in July 2011, marking the end of NBC's 42-year run broadcasting the tournament.
January 2, 2012: NBC Sports Unveils Redesigned Branding
Coinciding with the rebranding of Versus as NBC Sports Network, NBC Sports launched a comprehensive brand redesign on January 2, 2012, featuring a new on-air look and an updated logo, reflecting a more modern and cohesive identity.
2012: Start of MLS Coverage
NBC Sports began broadcasting Major League Soccer (MLS) games in 2012, showing a selection of regular season and playoff matches on NBC and NBC Sports Network.
March 18, 2013: NBC Sports Relocates to Stamford
On March 18, 2013, NBC Sports and NBCSN moved the majority of their operations to a new facility in Stamford, Connecticut, taking advantage of tax incentives offered by the state.
2013: Formula One Broadcasting Rights
NBC Sports obtained the rights to broadcast Formula One races from 2013, with most coverage airing on NBCSN and select races, including the Monaco Grand Prix, Canadian Grand Prix, and the final two races of the season, airing on NBC.
September 7, 2014: Football Night in America Moves to Stamford
Production of Football Night in America, which had initially remained in New York City, relocated to the Stamford facility on September 7, 2014.
2014: NBC Expands Digital Coverage of Sochi Winter Olympics
NBC significantly expanded its digital coverage during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, offering over 1,000 hours of streaming content alongside traditional broadcasts, including exclusive digital programming.
January 1, 2015: NBC Sports Refreshes On-Air Graphics
NBC Sports introduced a refreshed design for its on-air graphics on January 1, 2015, aiming for a cleaner and more vibrant visual style.
June 7, 2015: NBC Sports Secures Open Championship Rights
NBC Sports and The R&A reached a 12-year agreement on June 7, 2015, granting NBC and Golf Channel the rights to broadcast The Open Championship, Senior Open Championship, and Women's British Open starting in 2017.
November 2015: Universal Sports Ceases Operations
In November 2015, Universal Sports Network ceased operations, leading to NBCUniversal acquiring its content. Programming shifted to Universal HD, NBCSN, and NBC Sports Live Extra.
2015: NASCAR Returns & Increased Investment
NASCAR returned to NBC Sports in 2015 under a ten-year agreement, with NBC resuming coverage of the latter half of the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons. Although financial specifics weren't revealed, NBC's payment was reportedly 50% higher than the combined amount paid by ESPN and TNT in the preceding deal.
2015: End of MLS Coverage
NBC Sports ended its coverage of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2015.
2015: NBC Sports Retires College Football Graphics
NBC Sports retired its college football graphics, which were in use since 2015.
2015: NBC Last Airs the U.S. Open
NBC's previous tenure of broadcasting the U.S. Open concluded in 2015.
March 12, 2016: NBC Sports Airs First Live Premiership Rugby Match
On March 12, 2016, NBC Sports broadcasted its inaugural live Premiership Rugby match, featuring London Irish versus Saracens F.C. at Red Bull Arena.
June 2016: NBC Sports Launches NBC Sports Gold
NBC Sports introduced NBC Sports Gold in June 2016, offering sport-specific over-the-top subscription services with supplementary coverage of their properties.
2016: Early Debut of Open Championship Coverage
The Open Championship made its debut on NBC a year earlier than initially planned, airing in 2016, as the previous rightsholder, ESPN, opted out of the final year of its contract.
July 15, 2017: Universal HD Rebranded as Olympic Channel
On July 15, 2017, NBCUniversal relaunched Universal HD as the Olympic Channel, dedicated to broadcasting Olympic sports programming.
2017: End of Formula One Coverage
NBC Sports concluded its Formula One broadcasting agreement in 2017.
2017: Start of Open Championship Coverage (as originally agreed)
NBC Sports was initially slated to begin its coverage of The Open Championship, Senior Open Championship, and Women's British Open in 2017, as per the agreement.
2018: ESPN Takes Over Formula One
ESPN acquired the broadcasting rights to Formula One from 2018 onwards.
2018: NBC Sports Renews IndyCar Series Contract
In 2018, NBC Sports extended its contract with the IndyCar Series, continuing a partnership that began in 2009 with Versus, securing broadcast rights until 2021.
2018: NBC Sports Concludes Premiership Rugby Coverage
NBC Sports' coverage of Premiership Rugby, the highest tier of English rugby union, came to an end in 2018 after a three-year agreement.
2019: NBC Sports Secures IndyCar and IMSA Rights
NBC Sports expanded its motorsports portfolio in 2019, acquiring broadcast rights for the IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the International Motor Sports Association's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
2019: NBC Sports Adopts Sky Sports Elements for Premier League Coverage
NBC Sports incorporated design elements from its British counterpart, Sky Sports, for its Premier League coverage in 2019, aligning its visual presentation with the league's global branding.
June 29, 2020: NBC Acquires USGA Tournament Rights from Fox
On June 29, 2020, NBC reacquired the rights to broadcast USGA tournaments, including the U.S. Open, from Fox, marking their return to covering the event since 2015.
January 2021: NBCUniversal Announces Plans to Shut Down NBCSN
In January 2021, NBCUniversal announced plans to discontinue NBCSN by the year's end, citing heightened competition from streaming platforms and other major sports networks.
2021: NBC Sports' IndyCar Series Contract Expires
NBC Sports' agreement with the IndyCar Series concluded in 2021, encompassing broadcast television rights acquired from ABC.
December 31, 2021: NBCSN Ceases Operations
On December 31, 2021, NBCUniversal officially shut down NBCSN, with remaining programming rights being transferred to other NBCUniversal platforms, primarily USA Network and Peacock.
April 6, 2022: NBC Sports Announces MLB Sunday Game Package on Peacock
NBC Sports revealed a deal on April 6, 2022, to air a selection of Sunday afternoon MLB games on Peacock, commencing in the 2022 season.
July 1, 2022: Olympic Channel to Cease Linear Broadcast
NBC Sports announced on July 1, 2022, the discontinuation of the Olympic Channel as a linear channel, effective September 30, 2022.
August 18, 2022: NBC Sports Secures Big Ten Conference Rights
NBC Sports secured a seven-year agreement on August 18, 2022, to broadcast Big Ten Conference college athletics across its platforms starting in the 2023–24 academic year.
September 30, 2022: Olympic Channel Ceases Linear Broadcast
The Olympic Channel ended its run as a linear channel on September 30, 2022.
2022: NBC Sports Debuts Dedicated Graphics for Super Bowl LVI
During Super Bowl LVI in 2022, NBC Sports introduced dedicated graphics packages specifically for Sunday Night Football, showcasing a customized visual identity for their flagship NFL program.
2023: NBC to Air Big Ten College Football Games
Beginning in 2023, NBC will commence broadcasting a package of primetime Big Ten college football games as part of their agreement with the conference.
2024: End of IndyCar Series Coverage
In 2024, NBC Sports will end its broadcasting agreement with the IndyCar Series.
