History of NBC Sports in Timeline
NBC Sports is the sports programming division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It broadcasts a wide range of sporting events across NBC, its cable channels, and Peacock. These events include Big East and Big Ten basketball, NASCAR, NFL, Notre Dame football, the Olympic Games, PGA Tour golf, Premier League, Tour de France, and Thoroughbred racing. Following Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, its cable sports networks were integrated into NBC Sports, forming the NBC Sports Group.
1972: NBC Televises Winter Olympics for the First Time
In 1972, NBC televised the Winter Olympics for the first time. This marked a significant expansion of NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games.
1980: NBC faced disappointment due to US Boycott of 1980 Summer Olympics
In 1980, NBC experienced a setback after the United States boycotted the Summer Olympics due to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, leading to scaled-back coverage and advertising revenue losses.
1988: NBC Televises 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
In 1988, NBC televised the Summer Olympics in Seoul, beginning its branding as "America's Olympic Network."
1998: Dick Ebersol Named President of NBC Sports and Olympics
In 1998, Dick Ebersol was appointed as the president of NBC Sports and Olympics, marking a significant leadership change for the division.
2000: NBC declines to renew MLB broadcast agreement
In 2000, NBC declined to renew its broadcast agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB).
2001: NBC Partners with WWF to Establish the XFL
In 2001, NBC partnered with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to establish the XFL, a new football league with modified rules. NBC shared broadcast rights with UPN.
2001: NBC obtains NASCAR broadcast rights
In 2001, NBC, along with Fox and TNT, secured the broadcast rights for the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series in a six-year deal, starting in 2001. NBC also obtained the broadcast rights to horse racing's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in a five-year deal.
2002: NBA broadcast contract lost to ESPN and ABC
In 2002, NBC lost the broadcast contract for the National Basketball Association (NBA) to ESPN and ABC, ending the league's twelve-year run on NBC.
2002: NBC Televises 2002 Winter Olympics
In 2002, NBC televised the Winter Olympics and branded itself as "America's Olympic Network."
2005: Start of NHL contract delayed
In 2005, due to a league lockout, the start of NBC's contract with the NHL was delayed until the second half of the 2005-06 NHL season.
2008: NBC Broadcasts 2008 NHL Winter Classic
In 2008, NBC broadcasted the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor NHL game played on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
2009: NBC Sports began IndyCar Series contract
In 2009 NBC Sports began its IndyCar Series contract through Versus.
2009: Game 7 of 2009 Stanley Cup Finals Watched by 8 Million Viewers
In 2009, Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals was watched by an average of 8 million viewers, resulting in the highest ratings for an NHL game in 36 years.
2010: 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver Attracts 190 Million Viewers
The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver garnered a total of 190 million viewers, including 27.6 million viewers for the men's hockey gold medal game.
January 2011: Comcast Finalizes Acquisition of NBC Universal
In January 2011, Comcast finalized its acquisition of a majority share in NBC Universal, merging its sports networks into the NBC Sports Group. Mike McCarley became the new head of Golf Channel, and Versus was rebranded as NBC Sports Network.
July 3, 2011: ESPN obtains broadcast rights to The Championships, Wimbledon
On July 3, 2011, ESPN secured the exclusive broadcast rights to The Championships, Wimbledon, ending NBC's 42-year television relationship with the event.
January 2, 2012: NBC Sports Network Launches with New Branding
On January 2, 2012, with the relaunch of Versus as NBC Sports Network and the 2012 NHL Winter Classic, NBC Sports launched a comprehensive redesign of its branding, including a new on-air graphics design built around the NBC peacock.
2012: NBC Sports Shows MLS Games
From 2012, Major League Soccer (MLS) games were shown on NBC and the NBC Sports Network.
March 18, 2013: NBC Sports operations moved to Stamford, CT
On March 18, 2013, NBC Sports and NBCSN operations began to be based out of a facility in Stamford, Connecticut, to capitalize on tax credits.
2013: NBC Sports obtains Formula One broadcast rights
In 2013, NBC Sports acquired the broadcast rights to Formula One, with coverage on NBCSN and NBC.
2013: NBC Sports Gains Rights to Televise Premier League Soccer
Since the 2013 season, NBC Sports has held the rights to televise Premier League soccer in English and Spanish, replacing ESPN and Fox Soccer as the league's U.S. broadcasters.
September 7, 2014: Football Night in America moved to Stamford
On September 7, 2014, production of Football Night in America moved to Stamford.
2014: NBC Broadcasts and Streams 2014 Winter Olympics
During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, NBC broadcast over 500 hours of games across five television channels and streamed 1,000 hours digitally, including exclusive content on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports Live Extra app.
January 1, 2015: NBC Sports Introduces Refreshed On-Air Graphics
On January 1, 2015, NBC Sports introduced a refreshed design for on-air graphics, featuring a cleaner and brighter visual appearance, in time for the 2015 NHL Winter Classic and NFL playoffs.
June 7, 2015: NBC Sports Agrees to Televise The Open Championship
On June 7, 2015, NBC Sports and The R&A agreed to a twelve-year deal to televise The Open Championship, Senior Open Championship, and Women's British Open on NBC and Golf Channel, beginning in 2017.
November 2015: Universal Sports Ceased Operations
In November 2015, Universal Sports ceased operations. NBCUniversal acquired the rights to its content, moving much of the programming to Universal HD, NBCSN, and NBC Sports Live Extra.
2015: Fox sold the last seven years of its contract to air USGA tournaments to NBC
On June 29, 2020, Fox sold the last seven years of its contract to air USGA tournaments to NBC, regaining rights to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2015.
2015: NBC Sports Shows MLS Games
Until 2015, Major League Soccer (MLS) games were shown on NBC and the NBC Sports Network.
March 12, 2016: NBC Sports shows its first live Premiership Rugby match
On March 12, 2016, NBC Sports showed its first live Premiership Rugby match, between London Irish and Saracens F.C. at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
June 2016: NBC Sports launched NBC Sports Gold
In June 2016, NBC Sports launched NBC Sports Gold, a suite of sport-specific over-the-top subscription services that would include expanded and overflow coverage of its properties.
2016: The Open debuts on NBC Sports
In 2016, the Open debuted on NBC Sports a year early after existing rightsholder ESPN opted out of its final year of its agreement for the tournaments.
July 15, 2017: NBCUniversal relaunched Universal HD as Olympic Channel
On July 15, 2017, NBCUniversal relaunched Universal HD as Olympic Channel, a network to carry Olympic sports programming.
2017: Start of NBC Sports agreement to televise The Open Championship
In 2017, NBC Sports and The R&A agreed to a twelve-year deal to televise The Open Championship, Senior Open Championship, and Women's British Open on NBC and Golf Channel.
2017: NBC Sports held Formula One broadcast rights
Until 2017, NBC Sports held the rights to Formula One.
2018: NBC Sports loses Formula One broadcast rights
In 2018, NBC Sports lost the broadcast rights to Formula One, with ESPN taking over.
2018: NBC Sports renewed IndyCar Series contract and acquired broadcast rights
In early 2018, NBC Sports renewed its contract with the IndyCar Series through 2021 and acquired broadcast television rights previously held by ABC. Also NBC Sports announced a six-year agreement with the International Motor Sports Association beginning in 2019.
2018: End of NBC Sports rights to Premiership Rugby
Until 2018, NBC Sports held the rights to Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, through a three-year deal.
2019: NBC Adopts Elements of Sky Sports for Premier League Coverage
In 2019, NBC adopted elements of its British sibling Sky Sports for its Premier League coverage, diverging from its standard graphics packages.
2019: NBC Sports televises eight IndyCar races per-season
Since 2019, NBC has televised eight IndyCar races per-season, with the remaining races airing on NBCSN. Also NBC Sports announced a six-year agreement with the International Motor Sports Association beginning in 2019.
June 29, 2020: Fox sold the last seven years of its contract to air USGA tournaments to NBC
On June 29, 2020, Fox sold the last seven years of its contract to air USGA tournaments to NBC, regaining rights to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2015.
January 2021: NBCUniversal planned to shut down NBCSN
In January 2021, it was reported that NBCUniversal planned to shut down NBCSN by the end of the year, citing increased competition from streaming services.
2021: NBC Sports renewed IndyCar Series contract and acquired broadcast rights
In early 2018, NBC Sports renewed its contract with the IndyCar Series through 2021 and acquired broadcast television rights previously held by ABC. Also NBC Sports announced a six-year agreement with the International Motor Sports Association beginning in 2019.
December 31, 2021: NBCSN was officially shut down
On December 31, 2021, NBCSN was officially shut down, with its remaining programming rights moving to other NBCUniversal platforms.
April 6, 2022: NBC Sports announced deal to carry MLB games on Peacock
On April 6, 2022, NBC Sports announced a deal to carry a package of Sunday afternoon MLB games on Peacock branded as MLB Sunday Leadoff beginning in the 2022 season.
July 1, 2022: NBC Sports announced that Olympic Channel would shut down
On July 1, 2022, NBC Sports announced that Olympic Channel would shut down as a linear channel on September 30, 2022.
August 18, 2022: NBC Sports announced deal to carry Big Ten Conference athletics
On August 18, 2022, NBC Sports announced a seven-year deal to carry Big Ten Conference college athletics across its platforms beginning in the 2023–24 academic season.
September 30, 2022: Olympic Channel shut down as a linear channel
On July 1, 2022, NBC Sports announced that Olympic Channel would shut down as a linear channel on September 30, 2022.
2022: NBC Unveils Second Redesign for Sunday Night Football Graphics
During Super Bowl LVI in 2022, NBC unveiled a second redesign for the Sunday Night Football graphics package.
June 2023: NBC Sports Launched a Free Streaming Channel
In June 2023, NBC Sports launched a free ad-supported streaming channel.
2023: Peacock exclusively streams at least one regular season game per season
Beginning with the 2023 NFL season, Peacock exclusively streams at least one regular season game per season. The Miami Dolphins–Kansas City Chiefs wild card playoff game during the 2023 season drove 2.8 million sign-ups to Peacock and averaged 23 million viewers.
2023: NBC Sports declined to renew its deal to carry MLB games
In 2023, NBC Sports declined to renew its deal after the 2023 season, with the package moving to Roku instead.
2023: NBC Sports announced deal to carry Big Ten Conference athletics
On August 18, 2022, NBC Sports announced a seven-year deal to carry Big Ten Conference college athletics across its platforms beginning in the 2023–24 academic season.
January 2024: NBC Sports Free Streaming Channel Rebranded to NBC Sports NOW
In January 2024, NBC Sports free ad-supported streaming channel was rebranded to NBC Sports NOW.
June 27, 2024: NBC Sports and Big East Conference Announce Six-Year Deal
On June 27, 2024, NBC Sports and the Big East Conference announced a six-year deal starting in the 2025–26 academic year, covering more than 60 men’s and women’s basketball regular season and tournament games.
July 23, 2024: Comcast Confirms NBA Return to NBC Sports
On July 23, 2024, Comcast confirmed during a conference call that the NBA would return to NBC Sports in the 2025–26 season under an 11-year agreement. The agreement includes broadcasting rights to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Mentioned in this timeline
College football is a popular amateur sport in the United...
The National Broadcasting Company NBC is a major American commercial...
Xfinity a brand of Comcast Corporation launched in provides consumer...
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the...
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of...
Trinitrotoluene TNT or -trinitrotoluene is a chemical compound C H...
Trending
9 days ago James Gunn Plans Superman Sequel Shooting Soon; Teases 'Peacemaker' Role in DCU.
9 days ago Motorcycle crash in Beloit on Cranston Road: Police investigate single-vehicle incident.
9 days ago Zion: Influencers' Storm, Hidden Trail & East Mesa Hike, Views and Fewer Crowds
9 days ago Qatar Airways and Accenture partner for AI-driven aviation excellence, creating 'AI Skyways'.
9 days ago Ketel Marte's Absence and Day Off Requests Cause Frustration Among Diamondbacks Teammates
9 days ago Jamie Lee Curtis Celebrates 'Freakier Friday' with Fan Event and Lookalike Screening
Popular
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman currently serving...
John Bolton is an American attorney diplomat Republican consultant and...
Jupiter is the fifth and largest planet from the Sun...
Adam Schiff is an American politician and lawyer currently serving...
Donald John Trump is an American politician media personality and...
Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter was an influential Australian zookeeper...