NBCUniversal will close its sports cable channel NBCSN at the end of the year and migrate much of its programming to its sister general entertainment network USA, the company said.
The premium properties on NBCSN are the National Hockey League and Nascar motorsport, both of which will begin this year with the transition to USA Network. Some content will remain on both channels until NBCSN officially turns off the lights. NBCUniversal informed employees on Friday afternoon in a company note about the plan.
“We are absolutely more committed than ever to live sports as a business, and having such a massive platform as USA Network broadcasting some of our core sports content is great for our partners, distributors, viewers and advertisers,” said NBC Sports Group Chairman Pete Bevacqua.
By putting high-profile sports on the USA Network, NBCUniversal – part of Comcast Corp. – Fix two problems with one move: Get rid of an underperforming asset and fuel an already powerful one. The Premier Soccer League also has games in the US.
NBCSN is struggling to compete with bigger rivals like Walt Disney Co’s ESPN and Fox Corp.’s Fox Sports cable network. While it has a wide national reach, its ratings pale in comparison to its competition. Fox Corp. and Wall Street Journal parent company News Corp. share common ownership.