Comcast mulls launch of new cable channel with Peacock sports
Comcast mulls launch of new cable channel with Peacock sports
The topsy-turvy move would see Peacock’s extensive lineup of live sports become available on linear TV as well as streaming.
Comcast is reportedly considering the biggest zig while the rest of the media industry is zagging in recent memory. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is exploring the possibility of launching a new cable network, despite the fact that it is spinning off its existing cable channels into their own company. This network would primarily be intended to distribute the sports content available on Peacock, making many events available to pay-TV customers for the first time.
Key Details:
- Smaller distribution: The new Peacock sports channel would not be put in pay-TV base plans.
- Before basketball: The channel could launch in time for the NBA to join NBC and Peacock.
- Spin, spin, spin: NBCUniversal is in the process of spinning off most of its existing cable networks.
According to the Journal, the idea behind the creation of this new cable channel would be to serve as a hedge in case Peacock’s growth isn’t as rapid as NBCUniversal expects it to be. The channel would not be included in base pay-TV plans, but would be reserved for add-on packs and other offerings that specialize in live sports channels, like DIRECTV’s MySports Genre Pack and Sling TV’s Sports Extra.
The new channel could launch as early as this fall, which would allow it to offer live college football, college basketball, and NBA games. With the start of the 2025-26 season, NBC and Peacock join ESPN and Prime Video as the NBA’s media partners. As part of the deal, Peacock is set to exclusively air a lineup of games that would theoretically end up on the new channel if it comes to fruition.
A Peacock sports channel would allow NBCU to reach customers who are reluctant to leave the cable bundle. NBC previously operated the NBC Sports cable channel, but it was shut down in 2021 due to low ratings. Comcast is currently in the process of spinning off most of its cable channels into a new company called Versant. So, reversing course to bring Peacock’s sports programming to linear TV would be a somewhat stunning development.
A new cable channel isn’t the only way NBCU is considering tinkering with its live sports offerings. When Peacock announced its now annual mid-July price increase, it was also reported that the streamer will test a Peacock Select plan for $8 per month that includes none of the sports content found on other tiers of the streamer. The move would allow non-sports fans to subscribe to the service at a lower price for only the entertainment content.
The final decision on a Peacock sports cable channel hasn’t been made, and it’s possible that the project goes nowhere in the end. Still, it’s a remarkable turn of events in a world where media companies — including Comcast — are seemingly doing all they can to distance themselves from cable channels.
Peacock
Peacock is a subscription video streaming service from NBCUniversal that includes original shows, blockbuster movies, and classic television series. Peacock is home to “Yellowstone,” “The Office,” and original hits like “Poker Face” and “Bel-Air.” You can also watch live sports and NBC programming, including the NFL, MLB, WWE, the Olympics, the Premier League, NASCAR, the French Open, college football and basketball, and the PGA Tour. Premium Plus subscribers can stream their local NBC feed in all 210 markets.