How does Comcast’s cable spin-off affect future of US Open?
How does Comcast’s cable spin-off affect future of US Open?
The prestigious golf tournament will air on NBCUniversal channels through next year, but after that its future is up in the air.
The 2025 U.S. Open tees off on Thursday, June 12, and is set to air on NBCUniversal channels once again this year. NBC’s deal to air the U.S. Open runs through the 2026 tournament, but after that, its broadcast rights hit the market again. Normally, NBCU would be a strong candidate to retain the rights, but with the recent spin-off of its cable channels, there is room to question where the U.S. Open will end up after 2026.
Key Details:
- Spin cycle: Comcast has spun off most of its cable networks into a new company named Versant.
- USA A-Ok?: USA Network is carrying U.S. Open coverage this year, but its future is less than certain.
- Where to next?: CBS or ESPN make sense as future partners for the U.S. Open, but what about Netflix?
Comcast announced in November 2024 that it planned to spin off most of its cable channels into a separate company. Initially called SpinCo, the newly formed company is now called Versant, and houses all NBCU-owned cable channels except Bravo and Telemundo.
The trouble from the perspective of the U.S. Golf Association is that it partners with channels that are now a part of Versant. The 2025 U.S. Open will partially air on USA Network, for example, but one of the purposes of Versant is to make NBCU cable networks more attractive to potential buyers. The future of the channels that are now a part of Versant is somewhat up in the air, and that could make the USGA less eager to sign a new rights deal with the channel in 2026.
When asked about the future of the U.S. Open’s broadcast rights on Wednesday, USGA CEO Mike Whan said that his organization is being deliberate in its decision-making process.
“We’re in the marketplace right now, early in the process,” Whan said. “I guess all I’d say is the level of interest, including our current partners, which are phenomenal, has been great. We’re not to the point yet where we’re close. We’re months away—not weeks away—from figuring out what the future is.”
NBC has been a partner of the U.S. Open for decades, other than a brief period when Fox acquired the rights to the event, and Whan says that the tournament’s next partner must deliver at least the same level of coverage that it is seeing now. It could still land back at NBC, whose streaming service Peacock is helping to distribute this year’s tournament.
Other potential landing spots include CBS and ESPN. Netflix is a streaming service that has been steadily increasing its sports offerings lately, and the U.S. Open is the kind of marquee programming event that Netflix is searching for when it comes to live sports. But would the streamer surround the Open with shoulder coverage the way the USGA wants? That hasn’t been its style up to now.
There’s still plenty of time for the USGA to work out a new deal for the U.S. Open, but golf enthusiasts may want to keep an eye on the situation. Its future on NBC could be in doubt, and the spin-off of the company’s cable channels is undeniably a complicating factor.
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.