In a move that is likely built around consolidation and an increased focus on streaming, on Friday, NBCUniversal announced that it would sunset its Olympic Channel on Sept. 30. The Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand was the first to report the move, and The Streamable has been able to independently confirm that the channel will be shut down this fall.
An NBC Sports spokesperson told The Streamable “NBC Sports will be winding down Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA on Sept. 30.”
Launched with plans to be part NBC’s Olympic coverage, the channel was mostly sidelined during the Winter Olympics earlier this year. The flagship broadcast network was the primary home of NBCU’s coverage, but other content aired across many of the company’s cable channels — USA Network, Golf Channel, and CNBC — with extra events landing on Peacock. While the Olympic Channel was not part of the actual Olympic broadcast plans, the channel has become a home for sports and events that are difficult to find on other platforms, including Olympic qualifiers.
For example, this week, the Olympic Channel is airing the World Street Skateboarding championships in Rome, which is an official qualifier for the 2024 Paris Games. The channel also regularly broadcasts unique sports like badminton, track and field, gymnastics, water polo, and more. The Olympic Channel also has a host of original programming including series, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes looks at athletes preparing for their respective Games.
By shutting down the Olympic Channel, NBC Sports has now closed up shop at two of its sports-focused cablers since the start of 2021. Last year, NBCU ended the run of NBC Sports Network, moving content from that channel to USA and Peacock.
With deals for pro and college football, Major League Baseball, international soccer, WWE, and more, it is clear that NBCU is not getting out of the sports broadcasting business. However, how the company delivers its sports content to its customers is obviously going through a series of significant changes.
NBC has the American media rights to the Olympics through the 2032 Games in Brisbane, Australia. So there is no doubt that NBCU will continue to air Olympic sports for the foreseeable future, but it increasingly looks like you will need to sign up for Peacock to see it all before, during, and after the Games.
Olympic Channel
Olympic Channel is a TV channel that you can watch with a live TV streaming service.
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