NBCUniversal will close its NBCSN sports cable channel later this year and will migrate much of its programming to its sister general entertainment network, USA, the company said.
NBCSN’s premium properties are the National Hockey League and Nascar car racing, which will begin making the transition to USA Network this year. Some content will remain on both channels until NBCSN officially turns off the lights. NBCUniversal informed plan employees Friday afternoon in a company note.
“We are absolutely more than ever committed to living sports as a company and having a platform as huge as the USA Network that broadcasts some of our key sports content is fantastic for our partners, distributors, viewers and advertisers,” NBC Sports Group said. President Pete Bevacqua.
By putting high-profile sports on the USA Network, NBCUniversal — a unit of Comcast Corp. — hopes to solve two problems with a single move: get rid of a low-yield asset and increase an already powerful one. The Premier Soccer League will also have matches in the United States.
NBCSN has struggled to compete against bigger rivals like Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN. and Fox Sports ’cable network Fox Corp. Although it has a national reach, its qualifications are pale compared to its competition. Fox Corp. and the main parent of the Wall Street Journal, News Corp., share ownership.