Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Olympic Channel’s 5-Year Run Ends

  • NBCUniversal will cancel the Olympic Channel on Sept. 30.
  • At the end of 2021, the channel reached roughly 47 million homes.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

NBCUniversal is shuttering the Olympic Channel after a five-year run. 

The end of the linear channel is a byproduct of NBCUniversal’s reevaluated programming strategy amid increased sports-related content on USA Network and its streaming platform Peacock. 

  • NBCUniversal will cancel the Olympic Channel on Sept. 30.
  • At the end of 2021, the channel reached roughly 47 million homes. 

NBCUniversal will continue to deliver Olympic-related programming to its millions of viewers. 

The company has held exclusive U.S. media rights to the Winter and Summer Games since 2000, and in 2014 secured rights with IOC in a $7.65 billion deal that runs through 2032. 

The Olympic Channel marks the second linear programming option NBCUniversal has shut down in the last year. In December 2021, the Comcast-owned company ceased operations of NBC Sports Network, which originally launched in 1995 as Outdoor Life Network. 

NBCSN’s previously featured content is now available on USA Network and Peacock. 

Big Business 

Comcast generated $31 billion in revenue in Q1, a 14% increase year-over-year, and $1.5 billion from the Beijing Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

Peacock has also secured $1 billion in upfront ad revenue this year, up from $500 million in 2021. Its 28 million monthly Q1 users included 13 million paid subscribers.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Washington Capitals NHL star Alex Ovechkin takes part in the team’s first practice of the season days after he appeared in a propaganda ad for the United Russia party, which supports the regime of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, in Arlington, Virginia, US, September 17, 2026.

Russia Allowed Back Into International Hockey After Court Lifts Ban

Russia could be included in the Men’s World Championship next May.
NBC Sports Logo

Comcast-NBCUniversal Split Comes With $1B Cost, Layoffs

The NBC Sports parent company will take on a hefty restructuring charge.

NBC Sports Faces Pivotal Week

The network and its parent company are at a key inflection point.

Tirico Defends Michael Jordan Interview: ‘Completely Worth It’

Tirico says Jordan is “above the daily discourse” of the NBA.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

11/3/26 – First CFP Rankings, Wilbon Steps Away, NFL Coaching Hot Seats

0:00

Featured Today

How Injuries Hit Pro Marathoners in the Wallet

Staying healthy can get expensive—quickly.
Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match
October 21, 2026

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Oct 31, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Valkyries players hold the trophy after winning the 2026 WNBA Finals against the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center

WNBA Finals Game 7 Draws 3.3M Viewers

The series averaged nearly 1.9 million viewers, the most for a Finals.
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) talks to CW sports after the game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, November 22, 2025.
First at FOS
November 3, 2026

The CW Eyes TNT Sports Rights and More CFP Games

TNT Sports’s portfolio includes the NHL, MLB, and French Open.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The ESPN logo at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Exclusive
November 3, 2026

ESPN Hires The Athletic Editorial Director Sergio Gonzalez

The move comes three months after ESPN eliminated Roxanna Scott’s editor-in-chief role.
Sponsored

How Jeremy Bloom Is Reinventing the X Games

Jeremy Bloom discusses transforming the X Games into a global brand.
Jul 11, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; ESPN reporter Michael Wilbon prior to the Phoenix Suns against the Milwaukee Bucks in game three of the 2021 NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
November 2, 2026

Michael Wilbon Takes Indefinite Leave From ESPN, PTI for Health Reasons

The longtime “PTI” cohost insists he’s not retiring.
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; TNT broadcaster Ernie Johnson Jr. after the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 2, 2026

Ernie Johnson Wants NBA to Cut Regular Season Below 82 Games

The TNT Sports host specifically pointed to the Thunder’s recent injuries.
Mar 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; View of a camera with a Fox Sports logo before the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
November 2, 2026

Fox Rides World Cup to $4.57B Quarter As Thanksgiving Hopes Fade

The network’s holiday hopes are dimming with a less attractive NFL matchup.
November 1, 2026

Tom Brady Curses on Air—Again

The FCC can issue fines or warnings for profanity on live television.