• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 22, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Buy tickets now!

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

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.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

MLB Nears Media Shake-Up: ESPN, NBC, Netflix In, Apple Out?

Sources told FOS that local rights are of particular interest to ESPN.
Padraig Harrington is interviewed by the Golf Channel on the 18th green after the final round of the TimberTech Championship at The Old Course at Broken Sound on Sunday, November 5, 2023, in Boca Raton, FL.

From Golf to EPL, Versant Targets Deals After NBCU Split

The USGA’s media-rights extension included NBCU and the spin-off Versant.
Sofi Stadium

Los Angeles Olympics Will be First to Sell Venue Naming Rights

The decision breaks with a longstanding Olympic policy.

Featured Today

Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.
Nov 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks at quarterback Drew Allar (15) during the first quarter against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium.
August 22, 2025

Private Equity Enters College Sports—Without the Equity

As college football starts, lending agreements have become PE’s best way in.
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Eric Gray (20) returns a kickoff against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at MetLife Stadium.
August 18, 2025

‘Fauxbacks’ Throw Back to a Retro Uniform That Never Existed

Many throwback jerseys are brand-new designs or “Franken-Unis.”
August 17, 2025

‘Labubu Gang’: The Creepy-Cute Dolls Sweeping Pro Sports

The creepy-cute doll is the hottest collectible—and fashion statement.

Fox Enters Streaming Wars With Leaner, Sports-Heavy Approach

A different strategy marks the arrival of the network’s streaming service.
August 20, 2025

Bundesliga Bets on YouTube Creators for Live U.K. Game Streams

Bundesliga is the top German soccer league.
HAPPY GILMORE 2. (L to R) Quin Stiller as Will Zalatoris Caddie, Will Zalatoris as Himself, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio as Oscar Mejias and Adam Sandler as Happy Gilmore in Happy Gilmore2.
August 21, 2025

‘Happy Gilmore 2’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched U.S. Movie Debut

The Adam Sandler, golf-themed movie sets more streaming records.
Sponsored

Building A Pro League From Scratch

Front Office Sports and Gainbridge® spotlight what it takes to build a professional women’s soccer league.
Jey Uso and Pat McAfee look at each other after Uso’s win Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, during the WWE Royal Rumble at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
August 20, 2025

WWE Will Leave Peacock for ESPN 6 Months Early

Peacock’s final show will be “Clash in Paris” on Aug. 31.
August 20, 2025

NFL Preseason Games Are Popping Up on YouTube’s Sunday Ticket

The $2 billion out-of-market package covers only the regular season.
August 20, 2025

Inside ESPN’s ‘Industry Shaping’ DTC Plan, What’s at Stake

Many bundle offers and opaque metrics mark the high-profile launch.
Kyle Busch talks with Nexstar Media Group, Wednesday February 14, 2024 during Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway
August 19, 2025

$6.2B Nexstar-Tegna Deal Could Create Local Sports Juggernaut

CW parent company Nexstar looks to acquire its rival in a major deal.