From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NBC Sports
NBC Sports
division, in an arrangement known as the NBC Sports
Group,
Group which also comprises Versus, Golf Channel, and
the Comcast Sportsnet regional sports networks. In Au-
gust 2011, Comcast announced that Versus would be re-
launched as the NBC Sports Network on January 2, 2012.
History
Early years
NBC Sports’ history can be traced back to May 17, 1939,
when experimental television station W2XBS in New
York (which would eventually become WNBC) televised
an intercollegiate baseball game between Columbia and
Princeton.[1] That year, W2XBS would also televise a box-
ing match between former heavyweight champion Max
NBC Sports logo starting in 2012. Baer and Lou Nova at Madison Square Garden,[2] a double
header between the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn
Division of: NBC
NBC Sports Network Dodgers from Ebbets Field,[3] and a professional football
game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Brooklyn
Key people: Mark Lazarus Dodgers of the National Football League.[4] All were firsts
Headquarters: GE Building for the respective sports. After the war, sporting events
New York, New York were staples of the nascent NBC Television Network. NBC
Major Broadcasting College football
televised the Army–Navy Game in 1945, hailed by sports
Contracts: NFL writers at the time as “The Game of the Century.”[5] In
NHL 1946, the Cavalcade of Sports, a primetime boxing pro-
Olympic Games gram, debuted. NBC would televise boxing, usually on
PGA Tour Friday nights, until canceling the program in 1960. In
Triple Crown
Tour de France
1947, NBC televised Games 1 & 5 of the World Series in
MLS the New York Metropolitan Area (CBS televised Games 3
& 4, while DuMont televised Games 2, 6, & 7).
Parent: NBCUniversal
Sister networks: NBC Sports 1950s
Network(Versus)
Beginning in 1950, NBC Sports became the exclusive
Golf Channel
Universal Sports broadcaster of the World Series for a quarter century. In
Universal HD 1957, the network began televising the Game of the Week.
Except for the 1965 season, NBC would televise Satur-
Website: NBCSports.com
day afternoon games for the next three decades. The net-
work expanded its sports lineup to include the NBA, col-
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television lege and professional football, as well as championship
network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts events. In 1952, NBC became the broadcast home of the
a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Rose Bowl; a relationship that lasted for 37 years. In 1955,
Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the the network paid $100,000 to air the NFL Championship.
PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among An employee of NBC played a small part in “The Great-
others. Other programming from outside producers is est Game Ever Played.” During overtime of the 1958 NFL
also presented on the network under the NBC Sports Championship, NBC lost its feed from Yankee Stadium.
branding (such as coverage of the Ironman Triathlon). A technician ran onto the field and stopped play long
Upon NBC’s merger with Comcast, Comcast’s own enough for the feed to be restored. The game was a wa-
sports channels were combined under the NBC Sports tershed moment in the history of the NFL, establishing
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NBC Sports
professional football as a nationally popular television 1980s
property and beginning the upward surge of the league’s
By this time, NBC was mired in third place in the ratings.
popularity.
Sports remained a valuable television commodity for the
network. In addition to the typically massive audience
1960s that watched the Super Bowl, NBC’s broadcasts of the
CBS would take over the exclusive broadcast rights of the 1978 and 1980 World Series each earned a 32.8 rating,
NFL, including the Championship Game, in 1964. The fol- with the former being watched by an average of 44 mil-
lowing year, NBC obtained the broadcast rights of the up- lion people and the latter 42 million.[6] This powerful
start American Football League. In 1966, the two leagues sports lineup, coupled with a resurgent primetime sched-
agreed to merge. As part of the merger, the two leagues’ ule featuring hit shows like The Cosby Show and Cheers,
champions would play a World Championship Game, would put NBC back on top of the ratings by the middle
eventually renamed the Super Bowl. Rather than award of the decade. In December 1988, CBS obtained the ex-
the broadcast rights of the game to either CBS or NBC, clusive broadcast rights of Major League Baseball, outbid-
NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle decided to have both net- ding NBC and ABC.[7] After 43 years, NBC’s tenure as the
works televise the game. NBC commentators Curt Gowdy home of baseball came to an end. In 1989, former ABC
and Paul Christman called the game, while CBS produced Sports and Saturday Night Live producer Dick Ebersol be-
the telecast that aired on both networks. In subsequent came president of NBC Sports. Ebersol’s early tenure at
years, the Super Bowl would alternate between NBC and NBC Sports was highlighted by a string of sports-prop-
CBS. After the merger, NBC would broadcast games from erty acquisitions and renewals, including the Olympics,
the American Football Conference, composed of the for- NFL, NBA, & Notre Dame football.
mer AFL teams plus three teams from the old NFL.
1990s
1970s After CBS had wrested baseball from NBC, the latter ob-
In 1971, at the behest of Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, NBC tained the broadcast rights of the National Basketball As-
televised game 4 of the World Series in primetime. It was sociation in a four-year, $600 million deal.[8] The ’90s
the first time a Series game had been played at night would be an era of unprecedented popularity for the
and the game attracted an audience of 61 million people. NBA, spearheaded by the Chicago Bulls dynasty of
Starting the next season, all weekday Series games would Michael Jordan. In 1991, NBC obtained the rights to Notre
be played at or after 8:00PM ET and NBC would begin Dame home games, the first time an individual college
broadcasting games on Monday nights, during the sum- football team had its own broadcast agreement.[9]
mer when reruns of other shows would otherwise be In 1994, after a four year hiatus, Major League Base-
broadcast. On April 8, 1974, NBC televised a game be- ball returned to NBC as part of a new joint-venture with
tween the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves ABC called The Baseball Network, a broadcast arrangement
in which Hank Aaron of the Braves hit his 715th career where the league produced its own telecasts and split ad-
home run, breaking the career mark previously held by vertising revenue with NBC and ABC.[10] The two net-
Babe Ruth. In 1972, NBC became the broadcast home of works would televise regional games on Friday and
the National Hockey League. (NBC previously televised Saturday nights, and would alternate coverage of the All
the 1966 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which marked the first Star Game, the newly created Division Series, League
time hockey games were televised in color.) Among the Championship Series, and World Series. The 1994 Major
innovations introduced by NBC was Peter Puck, an ani- League Baseball strike disrupted the plan, which proved
mated character in the form of a hockey puck, who ex- unpopular with fans, and it was abandoned after the 1995
plained the rules of hockey to unfamiliar television view- season. NBC would continue broadcasting baseball, albeit
ers. Also, the network requested that players wear names on a reduced basis. It was during this period, with the
on the backs of their jerseys for the NBC Hockey Game of broadcast rights of the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball,
the Week. Nameplates would become standard in the NHL. and the Olympics, that the network adopted the mantle
Beginning in 1969, NBC televised college basketball, in- of “America’s Sports Leader.”
cluding the NCAA Tournament. In 1979, NBC televised During the 1995-96 television season, for the only
the NCAA Championship that pitted future NBA rivals time in history, the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals,
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Johnson’s Michigan State and Summer Olympics were telecast by the same net-
Spartans defeated Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores 75-64. work. It was following this run in 1996 that The Sporting
The game earned a 24.1 rating, the highest ever for a col- News named Ebersol the Most Powerful Person in
lege basketball game. Sports.[11] In 1998, CBS would take over the AFC rights
from NBC, ending the network’s 38-year tenure with the
NFL. CBS had previously lost the NFC rights to upstart
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NBC Sports
network Fox, and was by that point struggling in the rat- Golf Channel’s new head.[14] NBC Sports’ golf production
ings. unit was merged with Golf Channel, along with NBC’s on-
air staff, and that unit is now known under the branding
2000s of Golf Channel on NBC [15]
NBC.
In 2000, NBC declined to renew its broadcast agreement The merger also helped influence an extension of
with Major League Baseball. In 2002, it was additionally NBC Sports’ contract with the NHL; the 10-year deal val-
outbid by ESPN and ABC for the NBA’s next broadcast ued at close to $2 billion dollars covers rights for both
deal, ending the league’s twelve year run on NBC. NBC and Versus, introduces a new primetime "Black Fri-
During this era, NBC experimented with broadcasting day" game, and national coverage for every game in the
emerging sports. In 2001, the network partnered with Stanley Cup playoffs.[16]
the World Wrestling Federation to establish the XFL — On July 3, 2011, ESPN obtained the exclusive broad-
a new football league which introduced modified rules cast rights of Wimbledon, in a 12-year deal. NBC had tele-
and debuted to tremendous, but short-lived fanfare, only vised The Championships since 1969.[17]
lasting one season. In 2003, NBC obtained the broadcast On August 10, 2011, Major League Soccer signed a
rights and a minority interest in the Arena Football three-year deal with NBC to broadcast MLS matches on
League. The network televised weekly games on a region- both the main NBC network and the NBC Sports Network,
al basis, as well as the entire playoffs. The deal lasted four which will begin with the 2012 season.[18]
years, after which the league and NBC parted ways.
Beginning with the 1999 Pennzoil 400, NBC began its
foray into NASCAR. NBC, along with Fox, FX, and TNT, ob-
tained the broadcast rights of the top two series in a six-
year deal, beginning in 2001. NBC televised the second
half of the season and alternated coverage of the Daytona
500 with Fox. NBC announced in December 2005 that it
would not renew its agreement. In 2001, NBC obtained
the broadcast rights to horse racing’s Triple Crown in a
five year deal.
In 2004, NBC reached a broadcast agreement with the
NHL. The revenue-sharing deal called for the two sides
to split advertising revenue after the network recouped
expenses. NBC televised regular season games at first on
Saturday afternoons before moving the telecast to Sun-
days, Saturday and Sunday afternoon playoff games, and
up to five games of the Stanley Cup Final. Additionally in
2008, NBC broadcast the first Winter Classic, an outdoor
NHL game played on New Year’s Day at Ralph Wilson Sta- NBC Sports Network logo
dium, a success in attendance and television ratings. The
following year’s Winter Classic would become the most- As part of the merger, it was also revealed that Versus
watched regular season game in 34 years.[12] In addition and the existing Comcast SportsNet regional sports net-
to this regular season success, Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley works would also be re-launched under the NBC Sports
Cup Final was watched by an average of 8 million view- banner within the year.[19][20] The new name for Versus
ers, the most for an NHL game in 36 years.[13] as of the beginning of 2012, the NBC Sports Network, was
The NFL also returned to NBC in 2006 after a eight revealed on August 1, 2011. NBC Sports will adopt a new
year hiatus, broadcasting the league’s new flagship Sun- logo as well. The re-launch will coincide with multiple
day Night Football game, along with select post-season major events in January to be aired on NBC, where the
games and Super Bowls XLIII and XLVI. newly re-launched network will be aggressively promot-
ed. Personnel from NBC Sports will be shared between
2011: Comcast Merger and the NBC the two channels, and the network’s telecasts will be pro-
Sports Network duced in a similar style to those aired by NBC.[21]
However, despite now being a part of NBC Sports, and
In January 2011, Comcast closed its acquisition of a ma-
reports suggesting that this would occur[19], the Com-
jority share in NBC Universal. As a result of the merger,
cast SportsNet channels will not be re-branded under
the operations of Comcast’s existing sports networks,
the NBC name, as was originally planned. However, they
such as Golf Channel and Versus, were merged into a new
will eventually use graphics based on those used by NBC
Group.
division known as the NBC Sports Group NBC Sports’ se-
Sports.[22].
nior vice president Mike McCarley additionally became
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NBC Sports
Olympics • Santa Anita Derby (2005–present)
• Hambletonian (2007–present)
In 1964, NBC televised the Summer Olympics in Tokyo; in
• U.S. Figure Skating Championships (2009–present)
1972, NBC televised the Winter Games for the first time.
• Rugby World Cup (2011, 2015)
1980 would prove to be a stinging disappointment for
• Major League Soccer (2012–future)
the network. After contentious negotiations, NBC won
the broadcast rights to the Games in Moscow. After the Additional programming
Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States and
In 2011, NBC reaired Versus’ coverage of the eighth stage
64 other countries boycotted. NBC substantially scaled
of the Tour de France.
back its coverage and lost heavily in advertising revenue.
In 1988, NBC televised the Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Former programs
Since then, it has become “America’s Olympic Network,”
televising every Summer Olympic Games since Seoul, as
well as the Winter Games in 2002, 2006, and 2010. NBC
has aired 12 Summer and Winter Olympics, more than
any other network and the Games have become an in-
tegral part of the network. In 1998, Ebersol was named
president of NBC Sports and Olympics. Recently, the 2010
Games in Vancouver were watched by a total of 190 milli-
on viewers,[23] including 27.6 million viewers of the Gold
Medal Game in men’s hockey.[24]
Programs throughout the years
Current programs
• NFL on NBC: 1955–1963 (NFL Championship Game),
1970-1997 (AFC), 2006–present (NBC Sunday Night Former logo (1989-2011)
Football)
• Super Bowls I (shared with CBS), III, V, VII, IX, XI, • Major League Baseball on NBC: World Series presented by
XIII, XV, XVII, XX, XXIII, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, The Gillette Company (1947–1965), NBC Game of the Week
XXXII, XLIII, and XLVI (1956–1964, 1966–1989), Baseball Night in America
• Pregame: Grandstand (1975-1976), NFL {Insert Year} (1994–1995), Major League Baseball on NBC (1996–2000)
(1977–1986), NFL Live! (1987–1994), NFL on NBC • 1947 (Games 1 & 5), 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952,
(1995–1997), Football Night in America 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960,
(2006–present) 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968,
• American Football League (1965-1969) 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976,
• College football: (1946–1965, 1991–present) 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1995 (Games 2,
• Notre Dame Football on NBC (1991–present) 3, & 6), 1997, and 1999 World Series
• Bayou Classic (1990–present) • Major League Baseball: An Inside Look (1979–1989)
• US Army All-American Bowl (2004–present) • NBA on NBC (1955–1962, 1990–2002)
• Olympics on NBC • WNBA on NBC (1997–2002)
• Olympic Summer Games (1964, 1980,[25] 1988, • 2002 FIBA World Championship
1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) • NASCAR on NBC (1983–1985, 1999–2006)
• Olympic Winter Games (1972, 2002, 2006, 2010, • 2002, 2004, and 2006 Daytona 500
2014, 2018) • College football: Rose Bowl (1952–1988), Sugar Bowl
• NHL on NBC: 1966, 1972–1975, 1990–1994 (All Star (1959–1970), Orange Bowl (1965–1995), Fiesta Bowl
Game), 2005-present (1978–1995), Cotton Bowl Classic (1953–1957,
• Golf Channel on NBC (1964–present; coverage now 1993–1995), Gator Bowl (1996–2006), Hall of Fame
produced by Golf Channel as of February 2011) Bowl (1988–1992)
• Ryder Cup (1991–present) • College Basketball on NBC (1969–1998)
• U.S.G.A. Championships (1995–present) • NCAA Tournament (1969–1981)
• French Open (1983–present) • Wimbledon (1969–2011)
• Kentucky Derby (2001–present) • Budweiser Million (1981–1986)
• Preakness Stakes (2001–present) • Breeders’ Cup (1984–2005)
• Belmont Stakes (2001–2005, 2011–present) • XFL (2001)
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NBC Sports
• AFL on NBC (2003–2006)
• Champ Car: (1979–1988; Michigan 500, Pocono 500,
Meadowlands Grand Prix 1989-1991; Toronto Grand
References
Prix 1994, 2005–2007) [1] 1939: The first baseball game on television was broadcast..., Chica
• Canadian Football League (1954, 1982) [2] "From the first game to 3D: Important developments in the histor
• Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Classic (1990s) March 5, 2010.
• Wood Memorial Stakes (2005, 2008, 2010) [3] New York Times – 1939
• PBA Fall Tour (1984–1991) [4] Nfl: 1920-1994, Orlando Sentinel, September 2, 1994
• AVP Tour (1990-????) (2004–2009) [5] Army-Navy Game timeline
• FIFA World Cup (1966, 1986) [6] World Series ratings
[7] New York Times December 15, 1988
Notable NBC personalities [8]
[9]
NBC obtains NBA rights
NBC obtains Notre Dame rights
• Marv Albert • John • Bryant • Bill [10] •The Baseball Network
Jimmy
• Mel Allen Davidson Gumbel Macatee [11] The Sporting News: Most Powerful 100, Sporting News, December
Roberts
• Tiki Barber • Tom • Greg • John [12] •‘Winter Classic” Most Viewed Regular Season NHL Game in 34 Yea
Vin Scully
• Len Berman Durkin Gumbel Madden [13] •Game 7 most watched in 36 years
Sterling
• Jerome • Mike • Pat Haden • Al [14] Renyolds, Mike. "McCarley To Head Golf Channel, Davis Out At Ve
Sharpe
Bettis Emrick • Tom Michaels •Multichannel News. http://www.multichannel.com/article/
Jim
• John Brodie • Dick Hammond • Lindsey 463313-McCarley_To_Head_Golf_Channel_Davis_Out_At_Versus_
Simpson
• Bill Clement Enberg • Rodney Nelson •Retrieved 2 February 2011.
O. J.
• Bud Collins • Alex Harrison • Don [15] Williams, Jim. "Jim Williams: Gold coverage has new look". Washi
Simpson
• Cris Flanagan • Dan Hicks Ohlmeyer •http://washingtonexaminer.com/sports/golf/2011/02/jim-willia
Ed Sneed
Collinsworth • Mike • Lewis • Keith [16] (19 April 2011). "NHL reaches new television deal to remain on
•APMarty
• Bob Costas Florio Johnson Olbermann http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/hockey/nhl/04/19/tv-con
Snider
• Don Criqui • Joe • Charlie • Merlin April 2011.
•19Melissa
Garagiola Jones Olsen [17] ESPNLosAngeles.com (July 5, 2011). "ESPN acquires exclusive Wim
Stark
• Gayle • Andrea • Billy •http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=6739076. R
Hannah
Gardner Kremer Packer [18] http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/08/10/mls-nbc-s
Storm
• Marty • Tony • [19]
Bill Patrick •^ Goetzl, David (May 4, 2011). "NBC Sports Brand Going Local". Me
Matt
Glickman Kubek • Dan Vasgersian
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArtic
• Curt • Jim Patrick Bob 2011.
•May 6, Wolff
Gowdy Lampley • Ahmad [20] Friedman, Wayne (May 9, 2011). "NBC Steps Up Branding For Com
• Jim Gray Rashad http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArtic
2011.
[21] Fernadez, Bob. "Goodbye Versus, hello NBC Sports Network". Phi
Notable Telemundo personali- sports/126495098.html. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
ties [22] Ourand, John. "SBJ: Exit Versus, enter the NBC Sports Network". T
http://aol.sportingnews.com/nhl/story/2011-08-01/sbj-exit-vers
• Andres Cantor Retrieved 2 August 2011.
• Karim Mendiburu [23] "NBC’s Final Medal Count: 190 Million Olympic Viewers". Multicha
• Edgar Lopez [24] "Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game Viewed by Most in U.S. Since
• Leti Coo [25] NBC did not provide live event coverage due to the US-led boycot
• Jessie Losada
• Alejandro Blanco
• Rene Giraldo External links
• NBC Sports website
Main competitors • NBC.com news and sports webpage
• With NFL On, NBC Sports Redoes Web Look
• ESPN on ABC
• Fox Sports
• CBS Sports
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBC_Sports&oldid=462838023"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia NBC Sports
Categories:
• NBC Sports
• 1946 establishments
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