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NBCSN shutting down at the end of the year


Georgie56

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10 minutes ago, mightynine said:

Moving them to USA would probably give them even better exposure than NBCSN.

 

Guess we're starting to see the beginning of the end of niche channels.

I feel like in a sense that it is the beginning of the end for niche sports channels. However I see this as a new opportunity by moving over to streaming platforms.

 

In fact (within Comcast's portfolio) I wouldn't be surprised to see the NBC RSNs migrate over to Peacock (with the traditional TV carriage rights being migrated to the NBC O&Os); a trend that I believe will likely start with the NFL moving Thursday Night Football games to streaming only with local stations within the team's footprint simulcasting the games OTA

 

I think this is going to be a thing that we see throughout this decade, NBCSN shutting down is not the end of it, it's the beginning of what's to come for the niche sports channels.

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17 minutes ago, Newsjunkie24 said:

Posted about this a month ago when it was then a rumor. I'm surprised the Olympic Channel and Golf Channel will still go on. USA is probably in more homes anyway.

At least with those channels you have guaranteed content you have to air all the time, along with studio shows. NBCSN has so much 'dead time' where you've got Mecum auctions, motocross circuits, time-buy blocks like PowerNation, Sky Sports News rebroadcasts, American Ninja Warrior repeats, and late night infomercials blocks. It just makes more sense to move the 'live time' programming to USA and kill their dead time where sitcom and reality repeats go themselves (NBCSN also killed their time-buy outdoors blocks as those folks 'took their ball and went home' to more friendly networks once you-know-who was in the White House).

 

I can also see a situation where E! could be wound down itself with the loss of the Kardashians later this year. They've pared their live studio content to 90 minutes a day (COVID destroyed their entire programming strategy), and most of their other current original content could easily be merged to Bravo without a sweat.

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As I said on the Discord, I won't be surprised is CBSSN is next to be shut down. It's not on any ratings systems, and I highly doubt people are watching it anyway. If it does, it would be a shame.

 

I kinda saw NBCSN's shutdown coming when Dan Patrick's show left the network (and eventually return to NBCU on Peacock) and PFT Live moved to Peacock. 

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1 hour ago, mightynine said:

Moving them to USA would probably give them even better exposure than NBCSN.

 

Guess we're starting to see the beginning of the end of niche channels.

Sad to hear about NBCSN shutting down. But, I do agree about the NHL improving their profile by moving to USA Network, though. Which begs the question: In situations where there's a doubleheader on USA and one game spills over into the starting time of another game, what network gets used as an overflow? CNBC? SyFy?

 

TNT sometimes uses TBS for overflow on NBA coverage (especially playoffs), and vice versa for MLB playoff coverage, for example, so there is precedent. ESPN also uses ESPNews and sometimes SEC Network Alternate for overflow (but most of the time, ESPN+) for college football/basketball and/or MLB in doubleheader scenarios......

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45 minutes ago, mrschimpf said:

At least with those channels you have guaranteed content you have to air all the time, along with studio shows. NBCSN has so much 'dead time' where you've got Mecum auctions, motocross circuits, time-buy blocks like PowerNation, Sky Sports News rebroadcasts, American Ninja Warrior repeats, and late night infomercials blocks. It just makes more sense to move the 'live time' programming to USA and kill their dead time where sitcom and reality repeats go themselves (NBCSN also killed their time-buy outdoors blocks as those folks 'took their ball and went home' to more friendly networks once you-know-who was in the White House).

 

I can also see a situation where E! could be wound down itself with the loss of the Kardashians later this year. They've pared their live studio content to 90 minutes a day (COVID destroyed their entire programming strategy), and most of their other current original content could easily be merged to Bravo without a sweat.

 

NBCSN was kind of a waste outside of NHL, Premier League Soccer, NASCAR and Indycar. They also would air National Dog Show reruns too. 

 

When did they stop showing outdoor shows? The network started out as OLN, the Outdoor Life Network. It was changed to Versus when they started showing non-outdoor content.

 

I think E! might stick around for awhile.

 

I think the Golf Channel might be next. They cancelled both Morning Drive and Feherty not long ago, and they're now headquartered in Stamford, CT. They were based in Orlando for many years.

 

I think FS2, CBSSN and ESPNews's days might be numbered. ESPNews seems to be mostly a loop of their afternoon talk/debate shows, and they don't have the advertisers that ESPN and ESPN2 have.

22 minutes ago, J1975am said:

Sad to hear about NBCSN shutting down. But, I do agree about the NHL improving their profile by moving to USA Network, though. Which begs the question: In situations where there's a doubleheader on USA and one game spills over into the starting time of another game, what network gets used as an overflow? CNBC? SyFy?

 

TNT sometimes uses TBS for overflow on NBA coverage (especially playoffs), and vice versa for MLB playoff coverage, for example, so there is precedent. ESPN also uses ESPNews and sometimes SEC Network Alternate for overflow (but most of the time, ESPN+) for college football/basketball and/or MLB in doubleheader scenarios......

 

CNBC is probably the likely choice, as they've aired playoff games in the past.

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1 hour ago, Newsjunkie24 said:

Posted about this a month ago when it was then a rumor. I'm surprised the Olympic Channel and Golf Channel will still go on. USA is probably in more homes anyway.

 

What Golf channel has working for it in it's favor is that it's audience is wealthy (golf fans aren't exactly living in poverty) so that probably helps with adviertisers. Plus like others have said they have consistent programming, whereas NBCSN seemed to struggle to find programming to fill time outside of NHL and NASCAR season.

 

I see this as a missed opportunity where NBC should have gone more aggressively after college sports and MLS instead of letting ESPN and Fox (and to a lesser extent CBSSN with college) gobble them up

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Personally, I seen the writing on the wall for NBCSN when NBC aired the South Florida-Notre Dame game, during the US Open, and a portion of the Clemson-Notre Dame game, Biden's victory speech, on USA and not NBCSN. I see NBCSN formally closing upon conclusion of the Olympics, should they be held, or when the Stanley Cup is awarded. Another factor would be whether NBCU renews with NHL, EPL, and NASCAR.

 

As for the other services:

 

VCBS can move CBSSN programming to Paramount+ or one of the Viacom channels.

Fox can moves FS2 programming to Fox Business, when the markets are closed, or Tubi.

ESPN can move ESPNews and ESPNU programming to ESPN+, FX, or FXX.

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4 minutes ago, atlnews2 said:

 

What Golf channel has working for it in it's favor is that it's audience is wealthy (golf fans aren't exactly living in poverty) so that probably helps with adviertisers. Plus like others have said they have consistent programming, whereas NBCSN seemed to struggle to find programming to fill time outside of NHL and NASCAR season.

 

I see this as a missed opportunity where NBC should have gone more aggressively after college sports and MLS instead of letting ESPN and Fox (and to a lesser extent CBSSN with college) gobble them up

 

Plus, Golf is more popular with the 50+ crowd, and they're still holding on to traditional pay TV. 

 

College football might have been a decent option for NBC Sports. Versus did air a decent amount of college football back around 2008-2010. MLS wouldn't have been a bad pick either.

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2 hours ago, Newsjunkie24 said:

When did they stop showing outdoor shows? The network started out as OLN, the Outdoor Life Network. It was changed to Versus when they started showing non-outdoor content.

Around 2013, people noticed an NRA-bought show killed an elephant, and then the host brought out the 'Hitler' analogies when he got called on it, so NBCSN stopped airing the show. Then one by one, they began to go away when NRATV launched and other outdoors channels picked up their content with the promise of lack of censorship.

 

The other problem with college football is that NBC tried, and tried to get conferences. Their last attempt at getting a conference, the Pac 12, went away when they decided to start their own network (that network might being going itself as the commissioner who created it is gone as of September).

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41 minutes ago, mrschimpf said:

Around 2013, people noticed an NRA-bought show killed an elephant, and then the host brought out the 'Hitler' analogies when he got called on it, so NBCSN stopped airing the show. Then one by one, they began to go away when NRATV launched and other outdoors channels picked up their content with the promise of lack of censorship.

 

The other problem with college football is that NBC tried, and tried to get conferences. Their last attempt at getting a conference, the Pac 12, went away when they decided to start their own network (that network might being going itself as the commissioner who created it is gone as of September).

 

I just saw that on NBCSN's Wikipedia article. That sounds very controversial and shouldn't air on a sports channel.

 

NBCSN when it was Versus never had any top conference games (similar to CBSNN) now. 

35 minutes ago, ColumbusNewsFan said:

I'll be honest, Out of CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Network... I thought it would be CBS Sports Network would be dead before NBCSN.

 

I would have thought the same thing.

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Question.

 

Out of the niche sports channels who do y'all see as the next ones in line to shut down?

 

I feel like that eventually the RSNs will shut down too. (Long before some of the contracts with major league teams expires)

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1 hour ago, dman748 said:

Question.

 

Out of the niche sports channels who do y'all see as the next ones in line to shut down?

 

BEin is consistently in the bottom ten of all networks, so eventually the parent company in Qatar has to give up on it ever getting an American foothold (not helping right now is the disaster French soccer is going through for them). And if not for their Sinclair retrans where it now has to be carried to get local stations, Tennis Channel would've been gone long ago. And there will be some networks down the line like Outdoor Channel whose ratings are so low, they can't even justify 'pay for carriage' any longer. Eventually, the 'Golds' and 'Pluses' will end up claiming the niche sports and putting places like GOLTV (somehow still up with Dutch, Portuguese and South American soccer) out of business.

 

I see the RSNs sticking around longer though, mainly because there's always some sports organization who will need brokered space broadcast stations can't provide (and there's still RSN networks like Comcast's and Spectrum's that have their major rights until near the 2040s and will keep those networks on until the end). Eventually though the price of league out-of-market sports packages will come down to the point where just bundling in the local team makes more sense than going to an outside RSN.

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Just now, mrschimpf said:

BEin is consistently in the bottom ten of all networks, so eventually the parent company in Qatar has to give up on it ever getting an American foothold (not helping right now is the disaster French soccer is going through for them). And if not for their Sinclair retrans where it now has to be carried to get local stations, Tennis Channel would've been gone long ago. And there will be some networks down the line like Outdoor Channel whose ratings are so low, they can't even justify 'pay for carriage' any longer. Eventually, the 'Golds' and 'Pluses' will end up claiming the niche sports and putting places like GOLTV (somehow still up with Dutch, Portuguese and South American soccer) out of business.

 

I see the RSNs sticking around longer though, mainly because there's always some sports organization who will need brokered space broadcast stations can't provide (and there's still RSN networks like Comcast's and Spectrum's that have their major rights until near the 2040s and will keep those networks on until the end). Eventually though the price of league out-of-market sports packages will come down to the point where just bundling in the local team makes more sense than going to an outside RSN.

I can however see Comcast being the first ones to shutter the RSNs but it'll be with their own RSNs and can migrate coverage to both Peacock and the NBC O&Os (probably splitting time between .1 and .2)

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10 hours ago, mrschimpf said:

At least with those channels you have guaranteed content you have to air all the time, along with studio shows. NBCSN has so much 'dead time' where you've got Mecum auctions, motocross circuits, time-buy blocks like PowerNation, Sky Sports News rebroadcasts, American Ninja Warrior repeats, and late night infomercials blocks. It just makes more sense to move the 'live time' programming to USA and kill their dead time where sitcom and reality repeats go themselves (NBCSN also killed their time-buy outdoors blocks as those folks 'took their ball and went home' to more friendly networks once you-know-who was in the White House).

 

I can also see a situation where E! could be wound down itself with the loss of the Kardashians later this year. They've pared their live studio content to 90 minutes a day (COVID destroyed their entire programming strategy), and most of their other current original content could easily be merged to Bravo without a sweat.

I could see E! leftover slate (Daily Pop, Nightly Pop, Total Bellas) merge into Bravo programming if it winds down. Hell, resurrect E! News by name only for Bravo*. Expand live red carpet coverage while you're at it. Make it one stop entertainment spot rather than just housewives' marathon all time, no matter how much money it makes for Andy. As for USA, it's a renaissance alright. NHL, EPL, Nascar + Indycar even can move to USA. Is there a place for Sky sports News simulcast tho? Just asking. Probably not. All other makegoods can move over to FS2.

* Sidenote: Leave Access Hollywood alone for NBC O&Os/Syndication rather than suggested merger or closure.

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14 hours ago, dman748 said:

Question.

 

Out of the niche sports channels who do y'all see as the next ones in line to shut down?

 

I feel like that eventually the RSNs will shut down too. (Long before some of the contracts with major league teams expires)

 

I think MAVTV, the motorsports-themed channel, could be on the chopping block. It was removed permanently from DISH 5 years ago, and is not often viewed in sports bars and restaurants, as well as being higher tier-packages. Being a motorsports fan, I'd probably watch it a lot if I could, but when DISH drops channels permanently, chances are they're not popular with viewers and have low ratings overall.  

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I can see CBSSN living on for a bit longer because they still have some college rights from G5 conferences, but I think this may be the beginning of the end for those on TV as well, outside of "marquee" teams like Boise State (football, anyway). The issue with that is that CBS wouldn't have anywhere to put them unless they shove them all to whatever they're calling CBS All Access in the future.

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