NBCUniversal said several of its NBC Sports franchises will be finding new homes on cable on USA Network in 2022, including Premier League soccer, NASCAR and IndyCar races.
The shift comes as the company shuts down the NBCSN cable network at the end of the year. Some sports programming will also be appearing on CNBC and Peacock.
“We are excited to transition the cable coverage of many of our premium sports events to USA Network, Peacock, and other widely-distributed NBCUniversal platforms, which will give us a significant boost in television homes and will put us in an even stronger position as we grow our business,” said Pete Bevacqua, chairman, NBC Sports.
Sports coverage on USA in 2022 will kick off with a Premier League triple-header starting at 7 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
NBCU said that during the Tokyo Olympics, USA Network was the top sports and entertainment network in primetime, averaging 1.6 million viewers. USA had live coverage of track and field, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and softball.
In September, USA hosted the most-watched Premier League game with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United took on Newcastle.
The list of sports that will appear on USA in 2022 also includes Atlantic 10 basketball, horse racing, Olympic sports, golf and the Tour de France.
“We expect this expansion of our live sports offering will both engage existing fans and bring in new communities to USA, further cementing the network as a top destination for the best and broadest entertainment in all of its many forms," said Frances Berwick, chairman, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, in a release.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, NBCSN will display a slate to inform viewers about tune-in information. NBC Sports will also mount a marketing effort within telecasts to let fans know where to watch the sports they want to see.
NBCU’s Peacock will be streaming Sunday Night Football and the Super Bowl, all Notre Dame football home games, Premier League, NASCAR and Olympic competition.
Peacock streamed Stanley Cup Final games last season before NBCU gave up rights to NHL hockey this season to ESPN and Turner Sports.
