Universal Sports to close


Details

Michelle Clancy

| 23 October 2015





NBC has reportedly told employees that the Universal Sports TV channel is shutting down next month.


The signal will be taken down 16 November; NBC will pick up that channel's portfolio of Olympic rights and find a new home for them. It is unclear how NBC will use those rights on its existing channels, like NBCSN.

"We are thrilled to be finalising an agreement with Universal Sports that will provide NBCUniversal and NBC Sports with an impressive collection of media rights to some of the world's most prestigious sporting events," said NBC Sports Group in a statement.

According to Sports Business Daily, the decision to shutter Universal altogether was described as "shocking" by one source, who added that the uncertainty of Universal's future has frustrated some Olympic sports as they tried to strike carriage deals covering 2016.