One of the most polarizing questions for sports media onlookers revolves around NBC, and specifically NBC Sports Network's future outlook. The million dollar question that seems to pop up weekly in some form:
Can NBC/Comcast close the gap on ESPN who currently towers above every competitor that spans CBS, NBC, Fox, Sports Illustrated, Turner, and Yahoo?
It's hard to believe it was over three years ago when it was announced Comcast would acquire a majority stake in NBC Universal, a deal which set the framework for the full out acquisition of
NBC Universal that recently was completed.
When the deal was initially announced back in December in 2009, many including myself, thought there was some potential for the combined assets of
Comcast and NBC to mount a challenge to ESPN. Maybe it was wishful thinking as I know many sports fans I talk to are getting tired of being dependent on ESPN for so much of their programming.
Perhaps the optimism surrounding the combined company was part nostalgia as sports fans my age grew up with a 1990's that saw NBC hold a full house of rights that are astounding in hindsight.
Per Wikipedia (see that's not
too hard Lynn Hoppes):
"During the 1995-96 television season, for the only time in history, the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, and Summer Olympics were telecast by the same network."
From London 2012 through Super Bowl XLVII, those four events would be spread across four different networks.
But slowly, fiscal prudence on sports rights saw NBC lose their foothold in sports. The NFL, MLB, and NBA would all leave and for many, the coverage of these sports has not been at the same level ever since, although NBC's reacquisition of NFL rights through Sunday Night Football has softened that blow.
Fast forward to the announcement that Comcast and NBC were now a combined entity with ESPN in their sights and the NHL, Notre Dame, and the Olympics along with a nice portfolio of web properties and sports regionals in their back pocket. Many envisioned a slow but steady pursuit of ESPN. I told fans who complained to me about ESPN that NBC would begin to challenge their dominance, but that it would "take a decade" to get there.
However, after another swing and a miss on sports rights fees (this time the Big East which
will stay with ESPN with some help from Fox) and slim pickings going forward in addition to meager ratings on original programming, you have to wonder if NBC can ever get into ESPN's punching class. Even more shocking is the fact that Fox, a network not particularly known for its high quality sports broadcast experiences, may have jumped NBC on the totem pole with Fox Sports 1, a network that has not even launched yet or even been officially announced.
Below we look at the events, various opportunities, and issues that have hindered NBC's efforts to elevate NBC Sports Network to a viable ESPN competitor...
