NBC Sports explained

NBC Sports
Premiered:	^[1]
Headquarters:	Stamford, Connecticut
Key People:	Richard Cordella
Division:	NBC
Country:	United States
Sister:	NBC USA Network Peacock NBC Sports Regional Networks

NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its dedicated national sports cable channels. Formerly operating as "a service of NBC News", it broadcasts a diverse array of sports events, including the Premier League, the IndyCar Series (until 2024), NASCAR, the National Football League (NFL), the NBA (returning in 2025–26), Notre Dame football, Big Ten football and basketball, the Olympic Games, professional golf, the Tour de France, Thoroughbred racing, and the WNBA (returning in 2026) among others. Other programming from outside producers – such as coverage of the Ironman Triathlon – is also presented on the network through NBC Sports. With Comcast's acquisition of NBCUniversal in 2011, its own cable sports networks were aligned with NBC Sports into a part of the division known as the NBC Sports Group.

History

Early years

See main article: History of NBC Sports.

2000s

In 2000, NBC declined to renew its broadcast agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2002, it was additionally outbid by ESPN and ABC for the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s new broadcast contract, ending the league's twelve-year run on NBC.

During this era, NBC experimented with broadcasting emerging sports. In 2001, the network partnered with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to establish the XFL – a new football league which introduced modified rules and debuted to tremendous, but short-lived fanfare, only lasting one season (NBC shared broadcast rights to the league's games, which were mainly held on Saturday nights, with UPN). In 2003, NBC obtained the broadcast rights and a minority interest in the Arena Football League (AFL). The network televised weekly games on a regional basis, as well as the entire playoffs. The deal lasted four years, after which the league and NBC parted ways.

Beginning with the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NBC began its foray into NASCAR. NBC, along with Fox and TNT, obtained the broadcast rights of the top two series – the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity 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. In December 2005, NBC announced that it would not renew its agreement with NASCAR. In 2001, NBC obtained the broadcast rights to horse racing's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in a five-year deal.

In 2004, NBC reached a broadcast agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL). The revenue-sharing deal called for the two sides to split advertising revenue after the network recouped the expenses. Games were supposed to begin airing on the network during the 2004–05 season, however a league lockout that resulted in the cancellation of that season delayed the start of the contract until the second half of the 2005–06 NHL season. NBC televised regular season games at first on Saturday afternoons before moving the telecast to Sundays, Saturday and Sunday afternoon playoff games, and up to five games of the Stanley Cup. Additionally in 2008, NBC broadcast the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor NHL game played on New Year's Day at Ralph Wilson Stadium, a success in attendance and television ratings. The following year's Winter Classic would become the most-watched regular season game in 34 years.^[2] In addition to this regular season success, Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals was watched by an average of 8 million viewers, the highest ratings for an NHL game in 36 years.^[3]

The NFL also returned to NBC in 2006 after an eight-year hiatus, broadcasting the league's new flagship Sunday Night Football game, along with select postseason games and Super Bowls XLIII, XLVI, XLIX, LII, LVI and LX.

2010s: Comcast/NBCUniversal era

See main article: NBC Sports Group. In January 2011, Comcast finalized its acquisition of a majority share in NBC Universal. As a result of the merger, the operations of Comcast's existing sports networks, such as Golf Channel and NBCSN, were merged into an entity known as the NBC Sports Group. NBC Sports' senior vice president Mike McCarley additionally became Golf Channel's new head.^[4] NBC Sports' golf production unit was merged with Golf Channel, along with NBC's on-air staff, with that unit rebranding under the banner "Golf Channel on NBC", while Versus was reformatted toward a more mainstream audience, renamed the NBC Sports Network and eventually rebranded as NBCSN.^[5]

The merger also helped influence an extension of NBC Sports' contract with the NHL; the 10-year deal – valued at close to $2 billion, unified the cable and broadcast television rights to the league and introduced a new "Black Friday" Thanksgiving Showdown game on NBC, along with national coverage for every game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.^[6] On July 3, 2011, ESPN obtained the exclusive broadcast rights to The Championships, Wimbledon in a 12-year deal, ending NBC's television relationship with The Championships after 42 years.^[7]

From 2012 until 2015, Major League Soccer (MLS) games were shown on NBC and the NBC Sports Network. This included the broadcast of two regular season games, two playoff games, and two national team matches on NBC and 38 regular season games, three playoff games, and two national team matches on NBC Sports Network.^[8] Since the 2013–14 season NBC Sports has also held the rights to televise Premier League soccer in English (primarily on NBCSN) and Spanish (on Telemundo and Universo), through a $250 million deal, replacing ESPN and Fox Soccer as the league's U.S. broadcasters.^[9]

NBC Sports held broadcast rights to the Formula One (formerly held by Speed and Fox Sports) from 2013 until 2017. The majority of its coverage (including much of the season, along with qualifying and practice sessions) aired on NBCSN, while NBC aired the Monaco Grand Prix, Canadian Grand Prix and the final two races of the season, which in the first year of the deal included the United States Grand Prix. All races were also streamed online and through the NBC Sports Live Extra mobile app.^{[10] [11] [12]} They lost the broadcast rights to ESPN beginning from the 2018 season.^{[13] [14]}

On March 18, 2013, nearly all of the operations for NBC Sports and NBCSN began to be based out of a purpose-built facility in Stamford, Connecticut. The move was made mainly to take advantage of tax credits given by the state of Connecticut, which NBC has taken advantage of previously with the tabloid talk shows of its NBCUniversal Television Distribution.^[15] Only Football Night in America remained in New York City, at NBC Studios, until September 7, 2014, when production of that program also moved to Stamford.

NASCAR returned to NBC Sports properties in 2015 under a ten-year deal, with NBC once again airing the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series seasons. While no specific financial details were disclosed, NBC reportedly paid 50% more than ESPN and TNT (who took over the portion of the season previously held by NBC) combined under the previous deal.^{[16] [17]}

In May 2015, NBCUniversal announced the formation of NBC Deportes (later renamed Telemundo Deportes), which serves as a Spanish language branch of NBC Sports for Telemundo and NBC Universo.^[18]

On June 7, 2015, amid its loss of rights to the USGA's championships to Fox (including the U.S. Open), NBC Sports and The R&A agreed to a twelve-year deal to televise The Open Championship, Senior Open Championship, and Women's British Open on NBC and Golf Channel, beginning in 2017.^[19] Existing rightsholder ESPN opted out of its final year of its agreement for the tournaments, with the Open subsequently debuting a year early in 2016.^[20]

Universal Sports ceased operations in November 2015. NBCUniversal acquired the rights to the content that was previously held by Universal Sports Network. Much of the programming moved to either Universal HD, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra.^[21]

From 2016 until 2018, NBC Sports held the rights to Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, through a three-year deal. The contract included up to 24 regularly-scheduled games on NBCSN per-season, and up to 50 streaming. Its first live match was on March 12, 2016, when London Irish hosted Saracens F.C. at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.^[22]

In June 2016, NBC Sports launched NBC Sports Gold, a suite of sport-specific over-the-top subscription services that would included expanded and overflow coverage of its properties.^[23]

On July 15, 2017. NBCUniversal relaunched Universal HD as Olympic Channel, a network that would carry Olympic sports programming as a complement to its long-standing agreement to cover the Games.^{[24] [25]}

In early 2018, it was announced that NBC Sports would renew its contract with the IndyCar Series (continuing a relationship with NBCSN which began in 2009 as Versus),^[26] through 2021, and acquire the broadcast television rights previously held by ABC. NBC televises eight races per-season since 2019, including the series flagship Indianapolis 500, with the remaining races airing on NBCSN as before. An IndyCar package is also offered through NBC Sports Gold.^{[27] [28]} Shortly after, NBC announced a six-year agreement with the International Motor Sports Association beginning in 2019, including the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with the majority of coverage on NBCSN.^[29]

2020s

Following the launch of NBCUniversal's streaming service Peacock, NBC Sports began to migrate some of its overflow content (including the Premier League and other NBC Sports Gold services) to the service.^[30] On June 29, 2020, Fox sold the last seven years of its contract to air USGA tournaments to NBC, regaining rights to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2015.^{[31] [32]}

In January 2021, it was reported that NBCUniversal planned to shut down NBCSN by the end of the year; an internal memo cited increased competition from streaming services and the other mainstream sports networks as reasoning.^{[33] [34]} The channel was officially shut down on December 31, 2021;^[35] its remaining programming rights were moved to other NBCUniversal platforms, particularly USA Network and Peacock.^[35]

NBC's contract with the NHL expired after the 2020–21 season, with the league signing new contracts with ESPN and TNT.^{[36] [37]}

On April 6, 2022, NBC Sports announced a deal to carry a package of Sunday afternoon MLB games on Peacock branded as MLB Sunday Leadoff beginning in the 2022 season.^{[38] [39] [40]} NBC Sports declined to renew its deal after the 2023 season, with the package moving to Roku instead.^{[41] [42]}

On July 1, 2022, NBC Sports announced that Olympic Channel would shut down as a linear channel on September 30, 2022.^{[43] [44]}

On August 18, 2022, NBC Sports announced a seven-year deal to carry Big Ten Conference college athletics across its platforms beginning in the 2023–24 academic season. This contract will most notably include a new package of primetime Big Ten college football games on NBC beginning in the 2023 season, as well as a package of college basketball and Olympic sports coverage on Peacock.^{[45] [46]}

Beginning with the 2023 NFL season, Peacock exclusively streams at least one regular season game per season. Most notably, Peacock exclusively streamed the Miami Dolphins–Kansas City Chiefs wild card playoff game during the 2023 season.^{[47] [48]} The game drove 2.8 million sign-ups to Peacock and averaged 23 million viewers.^{[49] [50]}

On June 11, 2024, TNT Sports officially announced a 10-year deal with the French Open, ending a broadcasting arrangement with NBC Sports dating back to 1983.^{[51] [52]} Two days later, IndyCar and Fox agreed to a deal to broadcast the IndyCar Series, ending its 15-year partnership with NBC Sports.^[53]

On June 27, 2024, NBC Sports and the Big East Conference announced a six-year deal to begin in the 2025–26 academic year. NBC Sports will carry more than 60 men’s and women’s basketball regular season and tournament games. Peacock begins its coverage in the 2024–25 academic year with 25 regular season games and five early round and quarterfinal conference tournament games in men's basketball.^{[54] [55]}

On July 23, 2024, Comcast confirmed during a conference call with investors that the NBA would return to NBC Sports in the 2025–26 season under an 11-year agreement; an official announcement was released by the NBA and NBC Sports the following day. NBC and Peacock will carry 100 regular season games throughout the season, including Monday night games on Peacock, regional Tuesday night games, and a package of Sunday night games following the conclusion of NFL season. NBC will also carry a doubleheader on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, coverage of All-Star Weekend, and a slate of playoff games (including six conference finals over the length of the agreement). Rights to the NBA Finals will remain exclusive to ABC. The agreement also includes broadcasting rights to the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). NBC Sports' WNBA package includes more than 50 regular-season and first-round playoff games, seven WNBA semi-finals, and three WNBA Finals. WNBA games will air on NBC, USA Network, and Peacock.^{[56] [57] [58] [59]}

Olympics

See main article: NBC Olympic broadcasts. In 1964, NBC televised the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; in 1972, NBC televised the 1972 Winter Olympics for the first time. 1980 would prove to be a stinging disappointment for the network; after contentious negotiations, NBC won the broadcast rights to the 1980 Summer Olympics. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the United States and 64 other countries boycotted the event. NBC substantially scaled back its coverage and lost heavily in advertising revenue. In 1988, NBC televised the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Since then, it has branded itself as "America's Olympic Network", televising every Summer Olympic Games since the Seoul event, as well as every Winter Olympic Games since 2002 Winter Olympics. In total, NBC has aired 13 Summer and Winter Olympics, the most by any one U.S. network. The Olympic Games have also become an integral part of the network.

In 1998, Ebersol was named president of NBC Sports and Olympics.

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver were watched by a total of 190 million viewers,^[60] including 27.6 million viewers of the gold medal game in men's hockey.^[61]

During the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, over 500 hours of the games were broadcast across five NBC-owned television channels (NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, MSNBC and USA Network), with 1,000 hours being streamed digitally.^[62] In January, the company announced some exclusive digital-only streaming of the 2014 Olympics via the NBCOlympics.com website and the NBC Sports Live Extra app for Android and iOS, including exclusive content such as Gold Zone, Olympic Ice and NBC's Olympic News Desk.^[63]

Branding

With the premiere of Sunday Night Football, NBCUniversal hired Troika Design Group to design an overall visual identity for its coverage, including branding, on-air graphics, and other visual elements.^[64]

Concurrent with the relaunch of Versus as NBC Sports Network on January 2, 2012, and the 2012 NHL Winter Classic, NBC Sports also launched a comprehensive redesign of its branding, including a new on-air graphics design built around the NBC peacock, and an updated logo for the division as a whole (replacing a logo that had been in use since 1989). The new design was also intended to be modular, allowing it to be expanded for use in larger events across multiple networks (such as the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games).^[65] A refreshed design for on-air graphics was introduced on January 1, 2015 (in time for the 2015 NHL Winter Classic and NFL playoffs), with a cleaner and brighter visual appearance.^[66]

NBC began using dedicated graphics packages specifically for Sunday Night Football during Super Bowl LII, and unveiled a second redesign for the 2022 season during Super Bowl LVI.^{[67] [68]} NBC similarly diverged for its Premier League coverage in 2019, adopting elements of its new British sibling Sky Sports.^[69] In 2023, NBC transitioned college football (which had continued to use the 2015 graphics) to new graphics derived from the Sunday Night Football graphics introduced in 2022.^[70]

Programs throughout the years

Current programs

• Golf on NBC (1954–present)
  • U.S. Open (1954–1965, 1995–2014, 2020–present)
    • U.S. Women's Open (2020–present)
    • U.S. Senior Open (2020–present)
  • Ryder Cup (1991–present, biannually)
  • Presidents Cup (2000–present, biannually)
  • PGA Championship
    • Senior PGA Championship (1990–present)
    • Women's PGA Championship (2015–present)
  • The Open Championship (2016–present)
    • Senior Open Championship (2016–present)
    • Women's British Open (2016–present)
• Olympics on NBC
  • Summer Olympics (1964, 1980,^[71] and quadrennial since 1988)
  • Winter Olympics (1972 and quadrennial since 2002)
• Thoroughbred Racing on NBC (1949–present)
  • Kentucky Derby (2001–present)
  • Preakness Stakes (2001–present)
  • Breeders' Cup (1984–2005, 2012–present)
  • Haskell Invitational Stakes (2014–present)
  • Santa Anita Derby (2009–present)
  • Pegasus World Cup (2017–present)
  • Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (2010–present)
  • Royal Ascot (2017–present)
• College Football on NBC Sports (1946–1965, 1991–present)
  • Notre Dame Football on NBC (1991–present)
  • Bayou Classic (1991–2014, 2022–present)
  • All-American Bowl (2004–present)
  • Big Ten Saturday Night (2023–present)
• College Basketball on NBC Sports (1969–1998, 2022–present)
• NFL on NBC (1951–1953, 1955–1964, 1970–1997, 2006–present)
  • NBC Sunday Night Football (2006–present)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame Game (2006–present, except all Olympic Years)
  • NFL Wild Card playoff game (2007–present)
  • NFL Divisional playoff game (2015–present)
  • Super Bowl: I (shared with CBS), III, V, VII, IX, XI, XIII, XV, XVII, XX, XXIII, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXII, XLIII, XLVI, XLIX, LII, LVI, LX, LXIV, and LXVIII
  • Football Night in America (2006–present)
• NBA on NBC (1954–1962; 1990–2002; returning in 2025-26)
• WNBA on NBC (select games, 1997–2002; returning in 2026)
  • WNBA Finals (1997–2002, full series, 2026, 2030, 2034)
• Tour de France (2011–present)
• Premier League (2013–present)
• Big Ten Volleyball on NBC (2024–present)

Motorsport

• NASCAR on NBC (1979–2006, 2015–present)
• Drone Racing League (2019–present)
• IndyCar Series on NBC (2009–2024)
  • Indianapolis 500 (2019–2024)
• IMSA on NBC (2019–present)
  • Rolex 24 at Daytona (2019–present)
• Monster Jam (2019–present)
• SuperMotocross World Championship (2023–present)
  • AMA Supercross Championship (2019–present)
  • AMA Motocross Championship (2023–present)
    • Include WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 Races
• Malaysian Cub Prix (2023–present)

Olympic sports

• ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating (2004–present)
• U.S. Figure Skating Championships (2008–present)
• FINA World Aquatics Championships
• World Athletics Championships
• Diamond League
• World Men's Handball Championship (2019–present)
• USA Swimming
• USA Track & Field
• Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
• FIS Alpine Ski World Cup
• Bobsleigh World Cup
• Skeleton World Cup
• Fencing World Cup
• FINA Diving World Cup
• FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour
• World Marathon Majors

Rugby

• Rugby World Cup (2011, 2015, 2019, 2023)
• Six Nations Championship (2018–present)

Other

• National Dog Show (2001–present)

Former programs

• Major League Baseball on NBC
  • World Series ((Games 1 & 5), –,,,,,,, (Games 2, 3, & 6),,)
  • Major League Baseball Game of the Week (1956–1989)
  • (1979–1989)
  • The Baseball Network (1994–1995) (co-production with ABC Sports and Major League Baseball)
  • MLB Sunday Leadoff (2022–2023)
• NBC College Football Game of the Week
  • Rose Bowl Game (1952–1988)
  • Sugar Bowl (1959–1969)
  • Orange Bowl (1965–1995)
  • Fiesta Bowl (1978–1995)
  • Cotton Bowl Classic (1953–1957, 1993–1995)
  • Gator Bowl (1996–2006)
  • Outback Bowl (1988–1992)
  • Citrus Bowl (1984–1985)
  • Army–Navy Game (1945–1953, 1955–1959, 1964–1965)
  • Blue–Gray Football Classic (1958–1963)
• NBA on NBC
  • 2002 FIBA World Championship
• NFL on NBC
  • National Football League (1955–1963, 1970–1997)
  • American Football League (1965–1969)
  • AFC games (1970–1997)
  • Thursday Night Football (2016–2017)
  • The NFL on NBC pregame show
    • Grandstand (1975–1976)
    • NFL 77, 78 (1977–1986)
    • NFL Live! (1987–1994)
    • NFL on NBC (1995–1997)
• NHL on NBC: (1966, 1972–1975, 1990–1994 (All Star Game), 2005–2021)
• College Basketball on NBC
  • NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament (1969–1981)
• The Championships, Wimbledon (1969–2011)
• Sportsworld (1978–1992)
• Champ Car World Series (1979–1990, 1994, 2005–2007)
• WWF/E Saturday Night's Main Event (1985–1992, 2006–2008)
• American Le Mans Series (1999–2004, 2007–2008)
• Formula One (2013–2017)
• Global Rallycross (2014–2017)
• Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (1946–1960)
• Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Classic (1990s)
• Soccer
  • FIFA World Cup (1966, 1986)
  • MLS on NBC (2012–2014)
• Superstars (1985–1990)
• XFL (2001)
• AFL on NBC (2003–2006)
• CFL on NBC (1954, 1982, 2012–2013)
• Professional Bowlers Association (1984–1991)
• Association of Volleyball Professionals (1990–2009)
• Hambletonian Stakes (2007–2012)
• Premier Boxing Champions (2015–17)^[72]
• NASCAR on NBC
  • • 2002, 2004, and 2006 Daytona 500 Extreme Championship Wrestling (2006–2010)
• MotoGP World Championship (2020–2023)
  • Include Moto2 and Moto3 Races
• Superbike World Championship (2020–2023)
• Premier Lacrosse League (2019–2021)
• Belmont Stakes (1950–1952, 2001–2005, 2011–2022)
• United States Football League (2022–2023)
• French Open (1983–2024)

Upcoming programs

• WNBA on NBC^[73]
• NBA on NBC^[74]

Notable personalities

Present

Play-by-play

^[75]

• Kenny Albert
• Rick Allen
• Brendan Burke
• Paul Burmeister
• Dave Burns
• Mike Bagley (NASCAR Radio-Style Broadcasts only)
• Jon Champion
• Jac Collinsworth
• Michael Cole
• Larry Collmus
• Leigh Diffey
• Peter Drury
• Noah Eagle
• Bob Fitzgerald
• Terry Gannon
• Todd Harris
• Dan Hicks
• Vic Joseph
• Jason Knapp
• Jim Kozimor
• Phil Liggett
• Kevin Patrick
• Kenny Rice
• Ted Robinson
• Steve Sands
• Andrew Siciliano
• Bill Spaulding
• Mike Tirico

Color commentators

• NBC Sunday Night Football – Cris Collinsworth, Todd Blackledge, Jason Garrett, Terry McAulay
• NASCAR on NBC – Steve Letarte, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Parker Kligerman, Brad Daugherty
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe
  • IMSA on NBC – Calvin Fish, Townsend Bell, James Hinchcliffe Tennis on NBC – John McEnroe, Mary Carillo
• Golf Channel on NBC – Paul Azinger, Gary Koch, Justin Leonard
• Big Ten Saturday – Todd Blackledge, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms, Michael Robinson, Kyle Rudolph, Joshua Perry, Anthony Herron, Colt McCoy, Terry McAulay, Reggie Smith
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Jason Garrett, Todd Blackledge, Terry McAulay, Reggie Smith
• Premier League on NBC – Lee Dixon, Graeme Le Saux, Tim Howard, Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe, Danny Higginbotham, Stephen Warnock
• World Athletics/USA Track & Field – Ato Boldon, Sanya Richards-Ross, Craig Masback, Kara Goucher, Trey Hardee
• World Aquatics/USA Swimming/USA Diving – Rowdy Gaines, Elizabeth Beisel, Michael Phelps, Cynthia Potter
• Tour de France – Bob Roll
• USFL – Jason Garrett, Michael Robinson, Cameron Jordan, Colt McCoy, Kyle Rudolph, Anthony Herron
• WWE – Wade Barrett, Corey Graves, Pat McAfee, Booker T

Reporters

• NBC Sunday Night Football – Melissa Stark, Kathryn Tappen, Kaylee Hartung
• Olympics on NBC – Andrea Joyce, Heather Cox, Trenni Kusnierek, Lewis Johnson, Steve Sands, Tina Dixon
• NASCAR on NBC – Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Kim Coon, Dillon Welch, Matt Yocum, Kevin Lee
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Marty Snider, Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch, Dave Burns, Georgia Henneberry
• IMSA on NBC – Marty Snider, Dave Burns, Parker Kligerman, Kevin Lee, Brian Till, Dillon Welch, Georgia Henneberry, Matt Yocum, Hannah Newhouse
• Golf Channel on NBC – Roger Maltbie, Mark Rolfing, Notah Begay III, Kathryn Tappen
• Big Ten Saturday – Kathryn Tappen, Zora Stephenson, Caroline Pineda, Lewis Johnson
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Zora Stephenson, Kathryn Tappen, Ahmed Fareed, Lewis Johnson
• World Athletics/USA Track & Field – Lewis Johnson, Todd Harris
• FINA/USA Swimming/USA Diving – Ahmed Fareed, Laura Wilkinson,
• Tour de France – Steve Porino, Jens Voigt
• USFL – Corey Robinson, Zora Stephenson, Lewis Johnson, Caroline Pineda
• WWE - Byron Saxton,

Studio hosts

• Football Night in America – Maria Taylor, Jac Collinsworth, Ahmed Fareed
• Olympics on NBC – Mike Tirico, Rebecca Lowe, Jimmy Roberts, Kathryn Tappen, Ahmed Fareed, Maria Taylor
• NASCAR on NBC – Marty Snider
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Mike Tirico
• Golf Channel on NBC – Jimmy Roberts
• College Countdown – Maria Taylor, Ahmed Fareed
• Premier League on NBC – Rebecca Lowe, Ahmed Fareed, Paul Burmeister, Cara Banks, Anna Jackson
• National Dog Show – John O'Hurley
• Tour de France – Paul Burmeister

Studio analysts

• Football Night in America – Tony Dungy, Jason Garrett, Mike Florio, Rodney Harrison, Chris Simms, Devin McCourty, Steve Kornacki, Matthew Berry
• NASCAR on NBC – Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Brad Daugherty
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Danica Patrick
• Premier League on NBC – Robbie Mustoe, Robbie Earle, Tim Howard, Danny Higginbotham, Stephen Warnock
• Tour de France - Christian Vande Velde, Chris Horner
• College Countdown – Joshua Perry, Matt Cassel, Michael Robinson, Colt McCoy, Nicole Auerbach

Emeritus

• Al Michaels

Former

Play-by-play

• NFL on NBC - Dick Enberg, Don Criqui, Curt Gowdy, Marv Albert, Charlie Jones, Tom Hammond, Al Michaels
  • Thursday Night Football - Al Michaels, Mike Tirico
• Major League Baseball on NBC – Mel Allen, Bob Costas, Dick Enberg, Joe Garagiola, Curt Gowdy, Bryant Gumbel, Lindsey Nelson, Vin Scully, Bob Wolff
  • MLB Sunday Leadoff - Jason Benetti, Brendan Burke
• NBA on NBC - Greg Gumbel, Dick Enberg, Don Criqui, Mike Breen, Bob Neal, Curt Gowdy, Dan Hicks, Paul Sunderland, Jim Lampley, Tom Hammond, Marv Albert, Bob Costas
• NHL on NBC – Tim Ryan, Mike Emrick, Dave Strader, Chris Cuthbert, Kenny Albert, Mike Tirico, John Forslund, Gord Miller, Brendan Burke, Randy Hahn, Rick Peckham, Alex Faust
• NASCAR on NBC – Bill Weber, Allen Bestwick, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Bob Jenkins, Brian Till, Bob Varsha
• IMSA on NBC – Allen Bestwick, Bill Weber
• MLS on NBC – John Strong, Steve Cangialosi, Richard Fleming
• Thoroughbred Racing on NBC – Tom Durkin
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Don Criqui, Dick Enberg, Tom Hammond
• SportsWorld – Paul Page
• The Championships, Wimbledon – Dick Enberg
• Formula One – Leigh Diffey, Bob Varsha
• Premier League on NBC - Steve Bower, Derek Rae, Clive Tyldesley, Bill Leslie, Arlo White

Color commentators

• NFL on NBC – Merlin Olsen, Paul Maguire, Phil Simms, Bob Trumpy, Len Dawson, Al DeRogatis
  • NBC Sunday Night Football – John Madden
  • Thursday Night Football - Cris Collinsworth, Doug Flutie, Tony Dungy, Kurt Warner
• Major League Baseball on NBC – Joe Morgan
• NBA on NBC – Bill Walton, Matt Guokas, Doug Collins, Quinn Buckner, Tom Tolbert, Dan Issel, Chuck Daly, Cotton Fitzsimmons, Julius Erving, Steve "Snapper" Jones
• NHL on NBC – Ted Lindsay, Bill Clement, John Davidson, Eddie Olczyk, Pierre McGuire, Brian Engblom, Brian Hayward, Peter McNab, Joe Micheletti, A. J. Mleczko, Mike Johnson, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Peter McNab, Jim Fox
• NASCAR on NBC – Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr., James Hinchcliffe, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• IndyCar on NBC – Robbie Buhl, Jon Beekhuis, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Dan Wheldon, Sam Hornish Jr., David Hobbs, Steve Matchett, Anders Krohn, Paul Tracy, AJ Allmendinger, Jimmie Johnson
• IMSA on NBC – AJ Allmendinger, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• MLS on NBC – Brian Dunseth, Stuart Holden, Shep Messing, Robbie Russell
• Golf Channel on NBC – Johnny Miller
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Pat Haden, Mike Mayock, Drew Brees
• College Basketball on NBC – Al McGuire, Billy Packer
• Formula One – David Hobbs, Steve Matchett
• Tour de France – Paul Sherwen

Reporters

• NBC Sunday Night Football – Andrea Kremer, Alex Flanagan, Michele Tafoya,
• Thursday Night Football – Heather Cox
• Major League Baseball on NBC – Bob Costas, Jim Gray, Merle Harmon, Bob Wischusen
  • MLB Sunday Leadoff – Ahmed Fareed
• NBA on NBC – Jim Gray
• NASCAR on NBC – Bill Weber, Allen Bestwick, Matt Yocum, Mike Massaro, Alex Hayden, Jim Noble, Lindsay Czarniak, Dorsey Schroeder, Kelli Stavast
• NHL on NBC – Pierre McGuire, Brian Boucher, Ray Ferraro, Cammi Granato, Darren Pang
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Jack Arute, Michelle Beisner, Calvin Fish, Robbie Floyd, Gary Gerould, Brian Hammons, Bruce Jenner, Sally Larvick, Cameron Steele, Bill Stephens, Lindy Thackston, Anders Krohn, Robin Miller, Kelly Stavast
• Olympics on NBC – Melissa Stark, Lesley Visser, Chris Wragge, Craig Sager, Marty Snider
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Lewis Johnson, Alex Flanagan
• The Championships, Wimbledon – Bud Collins
• French Open – Bud Collins
• Formula One – Will Buxton, Townsend Bell

Studio hosts

• NFL on NBC – Gayle Gardner, Bryant Gumbel, Greg Gumbel, Jim Lampley, Bob Costas
  • NBC Sunday Night Football – Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Keith Olbermann, Liam McHugh, Mike Tirico
  • Thursday Night Football – Mike Tirico, Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Liam McHugh
• Major League Baseball on NBC – Bill Macatee
  • MLB Sunday Leadoff – Ahmed Fareed
• NBA on NBC – Bob Costas, Hannah Storm
• NHL on NBC – Bill Clement, Pierre McGuire, Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Liam McHugh, Kathryn Tappen, Mike Tirico, Ahmed Fareed, Paul Burmeister, Russ Thaler
• Olympics on NBC – Bob Costas, Dick Enberg, Gayle Gardner, Curt Gowdy, Bryant Gumbel, Greg Gumbel, Jim Lampley, Dan Patrick, Alex Flanagan, Liam McHugh
• NASCAR on NBC – Bill Weber, Brian Williams, Krista Voda
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Kevin Lee, Krista Voda
• MLS on NBC – Russ Thaler
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Hannah Storm, Liam McHugh
• Premier League – Steve Bower, Russ Thaler, Liam McHugh, Derek Rae, Arlo White
• USFL – Sara Perlman

Studio analyst

• NFL on NBC – Ahmad Rashad, Cris Collinsworth, Mike Ditka, Joe Gibbs, Sam Wyche, Paul Maguire, Joe Montana, O. J. Simpson
  • NBC Sunday Night Football - Sterling Sharpe, Cris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber, Hines Ward, Drew Brees
  • Thursday Night Football – Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison
• NHL on NBC – Eddie Olczyk, Keith Jones, Patrick Sharp, Anson Carter, Mike Babcock, Dominic Moore, Ryan Callahan, Ray Ferraro, Mike Milbury, Jeremy Roenick, Brett Hull
• IndyCar Series on NBC – Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• Notre Dame Football on NBC – Doug Flutie, Corey Robinson
• Premier League – Kyle Martino

Telemundo personalities

• Andrés Cantor
• Ana Jurka

Presidents and chairmen

• Chet Simmons (1977–1979)^[76]
• Arthur Watson (1979–1989)^[77]
• Dick Ebersol (1989–2011)^[78]
• Ken Schanzer (1998–2011)^[79]
• Jon Miller (2011–present)^[80]

Main competitors

• CBS Sports – sports division of Paramount Global
• ESPN Inc./ESPN on ABC – joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications
• Fox Sports – sports division of Fox Corporation
• Stadium – joint venture between Sinclair Broadcast Group and Chicago White Sox
• TNT Sports – sports division of Warner Bros. Discovery

Notes and References

1. NBC Sports Celebrates 80th Anniversary of First Televised Sporting Event in U.S. History. NBCSportsGroupPressbox.com. May 16, 2019. April 18, 2022.
2. News: 'Winter Classic" Most Viewed Regular Season NHL Game in 34 Years,'. TV by the Numbers. January 13, 2009.
3. News: Game 7 most watched in 36 years. . NHL.com. June 15, 2009. August 19, 2018.
4. Web site: McCarley To Head Golf Channel, Davis Out at Versus in NBC Sports Group Reorg: Sources. Mike Reynolds. Multichannel News. February 2, 2011.
5. Web site: Jim Williams: Gold coverage has new look. https://archive.today/20120614054218/http://washingtonexaminer.com/sports/golf/2011/02/jim-williams-golf-coverage-has-new-look. dead. June 14, 2012. Jim Williams. The Washington Examiner. February 2011.
6. News: NHL reaches new television deal to remain on NBC, Versus. . April 19, 2011. CNNSI. Time Warner. April 19, 2011.
7. Web site: ESPN acquires all rights to Wimbledon . ESPNLosAngeles.com. ESPN. July 5, 2011. July 5, 2011.
8. News: MLS and NBC Sports announce new TV deal. The New York Times (Goal Blogs). August 10, 2011. August 10, 2011.
9. News: NBC wins $250m rights to broadcast English Premier League in US. Associated Press . The Guardian. London. October 29, 2012. October 29, 2012.
10. News: NBC Sports Group gets US rights to Formula One. Jenna Fryer. Associated Press. The Huffington Post. AOL. October 14, 2012.
11. Web site: Speed coverage of Formula One comes to an end in 2012. Motorsport.com. October 13, 2012.
12. Web site: Formula 1 lands four-year deal with NBC . Racer . October 16, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121016221534/http://www.racer.com/formula-1-lands-four-year-deal-with-nbc/article/263645/ . October 16, 2012 .
13. Web site: F1 Rights Move From NBC To ESPN In New Multiyear Rights Deal. SportBusinessDaily.com. October 4, 2017 . October 27, 2017.
14. Web site: ESPN secures U.S. Formula One rights from 2018. October 4, 2017. ESPN. October 27, 2017.
15. News: NBC to air MLS marathon in new digs. USA Today. Michael Heistand. March 13, 2013. March 13, 2013.
16. Web site: NBC wins NASCAR TV rights, signs 10-year deal to replace ESPN, Turner. . July 23, 2013. July 24, 2013.
17. Web site: NASCAR and NBC Sports Group Reach Landmark Media Rights Agreement . NBC Sports Group Press Box. July 23, 2013. July 25, 2013.
18. Web site: Upfronts 2015: NBC Deportes Ramps Up. Multichannel News . May 13, 2015. May 16, 2015.
19. Web site: NBC Sports and R&A agree. GolfChannel.com. August 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041148/http://www.golfchannel.com/news/press-releases/nbc-sports-group-and-ra-form-long-term-media-partnership/. September 24, 2015. dead.
20. News: NBC getting British Open a year early . October 12, 2015 . Sports Business Journal . John . Ourand . October 12, 2015.
21. Web site: Fang. Ken. NBC'S Universal Sports Channel is Officially No More; Sports to Relocate Throughout NBC Properties. Awful Announcing. November 18, 2015. 21 November 2015.
22. Web site: Aviva Premiership Going Live on NBC Sports in America. London Irish. March 7, 2016. 7 March 2016.
23. Web site: 2017-04-12. Are NBC's over-the-top packages, including the new $70 track one, a vision of the future?. 2021-03-22. Awful Announcing. en-US.
24. Web site: Holloway. Daniel. January 25, 2017. Could End of NBCU's Esquire Network Foretell More Cable Culling?. February 1, 2017. Variety.
25. Web site: Littleton. Cynthia. August 18, 2016. Participant's Pivot: Demise Reflects Niche Cable's Diminished Fortunes. February 1, 2017. Variety.
26. Web site: IRL caught in TV war. Indianapolis Business Journal. August 24, 2009. 1 May 2016.
27. News: The Indy 500 will soon have a new TV network. Indianapolis Star. 2018-03-21. en.
28. News: NBC Sports Grabs Indianapolis 500 Rights From ABC After 54 Years. Steinberg. Brian. 2018-03-21. Variety. 2018-03-21. en-US.
29. News: IMSA moving to NBC Sports in 2019. 2018-04-30. Racer. 2018-11-05. en-US.
30. Web site: IndyCar qualifying, practice moves to Peacock Premium this year. 2021-01-28. Motorsport.com. en.
31. Web site: Goldsmith. Jill. June 29, 2020. Fox Sells Rights For United States Golf Association, Including U.S. Open, To NBC Sports. June 29, 2020. Deadline.
32. Beall. Joel. June 29, 2020. USGA announces U.S. Open will move to NBC, ending relationship with FOX. Golf Digest. June 29, 2020.
33. News: Pallotta. Frank. January 22, 2021. NBC Sports Network to shut down by the end of the year. CNN. January 22, 2021.
34. News: Flint. Joe. Rizzo. Lillian. January 22, 2021. Comcast's NBCUniversal to Shut Down Sports Cable Channel NBCSN by Year-End. The Wall Street Journal. January 22, 2021.
35. Web site: Schott. Paul. 2021-11-02. Stamford-based NBC Sports to shut down NBCSN on Dec. 31. 2022-01-14. CT Insider. en-US. 2023-10-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20231003151345/https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/Stamford-based-NBC-Sports-to-shut-down-NBCSN-on-16585897.php. dead.
36. News: April 27, 2021. NHL moving to Turner Sports is $1 billion risk-reward for hockey. CNBC. April 27, 2021.
37. News: April 27, 2021. Turner Sports inks 7-year deal with NHL, will air 3 Stanley Cup finals. ESPN. April 27, 2021.
38. Web site: 'MLB Sunday Leadoff' – Peacock and NBC Sports Reveal Name and Logo for Exclusive Sunday Morning Baseball Package . nbcsports.com . NBC Sports . 13 April 2022.
39. News: Lucia . Joe . April 6, 2022 . Your 2022 MLB regular season broadcasting primer . Awful Announcing .
40. Web site: 2022-04-07 . MLB and NBC confirm 'US$30m a year' Peacock streaming deal . 2022-04-14 . SportsPro . en-GB.
41. Web site: Marchand . Andrew . MLB’s Sunday morning package could leave Peacock for new home: Sources . nytimes.com/athletic . The Athletic . 11 April 2024.
42. Web site: Roku lands exclusive rights to Major League Baseball Sunday Leadoff . mlb.com . Major League Baseball . 13 May 2024.
43. Web site: Ourand . John . 2022-07-01 . NBC to shut down Olympic Channel in September . 2022-07-01 . Sports Business Journal.
44. Web site: Hayes . Dade . 2022-07-01 . NBCUniversal Will Unplug The Olympic Channel After Five-Year Linear TV Run . 2022-07-01 . Deadline.
45. Web site: Bucholtz . Andrew . 2022-08-18 . Big Ten announces deals with Fox, CBS, NBC, including championship game splits . 2022-08-18 . Awful Announcing . en-US.
46. News: 2022-08-18 . Big Ten lands multibillion-dollar TV deal, the richest in college sports . 2022-08-18 . Washington Post.
47. Web site: Peacock becomes home of first-ever exclusive live streamed NFL playoff game . nfl.com . National Football League . 15 May 2023.
48. Web site: Peacock Becomes Home of First-Ever Exclusive Live Streamed NFL Playoff Game . nbcsports.com . NBC Sports . 15 May 2023.
49. Web site: Spangler . Todd . Peacock’s Streaming-Only NFL Wild Card Game Drove Record 2.8 Million Sign-Ups, Research Firm Estimates . variety.com . Variety . 24 January 2024.
50. Web site: Peacock Exclusive AFC Wild Card Game is Biggest Live-Streamed Event in U.S. History & Drives Internet Usage to Single Day U.S. Record . nbcsports.com . NBC Sports . 14 January 2024.
51. Web site: Steinberg . Brian . Warner Bros. Discovery Snares U.S. Rights to French Open (Exclusive) . variety.com . Variety . 7 June 2024.
52. Web site: TNT Sports Reaches Expansive Agreement with French Tennis Federation to Be New Home of Roland-Garros in the U.S. Beginning in 2025 . press.wbd.com . Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. . 11 June 2024.
53. Web site: INDYCAR, FOX Sports Announce Historic Media Rights Deal . indycar.com . IndyCar . 13 June 2024.
54. Web site: BIG EAST Announces New Media Rights Agreement . . June 27, 2024.
55. Web site: Big East Announces New Media Rights Agreement . nbcsports.com . NBC Sports . 27 June 2024.
56. Web site: Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) Q2 2024 Earnings Call Transcript . 23 July 2024 . seekingalpha.com . SA Transcripts.
57. Web site: NBA signs new 11-year media agreements with The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video through 2035-36 season . pr.nba.com . NBA Communications . 24 July 2024.
58. Web site: The NBA and WNBA Return to NBCUniversal With 11-Year Agreement for Regular Season and Playoff Basketball On NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Sky Sports, and Telemundo . nbcsports.com . NBC Sports . 24 July 2024.
59. Web site: Marchand . Andrew . 10 July 2024 . NBA finalizes TV deals with ESPN, NBC, Amazon, but TNT could still match: Sources . The Athletic . The Athletic Media Company.
60. News: NBC's Final Medal Count: 190 Million Olympic Viewers. Multichannel News. March 1, 2010.
61. Olympic Hockey Gold Medal Game Viewed by Most in U.S. Since '80. Business Week. March 1, 2010.
62. NBC to provide unprecedented coverage of 2014 Winter Sochi Olympics. Comcast Corporate. December 20, 2013. January 20, 2014.
63. NBC to stream exclusive Winter Olympics digital programming. HD Report. January 10, 2014. January 20, 2014.
64. News: Troika Design Group Develops Branding for NBC Sunday Night Football. TV Technology. 2018-03-14. en-us.
65. News: NBC Sports Network Off and Running With New Graphics Package. Dachman. Jason. Sports Video Group. 2018-03-14. en.
66. News: Everybody was excited about NBC's updated football graphics last weekend. Teti. John. The AV Club. 2018-03-14. en-US.
67. News: Grading NBC's broadcast of Super Bowl LII. SI.com. 2018-03-14. en.
68. News: NBC's Super Bowl design blends glass, bevels, stadium 'spaces' and AR . en . NewscastStudio . 2022-04-10.
69. News: NBC embarks on tighter relationship with Sky Sports to enhance Premier League coverage. WorldSoccerTalk.com. 2019-08-09. en.
70. Web site: Bucholtz . Andrew . 2023-08-26 . NBC debuts new score bug on Navy-Notre Dame game . 2023-09-05 . Awful Announcing . en-US.
71. NBC did not provide live event coverage due to the U.S.-led boycott.
72. Web site: Spike TV deal with Premier Boxing Champions has reached conclusion. April 12, 2017. ESPN.com.
73. Web site: The NBA and WNBA Return to NBCUniversal with 11-Year Agreement for Regular Season and Playoff Basketball on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Sky Sports, and Telemundo. corporate.comcast.com. July 24, 2024.
74. Web site: The NBA and WNBA Return to NBCUniversal with 11-Year Agreement for Regular Season and Playoff Basketball on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Sky Sports, and Telemundo. corporate.comcast.com. July 24, 2024.
75. https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/bios/nbc-sports-nbc-olympics/
76. News: Brown. Les. CBS Alumni Reunite at NBC's Top. The New York Times. July 19, 1979.
77. News: Watson got results, not publicity. https://web.archive.org/web/20121105062339/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/59227978.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT. dead. November 5, 2012. Jack Craig. Boston Globe. June 30, 1991. May 15, 2012.
78. Former Chairman of NBC Sports Group Dick Ebersol, USOC CMO Lisa Baird to be Honored at 2012 PromaxBDA Sports Marketing Summit & Awards. Yahoo!. November 15, 2012. October 17, 2012.
79. News: Plus: Television Sports; New President Named at NBC. The New York Times. November 15, 2012. June 19, 1998.
80. Web site: Post-Merger NBC Sports Group Unveils Executive Team. Nellie Andreeva. February 2, 2011. Deadline. November 15, 2012.