Universal Sports
Woodland Hills, California | |
Programming | |
---|---|
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
Launched | 2006 |
Closed | November 16, 2015 |
Replaced by | Olympic Channel (2017; Universal HD carried existing contracts between 2015–2017) |
Former names | World Championship Sports Network (2006–2008) |
Universal Sports was an American sports-oriented digital cable and satellite television network. It was owned as a joint venture between InterMedia Partners (which owned a controlling 92% interest) and NBCUniversal (which owned the remaining 8%).
History
World Championship Sports Network
The channel was launched in 2006 as World Championship Sports Network (WCSN); it was co-founded by
In 2007,
Universal Sports
On June 17, 2010, Universal Sports, along with the
On October 22, 2015, it was announced that Universal Sports would shut down on November 16, 2015, and that
Carriage
On June 15, 2011, DirecTV added Universal Sports as a national basic channel. The carriage agreement with DirecTV led NBCUniversal and InterMedia to announce on September 12, 2011, that it would transition Universal Sports into a cable- and satellite-exclusive service (effectively dropping its over-the-air affiliates) by January 2012. On January 1, 2012, Universal Sports was dropped by most cable providers as a result of a protracted battle to get them to offer the service as a premium channel.[2] One of the providers to drop the channel was Comcast, the nation's largest cable company and part-owner of Universal Sports' co-parent NBCUniversal at the time (it would later acquire the remaining ownership interest held by General Electric in 2013).
Programming
The channel had long-term broadcasting agreements with the
The channel provided year-round coverage of events that generally receive attention every few years. Through television carriage and internet streaming, viewers were provided an in-depth look at how Olympic athletes compete between the games. Universal Sports promoted itself as "the athlete's network," and extended its coverage through blogs and interviews outside of competition. As reported by Olympic news outlet Around the Rings, Universal Sports and Infront Sports and Media announced an exclusive media rights agreement for the International Ski Federation World Cup events beginning with the 2011–2012 season.
References
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 21, 2015). "Universal Sports Network Being Shuttered By NBCU". Deadline.com. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ^ Flint, Joe (January 4, 2012). ""Universal Sports channel didn't disappear, it just seems that way"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 28, 2016.