TV Answer Man, I got a notice from Comcast that it’s taking off the Olympic Channel. As a Dad to a future Olympic track star, that upsets me. We enjoy watching shows and documentaries about the Olympics. Do you know what is going on here? — Paul, Toledo, Ohio.
Paul, the NBC-owned Olympic Channel, which has been a showcase for the network’s exclusive coverage of the Winter and Summer games, is ceasing operations on September 30. In a statement released last month, NBC stated that it would provide Olympic content on other platforms this fall.
NBC also owns the streaming service, Peacock, which would seem to be a perfect landing spot for the Olympic Channel’s mix of documentaries, live events and highlights from past games.
“In order to best reach our target audiences, we are re-evaluating our programming distribution strategy regarding the content that currently airs on Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA with our partners at the IOC and USOPC,” the network said. “We will be announcing our exciting new plans for Olympic content in the fall.”
The shuttering of the Olympic Channel is another example of how difficult it is for a niche channel to survive in an era when pay TV subscribers are shrinking. Cable and satellite operators, which are struggling to maintain profits, are less likely now to pay carriage fees to channels with narrow audiences.
The Olympic Channel launched in 2017 but is available in less than 50 million homes, far less than other NBC-owned channels such as USA Network and Bravo.
Paul, hope that makes sense. Happy viewing and stay safe!
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— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
“In order to best reach our target audiences, we are re-evaluating our…” Meaning – “In order to gouge our audience and increase profits and since streaming is the easiest way to do so…” In other words, we can avoid all the licensing and carriage hassles of broadcast or pay TV, streaming can maximize profits. Our audience has to figure out how they view our content. If they can’t figure it out or their internet connection is slow or out of service all the better!
Agreed – gauging monsters.
Took away our NBCSN. Now take our Olympics Channel. And yet Dish Network still extorted the same exorbitantly high carriage fees by NBCUniversal. $$$
RIGHT ON !!! SM in SF
They (DISH) keep cutting sport channels (Fox Sports Detroit – NBC Sport Chl & Sport Net – Olym Ch’l – SEC & ACC College and NOW all ESPN ch’l !!! But keep giving us this BS song & dance crap about the ch’l rasing $$ – but DISH just keeps raising their $$$ ….
Used to love watching sports on nbcsn. Then they took that away. Used to love watching sports on the olympic channel then they took that away. Guess these networks don’t value viewers so why should viewers be loyal to them? I ,for one, refuse to use Peacock!
Good Evening. Yeah I have a question regarding our concern about The Sports/Olympic Channels. Will by any chance The Olympic Channel ever come back and if so where can we find a channel to Watch The Olympics and to Watch The Olympic Flashbacks.