NBC

About

NBC history, coverage, features

NBC USA is a linear network in the United States owned and operated by the NBCUniversal division, NBC Entertainment. It was founded in May 1926, making it not only one of the largest U.S. networks but also the first and oldest domestic broadcast network in the country.

It was created by Radio Corporation of America (RCA), a company owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation, and the United Fruit Company. General Electric was forced to sell RCA in 1932 before regaining control in late 1986. Vivendi’s entertainment division would eventually merge with GE, leading to the creation of NBCUniversal in 2004.

The network broadcasts a wide range of content, including news programs, comedies, dramas, and, most importantly, live sports. Sports coverage is overseen by the NBC Sports division, with broadcasts split between NBC USA, its sister channel USA Network, and NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock.

NBC USA has covered the most popular sports in the U.S. and beyond, with the English Premier League being a notable example. NBC Sports acquired exclusive U.S. broadcast rights to the English top-flight soccer division for the 2013-14 season, eventually extending this agreement for six years from 2022-23 to 2027-28 in a deal worth over $2.7 billion in total.

The bulk of Premier League coverage was handed to USA Network and Peacock under this agreement. Nonetheless, several crucial English top-flight fixtures have been broadcast on NBC USA, including a live game on Championship Sunday, the final round of each Premier League season when all ten matches kick off simultaneously; these fixtures are also simulcast on Peacock.

The NFL (National Football League) has also been prominent on the network since its launch, with coverage of everything from the Super Bowl to Wild Card and Division playoff games. In 2021, NBC agreed to a broadcast deal with the NFL alongside other major broadcasters (Amazon, CBS, ESPN/ABC, and FOX) worth roughly $110 billion for the 2023 to 2033 cycle. This agreement secured the network the rights to nationally broadcast the Super Bowl, as well as other NFL-related matches and programs, including Sunday Night Football.

Additionally, NBC acquired NBA (National Basketball Association) broadcast rights in 2024 in a deal spanning the 2025-26 to 2035-36 season. The network was granted the rights to broadcast regular-season games, the NBA All-Star Game, and one of the two Conference Finals series. However, it should be noted that NBC’s coverage of the NBA predates this 2024 deal.

And that’s not all. Major League Baseball, the NHL, the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup, the PGA Championship, College Football, the Tour de France, NASCAR, and more have also been featured on NBC.

NBC, which broadcasts in HD, has been available on the largest cable, satellite, and streaming television providers in the USA. Additionally, U.S. viewers can also watch the network on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform. However, a subscription is required to access NBC’s live and on-demand content on Peacock. Select TV providers that carry the NBC network may offer Peacock as part of their subscription.