What I would name the new NBC Sports Channel

[IU Hawks fan]

As you all know, ESPN in the last year or 2 has expanded the amount of time SportsCenter is on to basically 24 hours a day (whether on the main channel, ESPN2, or ESPNEWS). While before, SportsCenter aired like a local news program would on any network affiliate, noon, dinner hour, late, and then on all morning, they have shifted it to while how CNN or MSNBC with news all the time (what ESPNews was supposed to be, but never did well).

So my idea, is for NBC to go head to head with ESPN with a sports news channel I will call MSNBC Sports.

Reasons:
1) Better sounding than "NBC Sports Channel" "NBCSN" or whatever.
2) By making it so it's just an MSNBC of all sports, it gives potential viewers more of a knowledge of what to expect. It's a news channel, what ESPN has become. Where there aren't games there is news.
3) Sports on NBC's website is under the msnbc, you can continue the theme throughout the network that all news (including sports news) is through msnbc.
4) Then when you rebrand CSN you can put NBC in front of those and there wont be confusion between national and regional NBC channels because of the association with msnbc.

Just like MSNBC and ESPN, you can have shows and the games of course.

It also makes it so their news program doesn't need its no name. When they are in studio coverage, it can just be how it is on MSNBC or CNN.

Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[GKJ]

Could do CSNBC instead.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

My idea really goes beyond the name, it's more built around what I feel they should focus programming wise that would allow them to compete with ESPN with the resources they have.

 

[jkrdevil]

We won't see MSNBC sports because the MS part in MSNBC has to do with Microsoft having (or at least had, not sure if they still do) having a stake in the channel.

We may see CSNBC, to combine Comcast Sports and NBC Sports. Though with them renaming the CSN they may not go that route.

 

[Spydey629]

I like the idea, but...

By following the 24/7 SportsCenter model, the channel formerly known as Versus would lose a lot of the programming it was based on, back whn it was OLN.

While competitive sports fans don't quite flock to watch Babe Winkleman, the field sports fans still do. You'd knock out the only actual audience OLN / Versus / __NBC__ every truly had since Day 1.

I agree 100% they need a hi-lite show or two. But more than anything, they need more competitive sports to grow the audience. Comcast will need to shell out cash to grow Versus, plain and simple.

They NEED the Fox Soccer Channel MLS and Gold Cup packages... They NEED more college sports (that ESPN is sucking up in droves right now)... They NEED more, period.

The NHL, a weakened Mountain West, and the Tour de France just aren't going to be enough to challenge ESPN. They need more filler for the 47 months that aren't Olympic coverage in a four year period.

 

[Brodie]

Those field sports shows are dead, they draw flies. Notice how ESPN phased them out for reruns of poker on ESPN2? They're dead.

The key to network growth will be more sports, but for now a real highlight show without all the gimmicks of modern SportsCenter would be a big smash for NBCS.

 

[Spydey629]

Those field sports shows are dead, they draw flies. Notice how ESPN phased them out for reruns of poker on ESPN2? They're dead.

The key to network growth will be more sports, but for now a real highlight show without all the gimmicks of modern SportsCenter would be a big smash for NBCS.

Isn't this what FSN is trying to do with "The Final Score"?? 30 minutes of straight hi-lites?

Yes, they need the hi-lite show, but aren't the sports that make up those shows the most important?

 

[Steve Passless*]

Half the country hates MSNBC with a hot passion. Don't co-brand a sports channel with MSNBC.

 

[46zone]

I think they should just go with NBC Sports as the new name. It's simple with a brand name everyone knows.

 

[Pajicz]

I think they should just go with NBC Sports as the new name. It's simple with a brand name everyone knows.

Agree, no point to have those long abbreviations which no one knows what it means.

 

[manifestodestiny]

Half the country hates MSNBC with a hot passion. Don't co-brand a sports channel with MSNBC.

This. No reason to stymie the growth of the channel with a negative brand name when there are other alternatives.

 

[Mwd711]

We won't see MSNBC sports because the MS part in MSNBC has to do with Microsoft having (or at least had, not sure if they still do) having a stake in the channel.

We may see CSNBC, to combine Comcast Sports and NBC Sports. Though with them renaming the CSN they may not go that route.

Microsoft has nothing to do with MSNBC anymore. They sold their stake in the network several years ago. Microsoft does still own a stake in msnbc.com but that is run as a separate company within NBC News. There's been rumors for many years that MSNBC was going to be re-branded but it's probably tied in too closely to the website to do that.

Those field sports shows are dead, they draw flies. Notice how ESPN phased them out for reruns of poker on ESPN2? They're dead.

The key to network growth will be more sports, but for now a real highlight show without all the gimmicks of modern SportsCenter would be a big smash for NBCS.

Those field shows may draw flies, but they bring in revenue. Many of those shows are essentially paid programming. Show sponsors and show producers often pay for those timeslots outright. While it depends on the show, most of them are pure profit with little expense to the network. I doubt they will be going away anytime soon, just because of that.

I would move some programming off of Universal Sports and move much of it to Versus. I don't think it would be a bad idea to move some of the Golf Channel's tournaments to Versus to help build awareness for the network.

A highlights program isn't a bad idea but I doubt it would do well since Versus has little-to no lead in programming. If the Final Score struggles when they do have decent lead ins on most RSN's, there's little hope for anything on Versus. More topical programming similar to the Daily Line might be a better idea just until the network can get decent programming. Honestly, I don't see Versus changing much from what it is today in the future. So far, they have been a bust on bidding for college rights which leaves me pessimistic as to how serious NBC is about growing the network.

 

[chizzler]

I used to watch ESPN all the time. Now, it's like MTV. Lame. I rarely watch it. Too stuck on themselves with stupid shows. It's all about ratings,I understand, but they need to go back to real sports shows. Poker? C'mon! Too much reality show like. I stick with the regional shows. Alot better coverage and good journalistic bits.

 

[RoyalAir]

Half the country hates MSNBC with a hot passion. Don't co-brand a sports channel with MSNBC.

Exactly. It would be just as bad as naming a Fox sports news channel as Fox News: Sports. It's a toxic brand name to too many of your potential consumers.

 

[VanIslander]

VSNBC

Not "versus nbc" but "vee, ess nbc", the letter sounds. It keeps the VS marketing in the family.

 

[Kimota]

Half the country hates MSNBC with a hot passion. Don't co-brand a sports channel with MSNBC.

I don't think that half hates MSNBC as much as the other half hates Fox News. Because MSNBC are pretty insignificant.

But that's just it, they shouldn't be called MSNBC Sport for the simple thing that it would connect it with failure. MSNBC has been a half ass affair to begin with. The ratings have always been abysmal and it sucks really.

Just call it NBC Sports.

 

[jkrdevil]

I would assume we should be hearing about a new name soon given the Versus NHL schedule is over.

If I had to guess a date a new name would go into effect, July 27, 2011. That is a year to the date out from the London Olympics and about that time the rights holders tend to start their Olympic branding. Plus it is right after the Tour de France, which is the last big event the channel has in the summer. They can use that to promote the rebrand.

 

[jiggsawpuzzle35]

Pronbc
Snbc
Weonlyshow6nhlteamsnbc
Fuespnnbc

 

[Shrimper]

What changes have been made to Sportscenter? I haven't noticed any, although I only catch it in the mornings.

 

[Nighthock]

how 'bout just "Driiiiiiive!"

 

[GKJ]

I would assume we should be hearing about a new name soon given the Versus NHL schedule is over.

If I had to guess a date a new name would go into effect, July 27, 2011. That is a year to the date out from the London Olympics and about that time the rights holders tend to start their Olympic branding. Plus it is right after the Tour de France, which is the last big event the channel has in the summer. They can use that to promote the rebrand.

Versus is doing coverage of Saratoga over the summer and have still been promoting themselves as Versus, so don't count on it until after that. That takes us to September 3.

 

[TMC1982]

They should just keep it simple and call it the NBC Sports Channel or NBC Sports 24/7. I really don't know what it will take for Versus or whatever it's going to be called to pose a serious threat to the four letter network from Bristol. They do need much more "must see" programming besides the NHL and Tour de France. They first and foremost if you ask me, should make Versus a feeder channel to the Comcast Sportsnet affiliates, Golf Channel, and whatever else sports related property is owned by Comcast. Versus should also be a "post game analysis" outlet for NBC Sports proper, like they're doing already with the Triple Crown. Back when NBC still had the rights to Major League Baseball and the World Series and the NBA Finals, they would use CNBC for their postgame coveage. So therefore, I don't understand how hard is it to do the same thing for Sunday Night Football for instance.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Weonlyshow6nhlteamsnbc

This made me laugh.

 

[tarheelhockey]

The most valuable brand name NBC owns is... NBC. I see no reason to get more complicated than "NBC Sports".

 

[pappyman]

The most valuable brand name NBC owns is... NBC. I see no reason to get more complicated than "NBC Sports".

I agree with this. The channel is simply going to be called "NBC Sports" when it is talked about and advertised. However, its "official" name is probably going to be the "NBC Sports Channel" so casual viewers watching it will know that they are watching a cable channel and not the NBC Sports brand used on NBC (similar to how Fox News is officially known as the "Fox News Channel"). I would probably assume that NBC Sports (Channel, did you see what I did there) will adopt the current NBC Sports Logo:

as a replacement for the current Versus Logo:

with the text "CHANNEL" occasionally printed under the logo. I would also probably assume that NBC Sports will adopt NBC's current "on-screen" look and feel to all content shown on the channel. The "on-screen" look for NBC Sports will virtually be the same as NBC other than the NBC "peacock" logo on the NBC TV Network and the NBC Sports logo on the NBC Sport Channel. Simply renaming it as "NBC Sports" would also work well if any golf tournaments were to migrate from Golf Channel. PGA Tour events on NBC have now been re-branded under the "Golf Channel on NBC" brand, which would work well if NBC Sports starts showing them. They could simply be branded as "Golf Channel on NBC Sports" events. This seems to be the most logical name and plan for the re-branded Versus.

Getting back to the idea of creating a sports news channel, do you guys think that it is possible that NBCUniversal (now controlled by Comcast) could attempt to raise MSNBC's ratings by gradually converting into a sports news channel similar to ESPNews? Comcast could also look at moving all of Universal Sports's current content onto the NBC Sports Channel and converting it into a sports news channel that would work well in its current digital subfeed transmission of NBC O&O networks and affiliates.