Comcast’s Rebranded NBC Sports Network Holds Key To Olympian Bet

Comcast Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts says he’s confident his $4.38 billion bet on the Olympics will turn a profit. That’ll depend on how many viewers the rebranded NBC Sports Network can attract.

The company’s NBC Universal is putting more than 293 hours of the London Olympics on the pay-TV network, starting July 25. That’s an average of 14 hours a day, in addition to coverage on the free NBC network, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. Comcast is using the Olympics to promote the network, formerly Versus, as a national, 24-hour sports channel. The games offer the NBC Sports Network a platform to build viewers and advertising, now just a fraction of those at Walt Disney’s ESPN. The channel plans to use the visibility to secure more rights, possibly to Major League Baseball.