NBC Sports Net Replacing USA Network As Main Cable Home For London Olympics Coverage

NBC Sports Group Chair Mark Lazarus said that NBC Sports Network will "join NBC as the centerpieces of Olympic Games coverage" from July 27 to Aug. 12, according to Mike Reynolds of MULTICHANNEL NEWS. Lazarus last week said, "NBC Sports Network will have more hours of Olympic coverage than any cable network has ever had." Reynolds reports the schedule has yet to be finalized, but NBC Sports Network could show up to 300 hours from London. The net will essentially "assume the role USA Network has played" since the '04 Athens Games. Lazarus: "NBC Sports Network will be the home for U.S. team sports." Lazarus noted that "all of the domestic men's and women's basketball games (save for the finals, on NBC), women's soccer, volleyball, field hockey and water polo, among others, will air on the service." NBC Sports Net will also be "home to plenty of Olympic Trials fare in the months ahead, a move that will not only enhance its programming lineup, but promote the upcoming games" (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 4/2 issue).

SLOW START TO YEAR: In N.Y., Claire Atkinson noted in NBC Sports Net's "first three months of the year, ratings plunged" 22% -- the "biggest drop" in eight years -- after Lazarus "announced the cable channel was jettisoning the Versus moniker and changing its name to NBC Sports Network." Nielsen indicated that the net averaged 64,000 total daily viewers in the three months ended March 25, down from 82,000 viewers in the same period a year ago. That means it would be the "least-watched since the second quarter" of '04, when OLN, which was the net's pre-Versus name, averaged just 51,000 viewers. A source said that the net "should benefit from the NHL playoffs in the second quarter, as well as from the Olympic Games in the summer." The source added that "revenue is also up" (N.Y. POST, 4/1). NBC Sports Network's national ad sales are up 28% for Q1 '12 compared to the same time period in '11 (THE DAILY).

LOOKING OUT FOR THEMSELVES: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes the "NBC Sports Report" inserts "remain comically dishonest." Anchor Julie Donaldson on Saturday, "in order, reported: LPGA results (the LPGA is now largely seen on Golf Channel, an NBC property), NHL (an NBC property) results, a promo for an Indy car race (to be seen the next day on NBC Sports Net), and news that fired Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber had been hired by Kansas State." The last item was "particularly interesting in that NBC’s 'sports news' report did not include a word about the Final Four (not an NBC property), which was tipping" in 15 minutes (N.Y. POST, 4/2).