NBC, Charter quietly worked out carriage deal before Games
July 30, 2012 09:11 AM
NBC and Charter averted an Olympic-sized crisis recently, sources say, when the two sides signed an extension to their carriage deal in the weeks before the Olympics were scheduled to start. That means that Charter’s 4.3 million subscribers have access to all of NBC’s channels, including NBC Sports Network, through the Olympics.
Don’t expect a formal announcement on this deal, as both sides stayed quiet and kept their negotiations out of the press. Deal terms are tough to come by.
But NBC carriage battles in the run-up to the Olympic Games happen every four years, as NBC historically has used leverage from the Olympics to get a new deal from cable and satellite operators. Could you imagine a pay-TV distributor not offering NBC Sports Network, Bravo or CNBC during the Olympics?
Four years ago, it was Time Warner Cable that worked out a last-minute carriage deal just before the Beijing Games. This year, it’s Charter. And in 2016, it will be someone else.
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Don’t expect a formal announcement on this deal, as both sides stayed quiet and kept their negotiations out of the press. Deal terms are tough to come by.
But NBC carriage battles in the run-up to the Olympic Games happen every four years, as NBC historically has used leverage from the Olympics to get a new deal from cable and satellite operators. Could you imagine a pay-TV distributor not offering NBC Sports Network, Bravo or CNBC during the Olympics?
Four years ago, it was Time Warner Cable that worked out a last-minute carriage deal just before the Beijing Games. This year, it’s Charter. And in 2016, it will be someone else.
