Versus (TV network)
| NBCSN | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | July 1, 1995 (as Outdoor Life Network) September 25, 2006 (as Versus) January 2, 2012 (relaunch; as NBC Sports Network) August 18, 2013 (renamed NBCSN) |
| Owned by | NBC Sports Group |
| Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) Downconverted to letterboxed 480i for SDTV feed |
| Slogan | Believe |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Stamford, Connecticut |
| Formerly called | Outdoor Life Network (1995–2006) Versus (2006–11) NBC Sports Network (2012–13) |
| Sister channel(s) |
NBC Golf Channel NBC Sports Regional Networks Universal HD |
| Website | NBC Sports |
|
Availability
|
|
| Satellite | |
| Dish Network | 159 |
| DirecTV | 220 1220 (On Demand) |
| Cable | |
| Available on most cable systems | check local listings |
| IPTV | |
| AT&T U-verse | 1640 640 (SD) |
| Google Fiber | NBCSN |
| Verizon Fios | 590 90 (SD) |
| Streaming media | |
| PlayStation Vue | Internet Protocol television |
| Sling TV | Internet Protocol television |
| DirecTV Now | Internet Protocol television |
NBCSN is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which was dedicated to programming primarily involving fishing, hunting, outdoor adventure programs, and outdoor sports. By the turn of the 21st century, OLN became better known for its extensive coverage of the Tour de France, but eventually began covering more "mainstream" sporting events – resulting in its relaunch as Versus in September 2006.
Comcast, the original owner of Versus, acquired a majority stake in NBC Universal in 2011. As a result, Comcast merged the operations of its cable channels with those of NBC. In particular, it aligned the operation of its sports channels with NBC's sports division, NBC Sports. On January 2, 2012, Versus was rebranded as the NBC Sports Network (with the on-air branding later shortened to NBCSN) to reflect these changes. As of September 15, 2014, the entirety of NBC Sports' operations, including NBCSN, is based out of facilities in Stamford, Connecticut.
As of February 2015, NBCSN is available to approximately 81,578,000 pay television households (70.1% of households with television) in the United States.
The channel originally launched as the Outdoor Life Network (or OLN) on July 1, 1995; the name was licensed from Outdoor Life magazine. Its programming consisted of hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure shows. In its early days, the channel reached around one million homes and found most of its carriage via the then-infant platforms of direct broadcast satellite services and digital cable.
In 1999, OLN acquired the U.S. broadcast rights to the Tour de France for US$3 million. Coverage of the Tour on OLN brought substantially greater viewership to the then fledgling channel, due in part to the then-growing popularity of American rider Lance Armstrong. In 2004, where Armstrong would aim for a record-breaking sixth straight Tour de France title, OLN would devote over 344 hours in July to coverage of the Tour, along with documentaries and other original programming surrounding the event – which was promoted through a $20 million advertising campaign.
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Wikipedia