Who Owns NBC Sports?

Who owns NBCUniversal?
NBCUniversal is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, a publicly traded American telecommunications and media conglomerate listed on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol CMCSA. Comcast acquired NBCUniversal from General Electric in two stages: a 51% stake in 2011 for approximately $13.8 billion and the remaining 49% in March 2013 for approximately $16.7 billion. Comcast is controlled by the Roberts family through a dual-class share structure, with Brian L. Roberts serving as chairman and CEO.

Is NBCUniversal publicly traded?
No, NBCUniversal is not publicly traded as a separate entity. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, which is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol CMCSA. Investors can gain exposure to NBCUniversal by purchasing shares of Comcast. In 2025, Comcast announced plans to spin off most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks into a separate publicly traded company called Versant.

What is the Versant spin-off?
In 2025, Comcast announced plans to spin off most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks into a separate publicly traded company called Versant. The networks being spun off include USA Network, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, Syfy, Golf Channel, and Olympic Channel. NBC, Telemundo, MSNBC, CNBC, Peacock, Universal Pictures, and theme parks were expected to remain within Comcast. The spin-off was designed to separate declining linear cable assets from growth-oriented businesses.

When was NBCUniversal formed?
NBCUniversal was formed in 2004 when General Electric merged its NBC television network with Vivendi Universal Entertainment, which included Universal Studios and theme parks. GE owned 80% of the new entity, with Vivendi retaining 20%. The company traces its roots to NBC's founding in 1926 and Universal Pictures' founding in 1912.

What is Peacock?
Peacock is NBCUniversal's streaming service, launched in July 2020. It offers on-demand and live content from NBCUniversal's extensive library, including NBC television shows, Universal films, live sports including the NFL and Olympic Games, and original programming. Peacock offers both ad-supported and ad-free subscription tiers and has grown to tens of millions of subscribers.

What are NBCUniversal's main businesses?
NBCUniversal operates across three primary segments: Media (NBC broadcast network, cable television networks, and Peacock streaming), Studios (Universal Pictures film production and Universal Television), and Theme Parks (Universal Studios parks in Florida, California, Japan, and China). The company generated approximately $39.4 billion in revenue in FY2024 as reported in Comcast's financial filings.

What happened to NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell?
In April 2023, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell departed the company following an investigation into a complaint of inappropriate conduct. Shell acknowledged an inappropriate relationship and apologized. Comcast did not name a replacement CEO, instead managing NBCUniversal through its corporate leadership team, with Comcast President Mike Cavanagh overseeing the media division.

What is Universal's Epic Universe?
Epic Universe is a new theme park that opened in 2025 at Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida. It is the first new major theme park in the Orlando market in 25 years and represents a multi-billion dollar investment. The park features lands based on Universal's intellectual properties including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Super Nintendo World, Classic Monsters, and How to Train Your Dragon.