Universal Sports
ekelks1
Contributor - Level 1

For the last 3 months Universal Sports has bombarded me with e-mails & adverts begging viewers to ask Verizon FIOS to keep it on the air.

So I did call and was told no knew anything about it.

Now my Verizon FIOS message center TV screen says, in a perversion of someone’s idea of truth, “Universal Sports will no longer carry content through your local broadcaster on Channel WNBC — 464. // This change was not initiated by Verizon. Instead, Universal Sports has decided not to renew their agreements with local providers to carry this content….”

Is there an entertainment lawyer in the house?

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Re: Universal Sports
MiMeQu21
Contributor - Level 3

You are correct.  The channels are two separate ones.

Versus has been rebranded as NBC Sports.  Universal Sports is also owned by NBC/Comcast.  However, it was an over the air channel.  It is now being moved to a cable channel.  Right now, only Directv carries it as a cable channel.  At this time, Verizon has not opted to carry it as a cable channel.  It would be a nice channel leading up to the Olympics.

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Re: Universal Sports
MiMeQu21
Contributor - Level 3

Universal Sports was an over the air channel from NBC.  On Fios, only certain areas of the country received it, I believe on channel 464 or something like that.  With the Comcast/NBC merger, Versus was rebranded as NBS Sports.  Also, Universal Sports is being made into a cable channel.  So it is correct that Verizon did not remove it on its own.  It was removed as an over the air channel because it was turning into a cable channel.  As of now, only Directv is carrying it as a cable channel.  Unless and until Verizon decides to carry it, it won't be available to anyone with Fios.

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Re: Don't Drop UniversalSports
MiMeQu21
Contributor - Level 3

As some of the previous posters stated, it was not Verizon's decision to drop Universal Sports.  It was an OTA channel.  Comcast/NBC decided to remove it as an OTA channel and make it a cable channel.  So far, only Directv is carrying it as a cable channel. 

Now, you may be upset if Verizon decides not to pick it up as a cable channel.  There will be people that want it, and others that don't.  People will complain if Verizon doesn't pick it up.  If they do, others will complain that they don't want their cable bills going up to pay for a channel they don't watch.  While I would like to see Verizon carry it, with out luck, they will put it on the Ultimate Tier.

Re: Universal Sports
ekelks1
Contributor - Level 1

It was always a cable channel. It was always on 464. It is where people who care watch gymnastics & figure skating. It can now be seen bits & pieces of it, on you tube for the desperate,

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Re: Universal Sports
bobbo527
Specialist - Level 3

@ekelks wrote:

It was always a cable channel. It was always on 464. It is where people who care watch gymnastics & figure skating. It can now be seen bits & pieces of it, on you tube for the desperate,


Sorry but NO IT WASN'T a cable channel, if you re-read MiMeQu response, it was a digital channel carried by NBC 10 and since they have started up their own Sports channel they (NBC 10) decided to DROP the channel.

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Re: Universal Sports
mikejoy
Enthusiast - Level 1

BRING BACK UNIVERSAL!

Re: Universal Sports
ekelks1
Contributor - Level 1

But that's not what they say on their web site. I've been told by people who don't get cable that they can receive Universal Sports for free on digital channel 4-4.

So basically Un iversal, like the Tennis channel, wants to be part of a lower price tier, and Verizon & other cable companies don't want us to enjoy it for free,

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Re: Universal Sports
tns
Master - Level 2

Its no longer on 4-4 or any other OTA channel.

Its now offered only a a cable/satellite channel.  At the moment not even Comcast itself is carrying it.  Only DirecTv.  Might change sometime in the  future.

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Re: Universal Sports
ekelks1
Contributor - Level 1

OK. thanks. Let's hope an agreement is reached before the Summer Olympics. Content that aired on Universal does not seem to be the same kind of content on the old Versus -- there are still fishing shows on the new Versus, and I read somewhere it will still carry the Tour de France, only with NBC commentators.There are a lot of hockey games on the new Versus. Figure skating & gymastic sports seasons are more or less done so it's hard to know yet if the new Versus will carry those competitive sports. Meanwhile, You Tube does offer options for figure skating & gymnast fans.  

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