Versant is officially out on its own after completing its planned spinoff from NBCUniversal earlier this month.
The new company operates a portfolio of cable networks, including Golf Channel, USA Network, and CNBC. When any of those networks air live sports, it is now branded as a USA Sports property instead of NBC Sports.
For fans, nothing has changed except the name. Sporting events that used to air on USA Network still air on USA Network. Same with Golf Channel. But that won’t necessarily be the case when NBC’s existing media rights deals, which have been rewritten to include Versant, begin to expire.
One such deal expires in 2028: The Open Championship (or the British Open for non-golf snobs). NBC took over broadcasting the major championship in 2017 after ESPN had aired the event every year since 1962. In recent years, coverage of the tournament has aired on both NBC and USA Network, which are now controlled by two different companies. That arrangement will continue through the 2028 tournament, but could change in subsequent years.
Versant is already saying it’d like to be part of the mix after the current deal expires with the R&A, the governing body that organizes the tournament. Speaking with David Rumsey of Front Office Sports, Versant EVP of Golf Tom Knapp said, “We’d love to continue to do it—to renew an R&A deal and be partnered with NBC, but it’s impossible to tell how that’s going to go.”
It is still pretty far out to start discussing media rights for a golf tournament that won’t be played until 2029, but these are the types of deals that will prove critical for Versant’s long-term viability. Retaining rights for one of golf’s four majors will help USA Network maintain the distribution revenue vital to its business.
Before then, Versant is looking at another golf property that could boost its programming lineup as soon as next year. TGL, the tech-infused simulator golf league currently in its sophomore season, is launching a women’s division, WTGL. The new league is in search of a media partner, and Golf Channel would seem a perfect fit.
“We’re very bullish on women’s sports at Versant. We will absolutely look at WTGL. We haven’t done that yet—very early—but thrilled that they’re doing it,” Knapp said. Versant already has deals with other women’s sports leagues, including a robust agreement with the WNBA that includes rights to certain games in the Finals in certain years.
No doubt, Versant will be active in negotiating for WTGL and similar properties as it tries to establish itself as a key destination for live sports now and into the future.
