The NHL is staying put in the U.S. for quite sometime. As many have expected, NBC Sports Group, whose properties now include VERSUS & Comcast SportsNet, has agreed to a new 10-year, $2 billion extension to continue as the American TV home of the National Hockey League.

VERSUS, which had spent $77 million annually to carry NHL hockey nationally, became part of NBC Sports Group earlier this year when VERSUS' parent company Comcast acquired a majority share of NBC Universal. While NBC's previous deal was a revenue-sharing arrangement, the networks plan on paying a rights fee worth at least double what they had paid. While the two sides declined to discuss the exact amount, NBC did confirm they are paying a rights fee under the new deal.

The new NHL/NBC deal will increase the number of games broadcast nationally to 100, including more "Game of the Week" broadcasts on the "Peacock" itself, while VERSUS, more on that in a moment, will have exclusivity to more of the games it airs there, making them more attractive to advertisers.

When it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NBC Sports Group will televise every single game. In the event of 3 or more games, one of them will air on a major NBC cable channel, according to NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol. NBC will also have exclusivity in the second round of the Cup playoffs, meaning those games will NOT be televised by the teams' regional sports networks.

As far as VERSUS is concerned, Ebersol says that a new name will be announced within the next 90 days, prominently featuring the "Peacock" brand. They've already put their branding on channels owned by Comcast, such as Golf Channel and their regional sports networks.

Reads like a good deal for the NHL, especially the playoffs.

Wonder what they will change Versus too, NBC Sports Network.

I don't know exactly what VERSUS will change its name to...I know that CNBC & MSNBC are already taken.

My guess would be NBCSN (Sports Network)...

edit...SNBC may be better.

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They should call it Kabletown Sports.

SNBC is actually taken as well...That network's name is short for ShopNBC, a home shopping channel.

Kamps got shark bit

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Team Cutler.

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i dont care what they call VERSUS, as long as they still have

in dazzling HD

As far as I know, they've still got the U.S. TV rights for the Tour...

VerSyFy

It is official. VERSUS will soon be no more. USA Today's Michael McCarthy has the skinny on parent company Comcast's plans to officially change the sports network's name to NBC Sports Network here:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnis ... work_n.htm

Versus was a goofy name for a sports TV network, but I believe that Versus was the fastest growing cable TV network over the last couple of years.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Versus is also a possible home for UFC as their cable deal with Spike TV ends at the end of this year.

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I still confused/bemused by the first sentence. "NHL stays in America"... Hah? Were they threatening to return to Canada, or going down to Mexico?

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry