USA Sports is positioning itself as a cautious new entrant in the sports rights market, choosing a path that emphasizes profitability and long-term sustainability over chasing every big-league deal. In a recent podcast, USA Sports president Matt Hong told John Ourand of Puck that the company will pursue rights in a disciplined way, prioritizing properties that can generate a clear return and explicitly ruling out interest in NFL and NBA packages that don’t fit their business model. He noted that while those leagues can be lucrative for others, they don’t align with USA Sports’ current strategy for transforming its core operations.
When pressed about the possibility of NFL rights, Hong remained pragmatic. He did entertain the idea of a highlight-show package—something similar to an Inside the NFL-type program—if it makes sense in a live-game context and delivers solid business value. Ultimately, any deal would hinge on financial viability and strategic fit.
Regarding the types of properties USA Sports will chase, Hong described a focus on assets with a growth trajectory described as “mid-hockey stick.” In other words, properties with significant upside potential in the future. He highlighted women’s sports as a particularly promising area where growth opportunities often lie.
These remarks align with expectations that Versant, preparing to separate legally from NBC once the Comcast spinoff is finalized, will avoid the most expensive leagues. They also suggest that even more affordable major-league properties like the NHL and MLB—both up for bid in 2028—are unlikely targets for now.
USA Sports’ current rights portfolio largely stems from its long-standing ties to NBC Sports, which began when NBC merged with USA’s former parent company, Vivendi Universal, in 2004. After NBCUniversal merged with Comcast, Versant is working through how to split shared rights and talent contracts between NBCU and Versant as the separation progresses. In most cases, rights and talent agreements will be divided, with NASCAR and the Olympics as notable exceptions: NASCAR will move to Versant, while the Olympics contract will stay with NBCU, though both entities will continue to share the events.
Among talent contracts, Hong cited the example of NBC and Golf Channel broadcaster Terry Gannon, who will have separate arrangements with NBCU moving forward. There will be at least one notable exception to this approach, as Golf Channel host Cara Banks announced she is leaving to join NBCU full-time.
Hong also reiterated his recent public statements about USA Sports’ streaming strategy, underscoring a commitment to authentication-based streaming rather than pursuing direct-to-consumer services. He reiterated the overarching goal for USA Sports and Versant: to mirror the revenue mix of the golf business, which currently splits 50-50 between Golf Channel and its ancillary services GolfNow and Golf Pass. The idea is to cultivate synergistic ventures that align with where people spend time when they’re not watching programming on their networks. Yet specifics on how Versant would expand non-golf properties into adjacent businesses remain sparse.
In summary, USA Sports aims to build a sustainable portfolio by targeting growth-oriented properties, leaning away from top-tier leagues that don’t meet their return requirements, and pursuing complementary, scalable ventures that can broaden their reach beyond traditional live sports rights.
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