NBC Universal, Inc. is a
media and
entertainment company formed in May 2004 by the combination of
General Electric's
NBC with
Vivendi Universal Entertainment, part of the French Media Group. The deal excluded the French
Canal+ operations, which were retained by Vivendi. GE owns 80% of NBC Universal with the remaining 20% owned by
Vivendi SA.
The company develops, produces, and markets entertainment, news, and information to a global customer base. It is headquartered in the
Rockefeller Plaza in
Midtown Manhattan,
New York City.
NBC Universal owns and operates 2
United States television networks, numerous cable networks, a group of local stations throughout the country, motion picture companies, a number of television production companies, and multiple theme parks.
Universal Music Group was not included in the 2004 deal and is not part of NBC Universal.
was named president and CEO of NBC Universal on February 6, 2007, replacing
Bob Wright, who remains chairman of NBC Universal and vice chairman of
General Electric. Zucker previously served as chief executive of the company's television operations. The logo of NBC Universal is a combination of the
NBC peacock logo and the
Universal Studios globe and text.
Television
NBC Universal has its modern roots in a series of expansions undertaken by NBC. In the late 1980s, NBC began pursuing a strategy of diversification, including the formation of two NBC-owned cable-television networks:
CNBC and
America's Talking. NBC also had partial ownership of several regional sports channels and other cable channels such as:
American Movie Classics, and
Court TV (until 2006).
In 1995, NBC began operating
NBC Desktop Video, a financial news service that delivers live video to personal computers. In 1996, the company announced an agreement with the
Microsoft Corporation to create
MSNBC, an all-news cable television channel (using its subscriber base from America's Talking network). A separate joint venture with Microsoft included establishing a news website,
MSNBC.com. In 1998, NBC began broadcasting
NBC Europe,
CNBC Europe,
NBC Asia,
CNBC Asia,
NBC Africa, and
CNBC Africa. This was in partnership with Dow Jones & Co. They combined their financial news channels outside the US.
In 1999, NBC took a 32% stake in the Paxson group, operator of
PAX TV. In 2004, NBC announced it was looking to sell its interest in PAX and end its 5 year relationship with Pax owner, Paxson Communications.
In 2002, NBC acquired the US-Spanish language broadcaster
Telemundo, which included the
bilingual Mun2 Television (pronounced "moon dohs" *just like mundo with an s*).
Also in 2002, NBC acquired the cable channel
Bravo.
NBC Universal's headquarters at the
GE Building in New York City.
In 2003, as part of the dismantling of the
Vivendi Universal conglomerate, amid a major financial crisis caused by over-expansion, GE formed NBC Universal: 80% owned by GE, 20% by
Vivendi Universal. In 2006, Vivendi SA had the right to monetize the remaining 20% at fair market value, which would have resulted in a forced purchase by GE. As of 2008, this option has not been exercised. The joint venture encompasses Vivendi's US film interests (such as
Universal Studios), production and distribution units, as well as five theme parks,cable television channels (such as the
USA Network),
Syfy, the defunct
Trio, a cable channel devoted to
pop culture, and its replacement, the mystery/crime channel
Sleuth.
In 2004, the television production divisions of NBC Studios and Universal Network Television were combined to form
Universal Media Studios. NBC Studios series bought into the company include the NBC dramas
Las Vegas (with
DreamWorks SKG),
Crossing Jordan, and
American Dreams. Universal Network Television bought the
Law & Order franchise and
The District -- in fact, Universal Network Television had co-produced
American Dreams with NBC before the merger. Entertainment shows produced by the new group include
The Jay Leno Show,
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien,
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,
Last Call with Carson Daly, and
Saturday Night Live.
The formation of NBC Universal saw the establishment of
NBC Universal Cable, which oversees the distribution, marketing, and advertisement sales for thirteen channels (Bravo, Bravo HD+ (eventually renamed
Universal HD),
Chiller, CNBC, CNBC World, MSNBC, mun2,
Syfy,
ShopNBC, Telemundo, Sleuth,
USA Network and the
Olympic Games on cable). NBC Universal Cable also manages the company's investments in
A&E, the
History Channel, History Channel International, the
Biography Channel,
National Geographic International, and
TiVo. It formerly owned
NBC Weather Plus until acquiring
The Weather Channel in 2008.
In the early 1990s, NBC began its expansion throughout
Europe by creating
CNBC Europe and its long-time successful NBC Europe
Superstation by broadcasting
NBC Giga throughout
Germany and the rest of the European Union. NBC Europe helped to develop the largest European computer and video games expo "Games Convention" in
Leipzig with more than 100,000 visitors each year.
In 2005, NBC Universal joined HANA, the
High Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance to help establish standards in consumer electronics interoperability.
On December 6, 2005 they announced a partnership with Apple Computer to offer shows from all the NBC Universal channels on the
iTunes Store.
In January 2006, NBC Universal launched a new cable channel, Sleuth. The channel airs programming in the mystery/crime genre. The channel's initial slogan was "Mystery. Crime. All The Time." In early 2008, the channel unveiled a new slogan, "Get Clued In."
On January 12, 2007, NBC Universal revealed that on
March 1, 2007, the company will launch a horror-themed cable channel, Chiller. At launch Chiller would be available exclusively on
DirecTV. Chiller's initial slogan was "Dare To Watch"; in 2009, a new slogan was unveiled: "Scary Good". The network will feature films like
Psycho and
The Shining and TV series that include
Twin Peaks,
Alfred Hitchcock Presents,
Freddy's Nightmares,
Friday the 13th: The Series,
Tales from the Crypt, and others to be announced. NBC Universal also stated that, aside from content in their own vaults,
Chiller will feature content from other studios as well (
Lionsgate,
Sony Pictures,
Warner Bros. Pictures,
Paramount Pictures,
CBS and
20th Century Fox, to name a few).
On February 14, 2007, the initial Chiller launch schedule was released. Other than the aforementioned series, other series set to air on the cable channel include
American Gothic,
G vs E,
Night Gallery,
Monsters and
New Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Also of note, NBC and Universal had a long standing partnership, dating back to 1950, when NBC Universal Television Studio's earliest ancestor,
Revue Studios, produced a number of shows for NBC, although they would have some hits on the other networks as well. This partnership continued even after Revue became Universal Television, then
Studios USA (after it was split off from Universal again), then back to Universal Television.
NBC Universal is contracted in the entertainment industry as NUTS/NBC Entertainment.
NBC Universal and
Citadel Broadcasting are extending their exclusivity period while in negotiations for
ION Media Networks.
ION Media Networks, NBC Universal (NBCU) and Citadel Broadcasting have all reached an agreement for the recapitalization of ION.
On Thursday, June 14, 2007, NBCU announced that NBC Universal Television Studio would be renamed, effective immediately, to
Universal Media Studios. The parent company, NBC Universal, explained that the reason for the name change of NBC Universal Television Studio was because "the new name fully describes the company's mission to be the premier content provider for television and digital platforms, spanning all television dayparts and creative genres."
On October 9, 2007 NBC Universal bought the
Oxygen network.
In late 2007, NBC Universal bought
Sparrowhawk Media Group and renamed it NBC Universal Global Networks. This acquisition gave NBC Universal all Hallmark channels outside the United States, plus the British channels:
Diva TV,
Movies 24,
Hallmark Channel and the upcoming channel,
KidsCo.
On July 6, 2008 NBC Universal,
Blackstone Group and
Bain Capital announced their intentions to buy The Weather Channel from
Landmark Communications. The deal was closed on September 12, 2008.
In August 2008 it marked its first venture into the United Kingdom by acquiring
Carnival Films.
On November 12, 2008, NBC Universal acquired 80.1% of
Geneon Entertainment from
Dentsu in Japan, merging it with Universal Pictures International Entertainment to form a new company,
Geneon Universal Entertainment Japan.
NBC Universal and
Microsoft Corporation have teamed up in an effort to sell NBC Universal's broadcast and cable advertising using Admira, the software giant's automated planning and buying tool.
On March 16, 2009, NBC Universal-owned cable channel SCI FI announced that it would be changing its name to
Syfy, to end confusion over how to capitalize and stylize their name and as part of an effort to rebrand the channel as offering "imagination-based entertainment" (including science fiction but also fantasy, the paranormal, adventure and others). Network officials also noted that, unlike the generic term "sci fi" which represents the entire science fiction genre, the term "Syfy" can be protected by trademark and therefore would be easier to market on other goods or services without fear of confusion with other companies' products. The rebranding and name change took place on July 7, 2009.
On August 27, 2009,
A&E Television Networks merged with
Lifetime Entertainment Services, giving NBC Universal an equal share of both Lifetime and A&E with
The Walt Disney Company and
Hearst.
In late September 2009, media outlets began reporting that cable giant
Comcast was in talks to buy all or part of NBC Universal. NBC did not comment on the rumor, while Comcast denied it. However, CNBC itself reported on October 1 that
General Electric was considering spinning NBC Universal off into a separate company that would merge with Comcast's content assets, which include
E!,
Versus and regional properties. GE would maintain 49% control of the new company, while Comcast owned 51%.
On
November 1st,
2009,
The New York Times reported
Comcast had moved closer to a deal to purchase NBC Universal and that a formal announcement could be made sometime the following week.
Film
Universal Studios became a part of NBC Universal as a result of the 2004 merger.
In July 2005, rumors began to emerge that NBC Universal might buy
DreamWorks SKG for around
US$1.0 billion. Eventually, however, the studio (excluding
DreamWorks Animation) was sold to
Viacom, the parent company of Paramount Pictures, for just over US$1.6 billion (DreamWorks has since become independent again).
In July 2008, NBC Universal partnered with the
New York Film Academy to break ground in training a new breed of digital journalists. Steve Capus, President NBC News, and Today show anchor
Hoda Kotb will teach master classes to students in the Digital Broadcast Journalism program.
Parks and resorts
NBC Universal and
Blackstone Group own the following parks and resorts:
Internet
The website
Hulu is a joint venture of NBC Universal,
Fox Entertainment Group and
ABC, Inc. Hulu offers commercial-supported
streaming video of select TV shows, movies, and other video.
On April 24, 2007, NBC bought a website called Rmail which they later renamed
SendMeRSS. SendMeRSS was shutdown in the summer of 2008. No reason or warning was given by NBC.
