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What is Versant? A detailed explainer for sports fans

A new media company is about to enter the fray, and naturally, there are a lot of questions. Earlier this week, Comcast and NBC announced the name of their impending spinoff entity: Versant. The new company is set to launch by year’s end, and sports fans are wondering what it all means for their ability […]

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What is Versant? A detailed explainer for sports fans

A new media company is about to enter the fray, and naturally, there are a lot of questions.

Earlier this week, Comcast and NBC announced the name of their impending spinoff entity: Versant. The new company is set to launch by year’s end, and sports fans are wondering what it all means for their ability to watch the events they love.

Fear not, Awful Announcing is here to tell you everything we know about Versant so far, and what we’re still waiting to find out before the company’s launch.

What is Versant?

Versant is the new entity formed out of Comcast/NBCUniversal’s current portfolio of cable networks. It will include USA, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel. Notably, it will exclude the NBC broadcast channel, the Bravo cable network, and the Peacock streaming service.

Versant will also house some digital assets, including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine.

Will Versant still be owned by Comcast/NBC?

No. Versant will be a completely separate company with its own corporate structure headed by CEO Mark Lazarus, who was previously the chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group.

How can I access these channels after Versant launches?

The channels housed under the Versant umbrella will be available the same way consumers can currently access them: through a pay TV subscription. Per CNBC, the cable channels that will comprise Versant all have distribution deals locked down until 2027, with most coming up for renewal in 2028.

In layman’s terms, there won’t be any changes to where you can find these channels until at least 2027. If you get Golf Channel through DirecTV, that’ll stay the same. If you get CNBC through YouTube TV, that’ll stay the same.

Streaming, however, is a different story.

Will Versant have a streaming platform?

No, not directly. Per CNBC, Versant does not plan to launch its own streaming service that will include every channel under its umbrella. Instead, Versant will rely on its individual brands to develop digital strategies that best suit its customers.

That leaves a couple different options. Brands could launch their own streaming services. For instance, maybe MSNBC and CNBC will develop a direct-to-consumer service together and sell it as a standalone product.

Another option would see individual networks license their content to existing streaming services. Maybe Golf Channel wants to sell its programming to ESPN+, or heck, even Peacock if they offer the best deal!

Nobody knows, but the thing to understand is that each brand is free to operate this part of their business as they see fit.

What happens to sports that used to air on both NBC and a cable channel like USA?

This applies to quite a few properties, actually. So if you’re a fan of Premier League, golf, the Olympics, WWE, WNBA, or NASCAR, read up.

As NBC Sports president Rick Cordella alluded to last November, and Lazarus recently confirmed, all of the Versant-owned networks that currently air live sports will continue to do so after the channels are spun off.

That means USA will continue to air Premier League soccer, WWE’s Smackdown, NASCAR races, golf’s U.S. Open and Open Championship (AKA, the British Open), and the WNBA starting next year. Golf Channel will still keep its complete portfolio of PGA Tour events and the Ryder Cup. CNBC will still have its fair share of Olympic sports throughout the year. E! will continue to air figure skating. And all of the networks that have traditionally contributed to NBC’s Olympics coverage every other year will continue to do so.

As Cordella stated, “From a sports perspective, the partners that we have on cable assets like Golf Channel and USA, we’re going to fulfill every obligation, every promise we made to them across NBC.”

Will Versant compete with NBC for sports rights?

Yes! That already appears to be the case.

According to CNBC, Lazarus has already held talks with MLB and NWSL about acquiring live game rights. “We’re looking for sports deals that drive distribution, diversify ad sales, and have a value,” the CEO said. Notably, Lazarus mentioned that the company is not interested in the Formula One rights currently on the market.

Versant will be a completely new potential bidder for sports leagues in the coming years.

Will Versant look to acquire other cable networks?

While it was previously speculated that Versant could be a logical landing spot for other declining cable assets, Lazarus has indicated the company does not plan to acquire any other networks.

Per CNBC, “Lazarus said he has little interest in accumulating more debt attached to low-growth assets. If a cable network also had associated businesses that had better growth prospects, that could be more appealing on a case-by-case basis.”

Will NBC have any connection to Versant after it launches?

Yes. While Versant will be its own company for all intents and purposes, NBC will have a small role to play in its business. NBC will reportedly sell advertising inventory for Versant for the next two years. Ad inventory is typically sold well in advance, and helping Versant secure this revenue stream before launch should give the new company some stable footing to start.

Will the NBC-branded regional sports networks be included in Versant?

No, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Philadelphia, and NBC Sports Boston will still be housed under the Comcast umbrella.

Where will the Versant channels be located?

Versant has been operating temporarily out of NBC’s iconic 30 Rock building in New York City, though the plan is to move permanently to another location within Manhattan.

As for the NBC Sports properties that used the Stamford, CT studios, such as Golf Channel, a new location is still up in the air. Versant’s sports studio programming will no longer be based in the NBC Sports studios, but it’s unclear where it will end up.

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Lesser-Known Sports that Get Attention at Online Sportsbooks

Last Updated on July 15, 2025 The spectacular thing about online sports betting is that it casts a much wider net than land-based bookies. The reason online sportsbooks can afford to do something like that is because they have fans from all over the world. That means there is a much larger diversity of interests […]

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Last Updated on July 15, 2025

The spectacular thing about online sports betting is that it casts a much wider net than land-based bookies. The reason online sportsbooks can afford to do something like that is because they have fans from all over the world. That means there is a much larger diversity of interests than land-based shops, that must cater to their local customers.

Of course, online sportsbooks do cover all of the most popular sports you can imagine. Football and basketball are staples at the Novibet online betting platform. But, for those who wish to delve just a bit deeper, there are plenty of other options to choose from. In this article, we are focusing on some lesser-known sports that get attention at online sportsbooks.

Darts

Darts is at the top of the list. Most people may not even realize that there is a worldwide darts competition. Professional darts players may have success in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. But, most of the rest of the world is unaware that professional darts even exists. Well, online sportsbooks are starting to change that.

By covering the latest darts competitions, bookmakers have elevated the popularity of the sport, almost single-handedly. Today, professional darts is more popular than it has ever been before. The sport is growing a large following in the United States, which is good because the USA has one of the largest online sports betting markets in the world.

Water Polo

Water sports are often overlooked. Most people are familiar with competitive swimming, of course. But, water polo gets a raw deal in terms of popularity. Which is a shame, because the sport can get quite exciting. It has a pretty large following in Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Serbia. But, other markets just don’t seem to have much interest in it.

Yet, water polo has popped off at online sportsbooks. The coverage that water polo gets online is pretty intense, considering its popularity outside of betting. Like with darts, the attention the sport receives at online sportsbooks helps get more people interested in the games themselves. Recently, water polo’s popularity has grown by a pretty large margin. Who knows, maybe in ten years it will rival volleyball.

eSports

It is tough to include something like eSports on this list. For one, eSports is the fastest-growing market in the world of sports betting. Not only that, but the popularity of the phenomenon is greater now than ever before. Yet, it is hard to say that the average person follows eSports, or even knows what the word may refer to. For those who don’t know, eSports is another word for competitive gaming.

The eSports betting market has exceeded all expectations at online sportsbooks. Games like League of Legends and Fortnite are especially successful. However, even lesser-known games are getting the attention of the big-name titles. It seems gamers are very invested in betting on their hobby. There are even talks of legitimizing eSports as a sport proper. Whether that happens any time soon remains to be seen. What is certain is that eSports have a long future in sports betting.



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“I wasn’t even good enough to get free stuff” – Charles Barkley recalls his underappreciated recruitment compared to today’s NIL deals.

“I wasn’t even good enough to get free stuff” – Charles Barkley recalls his underappreciated recruitment compared to today’s NIL deals. originally appeared on Basketball Network. In the recent rise of NIL deals in the new era of college sports, Charles Barkley’s recruitment story shows the difference between college athletes now and then. Advertisement When Barkley, […]

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“I wasn’t even good enough to get free stuff” – Charles Barkley recalls his underappreciated recruitment compared to today’s NIL deals. originally appeared on Basketball Network.

In the recent rise of NIL deals in the new era of college sports, Charles Barkley’s recruitment story shows the difference between college athletes now and then.

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When Barkley, one of the most iconic basketball figures of all time, entered college at Auburn, he wasn’t heavily recruited; in fact, he had only three options: UAB, Alabama and Auburn. He chose the latter because of the immediate impact he could have there, not for the money, unlike the college athletes nowadays.

“I wasn’t even good enough to get free stuff,” recalled Chuck during an interview with Graham Bensinger on YouTube.

Barkley’s experiences might shock the newer generations who have been around the latest college sports landscape. The idea was that players were viewed as athletes who were there to receive a free college education rather than making connections and gaining financial opportunities through their NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals.

NIL deals

A new age of recruitment is upon us. NIL deals have transformed the recruiting process mainly for Division I college athletes. However, top prospects who are both standout players and athletes earn more money, depending on their marketability.

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High school prospect A.J. Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall high school recruit according to ESPN’s 100 rankings and No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Mock Draft, has an NIL valuation north of $4 million, making him the top earner in this upcoming NCAA season. Something that old-school legends like Barkley could never have imagined while in college.

While earning that kind of money seems great, it’s a double-edged sword. Athletes nowadays have to perform on the court while also maintaining their brand to continue securing this kind of money, a pressure that players like Barkley didn’t face; their sole focus was on their education and on-court performances.

Related: “He was a son of a b—-. To put it mildly…” – Dominique Wilkins thinks Kawhi Leonard wouldn’t stand a chance guarding prime Larry Bird

The change in college sports

Although the new system clearly has benefits, fans will argue that the NCAA’s business-first mentality has resulted in a loss of purity for the game.

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When Barkley was in college, athletes weren’t even thinking about personal branding or financial opportunities; they weren’t even thinking about the NBA. Their main goal was to earn a degree and get a chance to play in the best league in the world.

“I wasn’t even thinking about the NBA, I was just thinking about going to college for free,” he emphasized about his sole purpose for college ball.

A significant shift from today’s view, where athletes with a large social media following coming out of high school often don’t even need to be exceptionally talented to have NIL deals waiting for them.

For example, Mikey Williams, who has a massive social media following and was the No. 34 overall prospect in the 2023 class, has generated a $2.3 million NIL valuation despite currently attending Sacramento State University. This money was unimaginable to the college players when Barkley played.

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Many fans find it difficult to grasp the evolution of college basketball since the days of all-time greats like Chuckster. And with NIL deals gaining traction, the transformation is still underway, shaping a future that’s bound to keep progressing.

The question is, will it affect the NBA and overseas basketball, with players declining the option to go pro and instead staying in college to cash in on their hefty deals?

Related: “Because making all this money on these kids and not educating them is a travesty” – When Charles Barkley slammed the NCAA’s $11B industry for failing student-athletes

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.



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They pulled off huge March Madness upsets. Now they’re opting out of revenue sharing

Associated Press Saint Peter’s, Fairleigh Dickinson and Maryland-Baltimore County — three schools that have taken March Madness by storm at various points in the past decade — have declined to opt in to college sports’ new revenue sharing model. The newly formed College Sports Commission, which oversees revenue sharing following the House settlement, posted a […]

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Associated Press

Saint Peter’s, Fairleigh Dickinson and Maryland-Baltimore County — three schools that have taken March Madness by storm at various points in the past decade — have declined to opt in to college sports’ new revenue sharing model.

The newly formed College Sports Commission, which oversees revenue sharing following the House settlement, posted a list of schools that have opted into revenue sharing. All members of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference are participating, and other Division I schools had to opt in or out by June 30.

Saint Peter’s, which reached the men’s Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed in 2022, did not opt in. Iona and Manhattan, who play with Saint Peter’s in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, didn’t either.

UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson, the only two teams to pull off a 16-over-1 upset in the men’s basketball tournament, opted out as well. Fairleigh Dickinson is part of the Northeast Conference, which had just one school — Long Island University — opt in.

“It’s expensive to opt in,” Idaho athletic director Terry Gawlik told the Lewiston Tribune. “We don’t have that kind of money to pay for that.”

Idaho is one of several Big Sky schools opting out.

In addition to the costs of sharing revenue directly with athletes, Title IX concerns and scholarship limitations are among the reasons a school might opt out.

“Revenue sharing and scholarship limits are really one piece, but the big thing for us is the roster limitation,” Central Arkansas athletic director Matt Whiting told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette while explaining his school’s decision to opt out.

Military rules prevent Navy, Air Force, and Army from compensating athletes through name, image and likeness deals, but aside from them, the Football Bowl Subdivision leagues have full participation in the settlement.

Other conferences with all full members opting in included the Atlantic 10, Big East, Coastal Athletic, Horizon, Missouri Valley, Southwestern Athletic, Western Athletic and West Coast. The Big West had everyone opt in except Cal Poly and UC Davis, which play football in the Big Sky.

Nebraska-Omaha is the lone full member of the Summit League to opt out, and Tennessee State is the only full Ohio Valley member to do so.

The Ivy League said in January that its eight schools — which do not award athletic scholarships — would not participate. The Patriot League didn’t have any full members opt in either, although Fordham, Georgetown and Richmond — associate members who play football in that conference — did.

Of the 68 schools that made the NCAA men’s basketball tournament last year, only American, Nebraska-Omaha, Saint Francis and Yale have opted out of revenue sharing. Five schools that made the women’s tournament opted out: Columbia, Fairleigh Dickinson, Harvard, Lehigh and Princeton.

Commissioners of historically Black conferences have expressed concern that the push to make athletes school employees could potentially destroy athletic programs — but the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference had everyone opt in except North Carolina Central.

Some schools that don’t play Division I football or basketball opted in — such as Johns Hopkins with its storied lacrosse program. Augusta University, which is located in the same town as the Masters and perhaps unsurprisingly competes in Division I in golf, was on the list of teams opting in.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports





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Title IX Goes Head to Head with Antitrust: NCAA NIL Settlement Challenged by Female Student-Athletes in House v. NCAA | Venable LLP

For anyone who thought an unprecedented $2.8 billion settlement agreement actually resolved one of the many murky issues of student-athlete compensation in college athletics —not so fast. On June 6, federal Judge Claudia Wilken officially approved the class action antitrust lawsuit House v. NCAA. The landmark settlement turned the amateurism model of athletics in higher […]

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For anyone who thought an unprecedented $2.8 billion settlement agreement actually resolved one of the many murky issues of student-athlete compensation in college athletics —not so fast. On June 6, federal Judge Claudia Wilken officially approved the class action antitrust lawsuit House v. NCAA. The landmark settlement turned the amateurism model of athletics in higher education on its head and is set to provide back pay to Division I student-athletes for name, image, and likeness (NIL) earnings. While it took five years of litigation to get approval of the settlement, it took just five days for a group of plaintiffs to appeal it.

NCAA NIL Settlement in House v. NCAA Faces Immediate Title IX Challenge

On June 11, a group of female student-athlete plaintiffs in House noticed an appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals registering their objection to the back-pay provision of the final settlement. Although no appellate briefs have been filed yet, these female student-athletes are expected to assert that the settlement’s terms for paying out back-pay damages violates the prohibition on sex discrimination under Title IX because the settlement is set to overwhelmingly pay out most of the back-pay damages to male athletes.

Allegations of Unequal NIL Compensation Based on Gender

More specifically, the settlement’s formula for paying out back-pay damages has allocated 75% of the fund to men’s football players and 15% to men’s basketball players in the five premiere athletic conferences in NCAA Division I, with only 5% of the damages fund allocated to women’s basketball players and the remaining 5% to all other student-athletes.

Proponents of this formula argue that it tracks the gross revenue averages of college sports, and accordingly football players should get the biggest piece of the pie. Opponents, including the appealing female student-athletes, argue that the back-pay damages formula in the agreement will pay male athletes 90% more than female athletes, which they assert is an unlawful disparity based on gender.

The anticipated argument is, essentially, that if the schools and/or the NCAA on behalf of schools had allocated 90% of their revenue to the male athletes during the plaintiffs’ college athletic careers, then they clearly would have violated Title IX’s requirement to provide “substantially proportionate” financial assistance to male and female student-athletes. In short, the schools would not have met their obligation to ensure equitable opportunities for both men’s and women’s sports programs.

Judge Wilken’s view in approving the settlement was that the litigation was an antitrust case, not a Title IX case, and the Title IX compliance, unionization, and collective bargaining issues are outside the scope of the House litigation. She nonetheless left the door open to a Title IX challenge on appeal, indicating that future lawsuits can be filed if the way that schools compensate athletes violates Title IX. Despite the appeal putting the brakes on the payout of back-pay damages under the settlement, the other terms of the agreement were left uninterrupted and went into effect on July 1. This includes roster limits, scholarship limits, and the rules regarding direct pay and revenue-sharing with student-athletes.

What’s Next: Ninth Circuit to Weigh Title IX and NIL Backpay

The Ninth Circuit now has an opportunity to weigh in on whether Title IX does have a bearing on these back-pay damages. It may simply decide that Judge Wilken did or did not abuse her discretion in approving the settlement. Or it could take on the larger controversial and contested issue: How does Title IX apply to NIL payments and revenue sharing with student-athletes, and does the revenue-sharing model set forth under the settlement agreement terms for future compensation for student-athletes run afoul of Title IX?

Regardless of how far-reaching the Ninth Circuit’s opinion ultimately goes in the House appeal this is not the last Title IX challenge we will see to the allocation of direct payments and revenue sharing funds to student-athletes in the near future.

The federal government’s current position on the issue of direct pay and revenue sharing with regard to Title IX does not currently provide decisive direction to courts that may grapple with this issue in the future. The U.S. Department of Education guidance under the Biden administration indicated payments to student-athletes would have been considered “athletic financial assistance,” which requires proportional allocation among male and female athletes at a given institution. The Trump administration rescinded that guidance in February, and in the current landscape, it is unclear whether compensating student-athletes will be viewed by the Office of Civil Rights—the agency division tasked with Title IX enforcement—as subject to Title IX.

Division I schools have been mulling over their options since the proposed settlement agreement was under review. However, the thorny issues of direct pay to student-athletes, equitable sports programming, and NIL deals are not reserved exclusively for D-1 schools and their athletic departments—any college or university with an athletic program should closely track the developments in federal and state law in this space.



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Vandal Soccer to Host WSU, BSU as Part of 2025 Schedule

Story Links MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho Vandal soccer plays host to Washington State, Boise State, South Dakota, and UTEP in non-conference play while traveling to Washington, Grand Canyon, Bakersfield and making an East Coast swing to face UMass Lowell and Stonehill College.   In Big Sky play, Idaho welcomes Montana, […]

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MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho Vandal soccer plays host to Washington State, Boise State, South Dakota, and UTEP in non-conference play while traveling to Washington, Grand Canyon, Bakersfield and making an East Coast swing to face UMass Lowell and Stonehill College.
 
In Big Sky play, Idaho welcomes Montana, Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona to the dome while traveling to Idaho State, Weber State, Sacramento State and Portland State.
 
The schedule is among the best in program history and includes some of the Northwest’s top programs.

Idaho opens the season with a pair of exhibition games in early August. The Vandals welcome in West Coast Conference team Gonzaga on Monday, Aug. 4 before traveling to Oregon to play the Big Ten member Ducks on Friday, Aug. 8.

 

The regular season opens in the dome with a contest against UC Riverside on Aug. 14 before closing out the week against Big Ten Washington on Sunday, Aug. 17 in Seattle.

 

The Vandals have a Northeast swing with games against UMass Lowell on Aug. 21 before playing Stonehill College (Mass.) on Aug. 23.

 

Idaho hosts Washington State on Aug. 28, South Dakota on Aug. 31 and UTEP on Sept. 4 before heading road to play at Grand Canyon on Sept. 11 and CSU Bakersfield on Sept. 14.

 

The Vandals host Boise State on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. to close out non-conference play.

 

Idaho hits the road for games against Idaho State (Sept. 25), Weber State (Sept. 28) and Sacramento State (Oct. 2) to open Big Sky Conference action.

 

Montana comes to the dome on Oct. 5 followed by Eastern Washington on Oct. 12.

 

The Vandals’ final road game will be at Portland State on Oct. 19 before closing the season with home games against Northern Colorado (Oct. 24) and Northern Arizona (Oct. 26).

 

Idaho has played in the Big Sky Championship match each of the last three seasons, winning the title in 2023.

 

Season tickets are on sale now at GoVandals.com/Tickets.

 



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Josh Heupel drops truth bomb on Nico Iamaleava’s departure at Tennessee

The post Josh Heupel drops truth bomb on Nico Iamaleava’s departure at Tennessee appeared first on ClutchPoints. Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has had a lot on his plate this offseason, as the team lost their starting quarterback. Nico Iamaleava decided to leave the program, after a dispute over NIL compensation. Now, Heupel is commenting […]

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The post Josh Heupel drops truth bomb on Nico Iamaleava’s departure at Tennessee appeared first on ClutchPoints.

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has had a lot on his plate this offseason, as the team lost their starting quarterback. Nico Iamaleava decided to leave the program, after a dispute over NIL compensation. Now, Heupel is commenting on that entire incident.

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“It’s never about who is not in your building. It’s about who is in your building,” Heupel said, per ESPN.

Iamaleava is now at UCLA, after entering the transfer portal. He threw for 2,616 passing yards last season with the Volunteers. He also finished the season with 19 touchdown passes.

The situation also made waves across college football. It caused a national discussion about new guardrails for NIL. NIL stands for name, image and likeness. It allows college players to get paid.

The Volunteers made the College Football Playoff last season, before losing to Ohio State. Tennessee won 10 games on the campaign.

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Tennessee football has competition at quarterback for 2025

The Volunteers currently have three quarterbacks that are fighting for the starting spot. They are: Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. Aguilar is considered the top man to beat for the job. He has the most experience at the college level, although he has never started a game for a power 4 program.

Aguilar came to Tennessee in the transfer portal. He spent last season at Appalachian State, but had briefly been with UCLA after his time with the Mountaineers. Last season with App State, Aguilar threw for 3,003 yards and 23 touchdowns. He has thrown for at least 3,000 yards the last two years.

MacIntyre is considered a top prospect, who was highly ranked by college football recruiting services in the 2025 class. He is from the state of Tennessee and was considered the top recruit in the state this past year by many scouting services.

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Merklinger was used sparingly in the 2024 season by the Volunteers. He ended up taking a redshirt after playing a few games. The young quarterback is also a highly regarded prospect.

Tennessee football starts their 2025 season against Syracuse. The two schools meet on August 30.

Related: Georgia football QB Gunner Stockton confidently brushes off Paul Finebaum criticism

Related: Steve Sarkisian reveals major point of emphasis that cost Longhorns national titles



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