Looks like you can FINALLY watch Philly Sports on Peacock

After what feels like an eternity, we finally learn that the NBC Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) will be joining Peacock. First reported by The Wall Street JournalThis article is paid for, so here is the compilation from Awful Annancing:

In a major move to modernize its local sports offering, NBCUniversal will reportedly make its four regional NBC Sports networks available to Peacock subscribers in those local markets. These networks include NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Boston and NBC Sports Philadelphia; Home to high-profile teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Phillies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Peacock could begin streaming these regional sports channels as early as 2025, but the launch could be delayed as details are ironed out. One possible plan NBC executives are discussing is to make the channels available through a Peacock add-on for an additional fee.

The big question is whether or not OUT OF MARKET fans can watch the Phillies, Sixers and Flyers on Peacock. That doesn’t appear to be the case, but we’ll see what NBC says when they hopefully announce details of the plans soon. It looks like this will be an opportunity for members of the Philadelphia DMA to stream the games on Peacock without needing NBC Sports Philadelphia via Comcast, FIOS, YouTube TV, or whatever you’re currently using. If you’re the kind of person who only watches sports on TV and doesn’t need all that other junk, like Real Housewives of (insert city here)then this is exactly what you have been waiting for. You can ditch your TV service and pay a little more to stream the games on Peacock instead.

This has been a long time coming. I feel like we’ve been writing some version of this story for two to three years now. With the rise of streaming, there are several ways to bring live sports to consumers. We have NFL games on Amazon and baseball games on Apple TV. All MLS product has been removed from local television. And locally, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s original offerings have declined. There are of course the games, plus pregame and postgame, but basically that’s how it is Birds crowd togetherthe simulcast of 97.5 the Fanatic’s Best show ever? and some random 30-minute shows interspersed with paid programming. Those days are long gone Breakfast on Broad And Daily news livewith Dave Spadaro telling Reuben Frank to shut up.

Keep in mind that NBC has removed some of its RSNs in recent years. NBC Sports Washington was sold to Caps and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis in 2022. NBC Sports Northwest closed a year earlier. NBC Sports Chicago stopped broadcasting a few weeks ago. And as you know, local relationships are much more complex. The Flyers and NBC Sports Philadelphia exist under the same ownership umbrella. The Phillies also own a 25% stake in NBCSP, negotiated in 2014 in a deal worth $2.5 billion over 25 years. It gives the Phils that ownership share and a portion of the advertising revenue. The Sixers are the only team unaffiliated at the ownership level, and if you’re NBC/Comcast, you also need to consider the net positive from the addition of the RSNs to Peacock versus the net negative from the potential loss of Comcast TV- Subscribers weighing up the RSNs would cut cable as a result.

You can read more about NBSCP in a story I wrote three years ago called “Thoughts on a Potential Sale of NBC Sports Philadelphia That Would Be a Tricky and Complicated Process.”