- published: 17 Feb 2015
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The NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) (formerly Versus and originally Outdoor Life Network) is a sports-oriented cable television channel in the United States operated as a division of NBC Sports. It previously launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which was dedicated to programming primarily involving fishing, hunting, outdoor adventure programs, and outdoor sports. By the turn of the 21st century, OLN became better known for its extensive coverage of the Tour de France, but eventually began covering more "mainstream" sporting events — resulting in its relaunch as Versus in September 2006.
Comcast, the original owner of Versus, acquired a majority stake in media company NBC Universal in 2011. As a result, Comcast merged the operations of its cable channels with those of NBC. In particular, it aligned the operation of its sports channels with NBC's sports division, NBC Sports. On January 2, 2012, Versus was re-branded as the NBC Sports Network to reflect these changes.
The channel originally launched as the Outdoor Life Network (or OLN) on July 1, 1995; the name was licensed from Outdoor Life magazine. Its programming consisted of hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure shows. In its early days, the channel reached around one million homes.