| Network | Madison Square Garden Sports Network (1977-1980) USA Network (1980–2007) |
|---|---|
| Launched | September 22, 1977 |
| Closed | April 6, 2007 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Owner | |
| Key people | Kay Koplovitz (Founder/Chairman & CEO, USA Network) |
| Headquarters | Comcast Building, New York City, New York |
| Major broadcasting contracts | |
| Sister network | NBC Sports |
| Format | Sports |
| Original language(s) | English |
USA Sports was the branding used for broadcasts of sporting events by the cable channel USA Network. The network's history with sports dates back to its forerunner, the Madison Square Garden Network, and in the past has included coverage of the major professional leagues, college football, golf (including the Masters Tournament and Ryder Cup) and tennis.
After the formation of NBC Universal in 2004, which saw General Electric's NBC take a majority stake in Vivendi Universal's U.S. operations (including USA Network), USA Sports was dissolved, and NBC Sports assumed production duties for its remaining sports properties. It was also incorporated into NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games.
After Comcast's purchase of NBC Universal and the launch of NBCSN, USA Network began to be increasingly used as an overflow outlet for NBC Sports properties in the event of scheduling conflicts, and during larger events such as the Olympics, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Premier League's "Survival Sunday". On January 1, 2022, NBCSN was shut down, and USA Network once again became the primary linear pay television outlet for NBC Sports programming.