Article from Gerry Smith at Bloomberg:

Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal plans to begin streaming the broadcaster’s regional sports networks later this year on Peacock, bolstering the programming lineup of its online video service.

The company has been negotiating streaming rights with teams and leagues, Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said Thursday at a conference sponsored by Sports Business Journal.

The new rights will give Peacock more sports programming to attract new subscribers. Philadelphia-based Comcast, the largest US cable company, owns regional networks carrying the San Francisco Giants MLB team, basketball’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. 

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The advent of streaming meant a shift like this one would be inevitable, and with more and more people cutting the cord, this means you’ll be able to watch the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers without needing a cable subscription, or YouTube TV or something similar. If you’re a Flyers fan (read: masochist) you’ll be able to watch the team on Peacock and only pay for that if you choose to do so.

The biggest takeaway, I think, is that this is a boon for Philly sports fans outside of the market. Now you don’t have to jump through hoops to watch the teams. On the flip side, this might be the precursor to a streaming-only viewing option, which would require action perhaps for older fans who have not yet cut the cord. We’ll probably have more information on all of that soon.