NBCUniversal<\/a>, and now all that profit is going to come back and be reinvested into these networks across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\tIt\u2019s a bit of a second act for those cablers, which were put on the backburner over the past five years while NBCUniversal focused its attention on building the Peacock streamer. (The NBCU network with the most active original series pipeline, Bravo, isn\u2019t moving to Versant.) Now, Versant CEO Mark Lazarus has tasked Boreland with kickstarting some of those neglected channels.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say neglected,\u201d Boreland retorts. \u201cI would say \u2018de-prioritized.\u2019 I\u2019ve been part of these networks for 9 1\/2 years, and I\u2019ve also been part of Peacock for the last five years. I\u2019ve been able to see it from both sides, and how we leveraged both to build the company. But now the networks are the star of the show, and we need to focus on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tSays Lazarus: \u201cVal\u2019s experience is helping lead the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBoreland says a priority is adding more hour-long procedurals to USA \u2014 which also has seen its sports output grow under the new USA Sports division led by Matt Hong. USA launched its first new scripted series in five years this fall with \u201cThe Rainmaker,\u201d an adaptation of the John Grisham novel that has already been renewed for a second season. Another new drama, \u201cAnna Pigeon,\u201d based on the books by Nevada Barr, will premiere in 2026.<\/p>\n
\n\tBoth shows are close-ended, blue-sky dramas that harken back to USA\u2019s \u201cCharacters Welcome\u201d era (\u201cBurn Notice,\u201d \u201cPsych,\u201d \u201cSuits\u201d). Under scripted head Michael Sluchan, USA also has projects in development with writers including Matt Corman and Chris Ord (\u201cCovert Affairs\u201d), Michael Rauch (\u201cRoyal Pains\u201d) and Donald Todd (\u201cResident Alien\u201d).<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a little bit of the origins of USA that we didn\u2019t depart from completely, we just haven\u2019t leaned in in that way in a long time,\u201d Boreland says. \u201cClose-ended, episodic programming has always worked. I think what has made it hard for linear networks to continue to thrive in that area is the price point. It\u2019s very expensive to do scripted shows. So what we\u2019re trying to do is be very creative with our partners, like Lionsgate with \u2018Rainmaker\u2019 in creating quality scripted shows that don\u2019t have to be extremely expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBoreland isn\u2019t ready to share her programming budget for scripted fare, but says having two on USA (and currently, just one on Syfy \u2014 \u201cThe Ark\u201d) doesn\u2019t preclude them from doing more in the future.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s an unexpected pleasure to have two scripted series in a year on USA,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while, but I wouldn\u2019t say that we\u2019re capping anything in terms of number. We will probably have a few less in development, but people are pitching us all the time. If we get something that we like, we\u2019ll figure out how to make it work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAt E!, she\u2019s looking to amp up the channel\u2019s live awards red carpet coverage, which this winter will include the Critics Choice Awards (which E! televises), the Golden Globes, the Grammys, the Oscars and a return to the Actor (formerly SAG) Awards.<\/p>\n
\n\tLast year, E! canceled its \u201cE! News\u201d telecast, but Boreland says the brand still exists. Shorter-form E! News capsules may wind up running through the day on the channel and online; E! has already produced a few pilots for what the rebooted E! News might look like.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s really about being current in how people get pop culture news,\u201d Boreland says. \u201cAnd that\u2019s not waiting until 11 o\u2019clock at night to turn on the TV.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tE!\u2019s digital team may also play more of a role in program development: One recent hit is the online talker, \u201cHot Goss,\u201d which follows two hosts dressed in towels, talking about pop culture in a sauna.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s so successful that we\u2019re now going to develop a longer form franchise from it, and we\u2019re working with YouTube on that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\n\tAnother unscripted show in the works is \u201cDirty, Rotten Scandals,\u201d which is a twist on the channel\u2019s once-signature \u201cE! True Hollywood Story\u201d docuseries franchise. The new show\u2019s early subjects include \u201cAmerica\u2019s Next Top Model,\u201d \u201cDr. Phil\u201d and \u201cThe Price Is Right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cYou said that we took the attention off the networks,\u201d Boreland says. \u201cI think maybe, especially with E!, we took a little bit of a right turn where we should have just been going straight ahead. Now we\u2019re getting back to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAs for Oxygen, which has rode the wave of increased interest in true crime fare, the network last week launched a new series, \u201cKiller Grannies,\u201d hosted by June Squibb. Also, Variety has learned that Oxygen just ordered the doc \u201cLove, Ted Bundy,\u201d set for 2026. Meanwhile, the network will continue to have a relationship with NBC News\u2019 \u201cDateline\u201d \u2014 but now as a buyer, not as a synergistic sibling.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThere\u2019ll be places where it\u2019s going to be a little bit harder for us,\u201d Boreland says of severing ties with NBCU. \u201cBut it\u2019s going to be very exciting to be independent. There are places where it\u2019s going to be a complete advantage for us. We\u2019ll continue to have \u2018Dateline,\u2019 we\u2019ll just license it. And there are a lot of Versant shows that Peacock was streaming that they can now license from us, and we get paid for. The spin-off gives us the freedom to pursue content opportunities that maybe we wouldn\u2019t otherwise have been able to pursue and partnerships that we weren\u2019t able to explore because we were part of NBCUniversal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tViewers outside of the media bubble might not even be aware of an ownership change, as marketing plans will remain stable for the channels (no new logos or taglines in the offing). Also, Versant has no plans to launch a production studio, Boreland says, but will hold more ownership stakes in its shows. And it can start selling its library of content, particularly shows from Oxygen and E! that used to automatically end up on Peacock but can now be distributed anywhere \u2014 and that could be a financial boon for the company. <\/p>\n
\n\tMeanwhile, Versant\u2019s secret weapon may be programming the digital properties it\u2019s inheriting, the exec says, including a collection of FAST channels and the Fandango At Home (formerly Vudu) AVOD service, run by digital platforms and ventures president Will McIntosh.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a key focus area for us, and we\u2019re working on transforming the platform,\u201d Boreland says. \u201cMy team is working on developing a content strategy using our strong library asset. We\u2019ll make strategic acquisitions for the platform from other studios, and eventually we will have original production on Fandango\u2026 in order for Versant to grow, we\u2019re going to have to focus on those other areas, whether it be digital or FAST or AVOD or, other companies that we can acquire.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThat\u2019s exactly the kind of information that David Joyce, a senior media analyst at Seaport Research Partners, is hoping to hear at the investor day. Joyce says he\u2019s unclear why Comcast separated its networks in this manner.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt still feels really awkward how they divided up the assets,\u201d he says. \u201cThey left the most watched networks, like Bravo stays with Comcast, and Peacock and NBC stay with Comcast. [Versant will have to] drive engagement and viewership, and that will require investment in programming and perhaps more sports rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBoreland is frank about her mandate: \u201cNo one was suggesting that by doing this, we\u2019re going to turn the linear business around,\u201d she says. \u201cBut rather, we can take the strong assets that we have and maintain the linear business, but also go beyond linear and build from there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Characters are welcome again at USA Network, entertainment stays on the menu at E! and Oxygen still lives and breathes true crime. That\u2019s the message Versant entertainment president Val Boreland plans to share Thursday at Versant\u2019s first investor day, as Comcast gets ready to spin off USA, E!, Oxygen, Syfy and other networks into a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2185617,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[348955,399838,390356],"class_list":["post-2185616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-nbcuniversal","tag-val-boreland","tag-versant"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Versants-Plans-for-USA-E-and-Oxygen-As-They-Split.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2185616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2185618,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2185616\/revisions\/2185618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2185617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2185616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2185616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2185616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}