NBC debuts updated sports hallmark

NBC Sports debuted a new hallmark over the weekend of Jan. 14, 2023, that includes the network’s updated logo and a feather-themed motif.

The new hallmark starts with a black background and feather shapes filled with imagery from a particular sport or event, starting with the Olympics, that NBC has broadcast rights to.

The rest of the hallmark largely follows the same general theme — feather-shaped outlined with video zooming toward the camera, sometimes with bold colored outlines animating in.

There’s a final series of inlaid feather-shaped colored elements, with the final one zooming past the viewport to reveal a dark background with monochromatic 3D oversized peacock background before the yellow script “Sports” logotype enters next to the updated peacock.

Notably, the peacock has taken the place of the actual letters “NBC,” which was previously a different wordmark from what NBC proper used, a lighter version of the custom font NBC Tinker.

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The updated NBC logotype is set in a bolder version of Tinker.

As the animated sequence plays out on-screen, there is a mix of music and nat sound borrowed from each event as it appears, often using a clip that serves to identify what’s being shown.

All of the audio fades out as the final logo enters, with a subtle, slightly muted version of the NBC chimes playing.

NBC Sports’ previous hallmark featured the logo upfront, followed by a series of clips culled from archival footage, similar to the updated one’s approach. This imagery was presented in either a linear side-by-side layout or fullscreen.

Occasional vertical yellow accents would and light burst effects were blended in as transitional and accents. 

Unlike the new hallmark, the old one featured natural sound, music and an announcer, who would proudly proclaim the network as “home” of each of the sports and events depicted on-screen.

In the later part of 2022, the hallmark was updated to incorporate the logo of each league, association or team. 

Another key difference is that the final portion of the animation showcased the Peacock, USA, Golf Channel and NBC logos in rapid succession, all of these being outlets for coverage produced by the sports division.

Overall, the old hallmark had begun to feel a bit cluttered given the numerous logos and brands that ended up appearing in it directly, whereas the updated version is, like many of the other updated branding that’s rolling out on NBC, simplified and focused on key brand elements such as color and peacock-inspired shapes.

Immediately prior to that version of the sports hallmark, the network used a largely identical version with the old NBC logo.

Like all networks, NBC Sports updates its hallmark from time to time. 

NBC previously began rolling out a new vanity card “curtain raiser” with the updated logo that appears before most of its primetime programming and special presentations aside from sports.

In late 2022, the new NBC peacock, which features more generous spacing between feathers, a more prominent “beak,” updated colors and eliminating the white outline, began appearing.

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NBC sources say that the branding updates and logo will continue to rollout across the network and various related properties throughout 2023. 

It’s already been appearing in network promos and snipes, the bug and also made appearances in select parts of the sports graphics package used during NFL coverage over the weekend.

It was not, however, used in the bug displayed in the upper right corner of the NFL games.