Editing NBCUniversal (section)

====Combining with Universal====
[[File:NBC Universal.svg|thumb|left|250px|Logo used from 2004 to 2011.]]

In 2004, amid a major financial crisis caused by over-expansion, Universal Studios' parent company, Vivendi Universal Entertainment (a division of the French company [[Vivendi]], which also owned [[Blizzard Entertainment]]), decided to sell an 80% stake of itself to [[NBC]]'s parent company, [[General Electric]] (GE). The sale and resulting merger formed NBC Universal. The new company was 80% owned by GE, and 20% owned by Vivendi.<ref name="Overview">{{cite web |last=Levy |first=Jean-Bernard |date=May 13, 2004 |title=Overview of NBC Universal Merger |url=http://www.vivendi.com/vivendi/IMG/pdf/15_NBCUClosing_130504.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118072633/http://www.vivendi.com/vivendi/IMG/pdf/15_NBCUClosing_130504.pdf |archive-date=November 18, 2008 |access-date=December 24, 2009 |website=Vivendi Universal}}</ref> The joint venture encompassed Vivendi's US film interests (such as [[Universal Pictures]]), [[NBC Universal Television Studio]], [[NBCUniversal Syndication Studios|NBC Universal Television Distribution]], production and distribution units, [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment]], Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, [[Back Lot Music]] (formerly NBC Records), as well as five theme parks, cable television channels including [[USA Network]], [[Syfy|Sci-Fi Channel]], the defunct [[Trio (TV network)|Trio]], [[Cloo]] (formerly Sleuth) as well as 50% stakes in [[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal+]] and [[StudioCanal]]. The [[Universal Music Group]] was not included in the deal and is not part of NBC Universal.<ref name="nbcuni.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcuni.com/About_NBC_Universal/Company_Overview/ |title=Company Overview |publisher=NBC Universal |access-date=December 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101227214407/http://www.nbcuni.com/About_NBC_Universal/Company_Overview/ |archive-date=December 27, 2010 }}</ref>

On August 2, 2004, the television divisions of NBC and Universal Television were combined to form [[NBCUniversal Television Group|NBC Universal Television]]. NBC Studios series brought into the company include the NBC dramas ''[[Las Vegas (TV series)|Las Vegas]]'' (with [[DreamWorks Television]]), ''[[Crossing Jordan]]'', and ''[[American Dreams]]''. Universal Network Television brought the ''[[Law & Order]]'' [[franchising|franchise]] and ''[[The District]]''—in fact, Universal Network Television had co-produced ''American Dreams'' with NBC before the merger.
Universal Television Distribution shows also brought into company include ''[[The Jerry Springer Show|Jerry Springer]]'' and ''[[Maury (TV series)|Maury]]''.
Entertainment shows produced by the new group include ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', ''[[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]'', ''[[Last Call with Carson Daly]]'', and ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.

The formation of NBC Universal saw the establishment of [[NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group|NBC Universal Cable]], which oversees the distribution, marketing, and advertisement sales for thirteen channels (Bravo, Bravo HD+ (eventually renamed [[Olympic Channel (United States)|Universal HD]]), [[Chiller (TV channel)|Chiller]], CNBC, CNBC World, MSNBC, NBC Universo, [[Syfy]], ShopNBC (which became [[ShopHQ]] after NBCUniversal sold its stake in the network), Telemundo, [[Cloo]], [[USA Network]], and the [[Olympic Games]] on cable). NBC Universal Cable also manages the company's investments in [[The Weather Channel]] and [[TiVo]]. The cable division also used to operate [[NBC Weather Plus]] until 2008. It also owned a 50% stake in Canal+ and also owned a 15% stake in [[A+E Networks]] until 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=de la Merced|first=Michael J.|title=Comcast to Sell Back Its Stake in A&E for $3 Billion|url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/comcast-to-sell-back-its-stake-in-ae-for-3-billion/|access-date=April 17, 2013|newspaper=[[The New York Times|DealBook]]|date=July 10, 2012|archive-date=March 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309145705/http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/comcast-to-sell-back-its-stake-in-ae-for-3-billion/|url-status=live}}</ref>