NBC/VS get the new NHL TV Deal: 10 yr/$2B Exclusive Rights

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Apr 19, 2011 11:37 AM
NBC and Versus have agreed to a deal to renew the NHL’s TV rights, according to execs close to the deal. A formal announcement is expected to come this afternoon. Specific deal terms are not known, but the bidding had gone above $200M per year

The NHL’s rights fee is believed to exceed – by far – the $120M per-year average that ESPN paid from '99-'04, which marked the NHL’s largest contract to date. The league’s current deal with Versus is for $77.5M per year, while NBC has a revenue-sharing deal that does not involve a rights fee. Many execs inside the NHL favored ESPN, believing a deal with the network would guarantee more coverage on popular shows like “SportsCenter.” But NBC and Versus determined that the package was too important for Versus to lose. This marks the first big media rights negotiation since Comcast acquired NBC.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2011/04/19/NBC-NHL.aspx
Apr 19, 2011 11:37am
Raw Dawgin' it's avatar

Raw Dawgin' it

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Apr 19, 2011 11:41 AM
That sucks, was hoping they'd get something worked out with ESPN. Hope they broadcast more games then. Might just have to splurge on the Center Ice package next year
Apr 19, 2011 11:41am
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Apr 19, 2011 11:43 AM
BOOOOOOOOOO!
Apr 19, 2011 11:43am
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SportsAndLady

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Apr 19, 2011 12:11 PM
I also was hoping ESPN would pick it up..oh well
Apr 19, 2011 12:11pm
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Apr 19, 2011 12:18 PM
This will only further embolden ESPN. I'm no NHL fan, but ESPN is really trying to crush them. They do not spend anytime at all talking about the NHL. They pretty much ignore it and choose to focus on things that they have broadcasting rights to. (Women's college basketball was shoved down our throats during March Madness)
Apr 19, 2011 12:18pm
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

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Apr 19, 2011 12:36 PM
Bettman is retarded. I understand NBC has been good to them, but the reason for that is that NBC has nothing left outside of the olympics because they are god awful at sports coverage anymore. Add in the fact that Versus still is relegated to high tier cable packages, and it just makes zero sense.

Even though ESPN would have probably buried it in behind NBA, it beats the current setup. As mentioned, ESPN basically ignores anything it doesn't hold the rights to, so the NHL will just continue to stay there in obscurity.
Apr 19, 2011 12:36pm
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Apr 19, 2011 12:44 PM
I'll tell you right now what they will come out and say. It's better to be on 2 networks where you are the star than another network where you might be 3rd or 4th in importance.
Apr 19, 2011 12:44pm
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Apr 19, 2011 12:52 PM
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Apr 19, 2011 12:52pm
End of Line's avatar

End of Line

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Apr 19, 2011 2:29 PM
NBC remains the exclusive network home and Versus the exclusive cable home of the NHL in the United States. It marks the first-ever national distribution of all Stanley Cup Playoffs games, including, for the first time, exclusive coverage starting with the conference semifinals. The agreement also calls for the NBC Sports Group to televise 100 regular season games per year and introduces a national NBC broadcast on Thanksgiving Friday. The announcement was made today by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports Group.

In the regular season, NBC will continue to broadcast a national "Game of the Week," along with its coverage of the NHL Winter Classic and "Hockey Day in America." Versus will telecast an exclusive national "Game of the Week," plus NHL Premiere Games, NHL Faceoff, the NHL All-Star Game and any future NHL Heritage Classic outdoor games in Canada. NBC and Versus remain the exclusive home of the Stanley Cup Final.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=560238&navid=DL|NHL|home
Apr 19, 2011 2:29pm
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Apr 19, 2011 2:31 PM
LOL. They're still going to put Stanley Cup Final games on Versus? Good lord.
Apr 19, 2011 2:31pm
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Apr 19, 2011 3:00 PM
Please the NHL on NBC and Versus is sooo much better. Shoot they threw the NHL on ESPN Classic for a few games and had Sean Salisbury as a analyst. At the end of the day each game on Versus is getting over a million viewers a game and last years Stanley Cup Game 6 had 8.8 million viewers
Apr 19, 2011 3:00pm
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Apr 19, 2011 3:04 PM
Classyposter58;745099 wrote:Please the NHL on NBC and Versus is sooo much better. Shoot they threw the NHL on ESPN Classic for a few games and had Sean Salisbury as a analyst. At the end of the day each game on Versus is getting over a million viewers a game and last years Stanley Cup Game 6 had 8.8 million viewers

ESPN is available with standard cable. Versus is fucking expensive.

ABC is available to everyone, like NBC, but their coverage of sports doesnt blow a dick like NBC's does.

The ratings will be there no matter if its on NBC or ABC, and likely MORE on ABC because ESPN will promote the shit out of it. If Versus is getting over a million a game, I would think ESPN would do better. ESPN puts money into stuff they are invested in and have the means to be better. Hell, ESPN is better at sports coverage than NBC, and ABC is 10x what NBC is.
Apr 19, 2011 3:04pm
R

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Apr 19, 2011 3:36 PM
I don't have a problem with NBC's coverage, in fact Doc Emmerick is one of the best play by play guys out there.
Apr 19, 2011 3:36pm
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Apr 19, 2011 3:38 PM
Versus is on the same tier as ESPN if you have Comcast, which is the biggest cable provider in the country. I don't have it, but I have the sports pack on RCN which is like $7 per month, and comes with Versus (along with NHL/NBA/NFL/MLB networks)
Apr 19, 2011 3:38pm
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Apr 19, 2011 3:39 PM
gorocks99;745129 wrote:Versus is on the same tier as ESPN if you have Comcast, which is the biggest cable provider in the country.

Comcast blows
Apr 19, 2011 3:39pm
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Apr 19, 2011 4:11 PM
gorocks99;745129 wrote:Versus is on the same tier as ESPN if you have Comcast, which is the biggest cable provider in the country. I don't have it, but I have the sports pack on RCN which is like $7 per month, and comes with Versus (along with NHL/NBA/NFL/MLB networks)

Yes, but it is still less than 50% of the country.

BTW, you really have to buy a tier to get ESPN, Comcast does blow lol. Most cable providers have it on the basic cable (ie, the lowest form you can buy, around 20 something channels).
Apr 19, 2011 4:11pm
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Apr 19, 2011 4:13 PM
rock_knutne;745128 wrote:I don't have a problem with NBC's coverage, in fact Doc Emmerick is one of the best play by play guys out there.

I dont have a problem with their game coverage. But they have little to no promotion, not much of a pre or post game show, and a few other small details.

Emmerick is out of a job if NBC doesnt have it, I would bet money Disney goes after him hard and we dont lose him (or anyone else Disney wanted). But ABC and ESPN would drastically improve the coverage of the regular season and post-season. Promote it, give it air time, specials, etc, etc.
Apr 19, 2011 4:13pm
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Apr 19, 2011 4:19 PM
Laley23;745156 wrote:Yes, but it is still less than 50% of the country.

BTW, you really have to buy a tier to get ESPN, Comcast does blow lol. Most cable providers have it on the basic cable (ie, the lowest form you can buy, around 20 something channels).

It's not on the lowest tier for Time Warner either, at least from what I can tell on their website (I was looking at lineups in Columbus). The tier w/ ESPN is the same as the one w/ Versus. Regardless, Versus definitely doesn't reach enough homes.
Apr 19, 2011 4:19pm
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Apr 19, 2011 4:56 PM
gorocks99;745164 wrote:It's not on the lowest tier for Time Warner either, at least from what I can tell on their website (I was looking at lineups in Columbus). The tier w/ ESPN is the same as the one w/ Versus. Regardless, Versus definitely doesn't reach enough homes.

I dont doubt that wherever you live, it might be in the same tier. But I just looked at 6 different markets where ESPN was either in Basic or Expanded Basic cable. Versus was a separate, more expensive, tier (including Bloomington, where I went to college, and it sucked lol).

As for Time Warner, they appear to be in the same tier.

But as it stands, we can agree, Versus reaches a fraction of what ESPN reaches lol.
Apr 19, 2011 4:56pm
End of Line's avatar

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Apr 19, 2011 5:52 PM
Laley23;745157 wrote:I dont have a problem with their game coverage. But they have little to no promotion, not much of a pre or post game show, and a few other small details.

Emmerick is out of a job if NBC doesnt have it, I would bet money Disney goes after him hard and we dont lose him (or anyone else Disney wanted). But ABC and ESPN would drastically improve the coverage of the regular season and post-season. Promote it, give it air time, specials, etc, etc.

He wouldn't be out of a job.

He is the Devils pbp guy.
Apr 19, 2011 5:52pm
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Apr 19, 2011 6:00 PM
Laley23;745184 wrote:I dont doubt that wherever you live, it might be in the same tier. But I just looked at 6 different markets where ESPN was either in Basic or Expanded Basic cable. Versus was a separate, more expensive, tier (including Bloomington, where I went to college, and it sucked lol).

As for Time Warner, they appear to be in the same tier.

But as it stands, we can agree, Versus reaches a fraction of what ESPN reaches lol.

I have the middle tier for Dish Network, but vs. is only on the highest of the 3 main tiers. Obviously ESPN is on the lowest
Apr 19, 2011 6:00pm
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Apr 19, 2011 6:11 PM
Raw Dawgin' it;744866 wrote:That sucks, was hoping they'd get something worked out with ESPN. Hope they broadcast more games then. Might just have to splurge on the Center Ice package next year

I agree.
Apr 19, 2011 6:11pm
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Apr 19, 2011 6:25 PM
The_Crosby_Show;745210 wrote:He wouldn't be out of a job.

He is the Devils pbp guy.

I meant more nationally. I think he would still get all the national games. Much like Gus Johnson was the Knicks guy, Jon Miller for the Giants, etc, etc.
Apr 19, 2011 6:25pm
End of Line's avatar

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Apr 19, 2011 6:25 PM
NBC/VS are broadcasting 2x the amount of games they did this year for the new deal.

They will now broadcast 100 games a year.
Apr 19, 2011 6:25pm
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Apr 19, 2011 6:29 PM
The_Crosby_Show;745228 wrote:NBC/VS are broadcasting 2x the amount of games they did this year for the new deal.

100 games a year.

How many on NBC versus Versus??
Apr 19, 2011 6:29pm