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

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sonofsam

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2,052 posts
Apr 19, 2011 7:08 PM
I have Dish Network and I get all the ESPN's, versus, all the FSN's, and all the sports networks. I absolutely hated Comcast and Dish is the shit.

As far as ESPN goes, I haven't watched it in years. I absolutely HATE basketball and thats ALL they report about, show on the air, and want to talk about. BORING...
Apr 19, 2011 7:08pm
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rock_knutne

Apr 19, 2011 7:19 PM
sonofsam;745261 wrote:I have Dish Network and I get all the ESPN's, versus, all the FSN's, and all the sports networks. I absolutely hated Comcast and Dish is the shit.

As far as ESPN goes, I haven't watched it in years. I absolutely HATE basketball and thats ALL they report about, show on the air, and want to talk about. BORING...

Same here. Dish has a very good selection and reasonable prices.

FWIW, if ESPN were ever to get the NHL again I would have to think they're main play by play guy would be Gary Thorne.
Apr 19, 2011 7:19pm
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I Am Ahab

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Apr 20, 2011 6:31 PM
Gary Thorne and Bill Clemente bring back great playoff hockey memories. Those were the days.
Apr 20, 2011 6:31pm
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rock_knutne

Apr 20, 2011 6:52 PM
I Am Ahab;746228 wrote:Gary Thorne and Bill Clemente bring back great playoff hockey memories. Those were the days.
Imagine that, something we agree on.
Apr 20, 2011 6:52pm
End of Line's avatar

End of Line

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Apr 20, 2011 8:30 PM
Laley23;745229 wrote:How many on NBC versus Versus??

I know for NBC they'll have the Winter Classic, day after Thanksgiving, and almost every Sunday from the end of January through the beginning of April.

I think VS will have at least 3 games a week now along with the Heritage Classic and the All Star game.
Apr 20, 2011 8:30pm
wildcats20's avatar

wildcats20

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Apr 20, 2011 8:33 PM
The_Crosby_Show;746331 wrote:I know for NBC they'll have the Winter Classic, day after Thanksgiving, and almost every Sunday from the end of January through the beginning of April.

I think VS will have at least 3 games a week now along with the Heritage Classic and the All Star game.

See I think that is where they are screwing up.

ASG's usually are a fun game to watch, quality not so much, but they are fun games. IMO you put the ASG on NBC so MORE people can see it. More people seeing something fun means more people watching any other game.
Apr 20, 2011 8:33pm
ts1227's avatar

ts1227

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Apr 20, 2011 8:50 PM
I don't see why NBC doesn't take more games anyway. Since they have lost about every relevant sports contract they had in the past 10 years, they have a TON of room on the schedule if they wanted to use Saturdays or even a weekday night every so often.

Ebersol just seems to be so woefully out of touch with reality anymore. This is the guy who still thinks tape delaying shit only 3-4 hours away like the Vancouver Olympics and Wimbledon is a brilliant idea in this day of instantaneous information.
Apr 20, 2011 8:50pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Apr 20, 2011 8:51 PM
The_Crosby_Show;746331 wrote:I know for NBC they'll have the Winter Classic, day after Thanksgiving, and almost every Sunday from the end of January through the beginning of April.

I think VS will have at least 3 games a week now along with the Heritage Classic and the All Star game.

Which is what sucks. Those 3 games a week on Versus would be seen by everyone on ESPN. Oh well, not worth complaining over, until the next deal in 10 yrs lol.
Apr 20, 2011 8:51pm
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Laley23

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Apr 20, 2011 8:52 PM
ts1227;746358 wrote:I don't see why NBC doesn't take more games anyway. Since they have lost about every relevant sports contract they had in the past 10 years, they have a TON of room on the schedule if they wanted to use Saturdays or even a weekday night every so often.

This. Make it a MNF type thing. Any day Mon-Thur would work well I think. Their show line-up blows anyway, and everything they premier blows and eventually flops anyway lol.
Apr 20, 2011 8:52pm
End of Line's avatar

End of Line

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Apr 20, 2011 8:53 PM
Laley23;746359 wrote:Which is what sucks. Those 3 games a week on Versus would be seen by everyone on ESPN. Oh well, not worth complaining over, until the next deal in 10 yrs lol.

ESPN was offering only ONE game a week.
Apr 20, 2011 8:53pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Apr 20, 2011 8:59 PM
The_Crosby_Show;746365 wrote:ESPN was offering only ONE game a week.

For the first year or the whole 10 years?

Regardless, it would have been better for the sport to get that 1 game a week and the coverage/segments on SC than whatever Versus can offer.
Apr 20, 2011 8:59pm
End of Line's avatar

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Apr 20, 2011 9:16 PM
Laley23;746382 wrote:For the first year or the whole 10 years?

Regardless, it would have been better for the sport to get that 1 game a week and the coverage/segments on SC than whatever Versus can offer.

For their package which was rumored to be 4 years, they would only show one game a week.

If ESPN did get the NHL it would still be treated like shit when it used to be on it.
Apr 20, 2011 9:16pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Apr 20, 2011 9:18 PM
The_Crosby_Show;746406 wrote:For their package which was rumored to be 4 years, they would only show one game a week.

If ESPN did get the NHL it would still be treated like shit when it used to be on it.

Gotcha.

I disagree however on the treatment it would get. ESPN has come a long way in their efforts to promote what they carry. Be it soccer, womens basketball, the NFL draft this year, bowling, pretty much all of their programming.
Apr 20, 2011 9:18pm
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Midstate01

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Apr 21, 2011 5:57 AM
I'm sorta glad espn didn't get it. I'd rather watch mid
major bball games or more NBA games. Hockey has just fallen off for me so much in the last few years. I can't watch a game till the playoffs, then I gotta find the vs network somewhere on the tv.
Apr 21, 2011 5:57am
End of Line's avatar

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Apr 21, 2011 9:06 AM
Midstate01;746817 wrote:I'm sorta glad espn didn't get it. I'd rather watch mid
major bball games or more NBA games. Hockey has just fallen off for me so much in the last few years. I can't watch a game till the playoffs, then I gotta find the vs network somewhere on the tv.

Ratings beg to differ on the bolded statement.
Apr 21, 2011 9:06am
R

rock_knutne

Apr 21, 2011 10:31 AM
The_Crosby_Show;746875 wrote:Ratings beg to differ on the bolded statement.
True, ratings are up but it's on a regional basis which the NHL has to come to grips with eventually. They're never going to get "true" coast to coast ratings.
Apr 21, 2011 10:31am
End of Line's avatar

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Apr 21, 2011 10:50 AM
rock_knutne;746953 wrote:True, ratings are up but it's on a regional basis which the NHL has to come to grips with eventually. They're never going to get "true" coast to coast ratings.

On a national basis, ratings are going up.

Last year was the most watched playoffs and Stanley Cup final in cable history.

NBC:
NBC Sports’ coverage of the deciding Game 6 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, with 8.3 million viewers overall, was the most-watched NHL telecast in 36 years. Game 6 peaked at a 6.2/11 from 11-11:20 p.m. ET when Kane scored the game-winner and the Blackhawks celebrated their victory.
Versus:
VERSUS’ coverage of the first two rounds of 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs was the most-watched first two rounds on cable on record with an average of 775,000 viewers for the 54 telecasts (Stanley Cup Playoff cable viewership became available by Nielsen for the 1994 playoffs)
http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/hockey-helps-nbc/

Keystone Kings: Pens/Flyers Sets Record For Versus:
For the second time this year, the Penguins and Flyers combined to give Versus its largest regular season NHL audience ever.

The Penguins' Tuesday night win over the Flyers earned 750,000 viewers on Versus, the largest audience ever for a regular season NHL telecast on the network.

The previous record was set on Opening Night by another Flyers/Penguins game (730,000). Prior to the 2010-11 season, the record was 622,000 viewers for Penguins/Red Wings in March.

Tuesday's game not only set a network record, it also marked the most-viewed NHL regular season telecast on cable in seven years.

Locally, the game drew an 11.2 rating in Pittsburgh and a 3.5 in Philadelphia, both up significantly from last year's season averages in the markets.
http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/2010/12/keystone-kings-pensflyers-sets-record.html

Winter Classic Helps NBC to Saturday Night Win in Adults 18-49:
NBC averaged a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49 and 4.56 million viewers in primetime Saturday night (8-11 PM), according to preliminary fast-affiliate data. The network won the night among the Big Four broadcast networks in the demo, edging second-place FOX (1.6).
http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/2011/01/winter-classic-helps-nbc-to-saturday.html
Apr 21, 2011 10:50am
End of Line's avatar

End of Line

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Apr 21, 2011 10:52 AM
.........

double post.
Apr 21, 2011 10:52am
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rock_knutne

Apr 21, 2011 11:13 AM
^^^^All I'm saying is those viewers are pretty much from the same regions of the country over and over again, none of those increases came in a market with little to no hockey interest. It's going to be tough for them to expand in to markets where no one watches that's why, IMO, the NHL should maximize what they have and live with it.
Apr 21, 2011 11:13am
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Apr 21, 2011 11:16 AM
Ratings for the ASG on VS:
US Ratings.

Draft: 624,000 viewers
Skills: 1,340,000 viewers
Game: 1,481,000 viewers
http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/versus-draws-1-5-million-for-the-all-star-game-1-1-million-for-the-skills-624000-for-the-draft/

NBC Calls ’11 Winter Classic Highest Rated Regular Season Game in 36 years:
NEW YORK – Jan. 2, 2011 – The 2011 NHL Winter Classic, broadcast on New Year’s Day by NBC Sports in primetime due to a weather delay, was the most-watched Winter Classic ever, up 22 percent vs. last year’s game and the most-watched NHL regular-season game in 36 years, according to fast national data provided by Nielsen Media Research. In four years the NHL Winter Classic, which Newsday called “a holiday tradition” and the New York Times said “has stolen New Year’s Day,” has averaged 4.1 million viewers on NBC. Saturday’s game was seen by 4.5 million viewers, up 22 percent vs. last year (3.7 million), and earned a 2.3 national rating and 4 share (8-11 p.m. ET), up 10 percent vs. last year (2.1/4, 1-4 p.m. ET).
MOST-WATCHED NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAMES SINCE 1975

4.5 million Jan. 1, 2011 NBC Capitals-Penguins

4.4 million Jan. 1, 2009 NBC Red Wings-Blackhawks

3.8 million Jan. 27, 1996 FOX Six-game regional coverage

3.8 million Jan. 1, 2008 NBC Penguins-Sabres

3.7 million Jan. 1, 2010 NBC Flyers-Bruins
Top 10 by market:

1. Pittsburgh, 32.0/46

2. Washington D.C., 7.6/13

3. Baltimore, 6.6/11

4. Buffalo, 5.3/8

T5. St. Louis, 4.3/7

T5. Denver, 4.3/7

7. Boston, 4.0/7

8. Richmond, 3.8/6

9. Philadelphia, 3.5/6

10. Columbus, 3.4/6
http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/nbc-calls-11-winter-classic-highest-rated-regular-season-game-in-36-years/

Versus Hits All-Time Network High For NHL Regular Season
The 2010-11 NHL regular season was the most-viewed on Versus since the network acquired rights to the league nearly six years ago.

Versus averaged 353,000 viewers for regular season NHL coverage this season, up 19% from last year (297K), up 11% from 2008-09 (318K), and the most-viewed NHL season ever on the network.

Four of the five most-viewed regular season games on Versus took place this season alone, including the two most-viewed games.
http://www.sportsmediawatch.net/2011/04/nhl-wrap-versus-hits-all-time-network.html
Apr 21, 2011 11:16am
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gorocks99

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Apr 21, 2011 11:33 AM
rock_knutne;746971 wrote: the NHL should maximize what they have and live with it.

And move Phoenix to Winnipeg :)
Apr 21, 2011 11:33am
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rock_knutne

Apr 21, 2011 11:45 AM
gorocks99;746993 wrote:And move Phoenix to Winnipeg :)
Totally agree with that move. I also could never figure out why Hamilton Ontario can't get an NHL franchise.
Apr 21, 2011 11:45am
End of Line's avatar

End of Line

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Apr 21, 2011 12:24 PM
rock_knutne;747007 wrote:Totally agree with that move. I also could never figure out why Hamilton Ontario can't get an NHL franchise.

Toronto and Buffalo don't want a team in Hamilton.
Apr 21, 2011 12:24pm
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rock_knutne

Apr 21, 2011 1:58 PM
The_Crosby_Show;747032 wrote:Toronto and Buffalo don't want a team in Hamilton.

That's why the NHL is completely ass backwards! Their delusions of grandure costs them a guaranteed sold out facility on a nightly basis, a nice hit in merchandise revenue and another small TV market who's local ratings would be through the roof, even if it's in an already hockey crazy Canada. Plus they would put a franchise in a market that would never fail, regardless of the team's success.
Apr 21, 2011 1:58pm
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gorocks99

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Apr 21, 2011 2:09 PM
Just a thought, but I think the NHL worries, rightly or wrongly, about being seen as a "foreign" sport in this country if they expand too much into Canada. If they moved teams to say, Quebec, Winnipeg and Hamilton, you'd have 1/3 of the league playing north of the border and they might worry that American fans would start to tune out if the playoffs is Hamliton versus Ottawa, Vancouver versus Calgary, Quebec versus Montreal. Die hards wouldn't, but I bet they worry the "casual" fan would.

Plus, the money maker is audience size (because size = ad and sponsorship dollars) and the eyeballs are going to come from the country with 300 million people, 20% of whom watch hockey, before they come from the country with 35 million people where 70% watch hockey.

However, I absolutely believe the NHL needs to be smarter about where their teams are located. Phoenix is a failed experiment. Fort Lauderdale? Turrible. Nashville is lucky to have a team that competes or it would be deadsville. Columbus, despite my fandom, was a poor choice for expansion.
Apr 21, 2011 2:09pm