FARK.com: (6128698) NHL to remain on NBC and on that one channel tucked between "Light Classical" and "Smooth Jazz" way down in the Music Choice section

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		NHL to remain on NBC and on that one channel tucked between "Light Classical" and "Smooth Jazz" way down in the Music Choice section (sports.espn.go.com)		142
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Wadded Beef		2011-04-19 03:41:25 PM

I'm more of a "Toddler Tunes" man, myself.

Bob_Laublaw		2011-04-19 03:43:48 PM

CBC's HNIC is just sitting there, online and on the box, just waiting for you, NBC watchers.

mjoven1975		2011-04-19 03:48:37 PM

Is there anybody who doesn't know that hockey is on Versus now? Is this really that big of a problem?

Oh, and NBC can you show somebody other than the Wings, Penguins, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers, Rangers, and Blackhawks? There are really good teams out west that you NEVER show.

Wadded Beef		2011-04-19 04:13:06 PM

mjoven1975: Is there anybody who doesn't know that hockey is on Versus now? Is this really that big of a problem?

Depends if your cable/satellite carries Versus. I remember a couple of years ago that the channel's distribution was fairly crappy. Not sure about the current status.

Panty Sniffer		2011-04-19 04:33:36 PM

Didn't NBC bump one of the SC finals games last year to air Dancing With the Stars instead? I may have been really drunk back then, but I think that really happened. F them. Oh, and them putting games only on in the afternoon is another problem I have with them. That and the United Center hosting The Harlem Globetrotters causing a playoff series to be off schedule was the other really strange thing I recall from the playoffs last year. Well, there was the whole Blackhawks winning it all and the eastern conference in complete disarray things too.

UNC_Samurai		2011-04-19 04:49:17 PM

Wadded Beef: mjoven1975: Is there anybody who doesn't know that hockey is on Versus now? Is this really that big of a problem?

Depends if your cable/satellite carries Versus. I remember a couple of years ago that the channel's distribution was fairly crappy. Not sure about the current status.

With Comcast owning NBC, there's a lot of talk that Versus is going to get a major upgrade. They may want to turn it into the network's sports outlet. I miss CNNSI; I'd love an alternative to ESPN.

Wadded Beef		2011-04-19 05:21:41 PM

UNC_Samurai: Wadded Beef: mjoven1975: Is there anybody who doesn't know that hockey is on Versus now? Is this really that big of a problem?

Depends if your cable/satellite carries Versus. I remember a couple of years ago that the channel's distribution was fairly crappy. Not sure about the current status.

With Comcast owning NBC, there's a lot of talk that Versus is going to get a major upgrade. They may want to turn it into the network's sports outlet. I miss CNNSI; I'd love an alternative to ESPN.

I'd be all for that. I'm just thrilled ESPN no longer has auto-play for their insipid embedded videos every time I click on a link of theirs.

slayer199		2011-04-19 05:53:42 PM

Fark you Bettman. That just sucks. Versus is horrible...I wish they would have gone back to ESPN.

Panty Sniffer		2011-04-19 05:59:03 PM

slayer199: Fark you Bettman. That just sucks. Versus is horrible...I wish they would have gone back to ESPN.

Yeah, the NHL on ESPN was an awesome experience.

mjoven1975		2011-04-19 06:29:48 PM

Panty Sniffer: slayer199: Fark you Bettman. That just sucks. Versus is horrible...I wish they would have gone back to ESPN.

Yeah, the NHL on ESPN was an awesome experience.

www.memedepot.com

unyon		2011-04-19 07:12:32 PM

FTFA: "This is right across all factors, not the least of which is the tremendous relationship we have with NBC and Versus,"

All they need now is for anybody to watch on versus, and for NBC to air more than the occasional Sunday afternoon game but only after football season and certainly not if they can broadcast Australian rules dick wrestling instead.

Bettman- Quit fellating the US TV markets, particularly Phoenix. There's nobody home.

FreakinB		2011-04-19 08:13:44 PM

slayer199: Fark you Bettman. That just sucks. Versus is horrible...I wish they would have gone back to ESPN.

Except that this is actually a monster, $2 billion deal. And one in which NBC apparently outbid ESPN.

I know the immediate instinct is to dislike anything that Bettman does, and I know the coverage hasn't exactly been perfect and games have been pushed out for stupid crap before. But I'm having trouble seeing how this is a bad thing.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with this Versus makeover they've been talking about.

jaylectricity		2011-04-19 08:23:55 PM

Bettman: "But it's nice to go out and find out you're pretty."

VvonderJesus		2011-04-19 08:40:35 PM

Panty Sniffer: Didn't NBC bump one of the SC finals games last year to air Dancing With the Stars instead? I may have been really drunk back then, but I think that really happened.

I think you were really drunk back then, because Dancing with the Stars is on ABC.

dletter		2011-04-19 08:43:10 PM

FreakinB: slayer199: Fark you Bettman. That just sucks. Versus is horrible...I wish they would have gone back to ESPN.

Except that this is actually a monster, $2 billion deal. And one in which NBC apparently outbid ESPN.

I know the immediate instinct is to dislike anything that Bettman does, and I know the coverage hasn't exactly been perfect and games have been pushed out for stupid crap before. But I'm having trouble seeing how this is a bad thing.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with this Versus makeover they've been talking about.

You did realize that it was over TEN YEARS, right? That makes it just $200 million a year, which is just over double what Versus was paying already ($85 million/year).

I mean, the NFL makes over 3 BILLION per year. Not that the NHL contract was going to be anywhere near that, but, the NBA gets 900 million a year from its national deals, and MLB . The Lakers LOCAL TV rights alone just went for $200 million a year for 30 years. I had heard that the NHL could possibly have gotten $300-400 million a year, maybe that was just rumor, or I'm guessing they might have gotten that in a shorter length deal. I guess "locking in" $200 million every year is "good", although, you also are locking yourself in against a sudden rise in ratings, not just a fall.

NBC is really going to be cross-promoting Versus (and Golf Channel) much more now though, I agree. I do wonder if they'll try to push some NFL Auxiliary programming to Versus (maybe an extended post-game/NFL Recap show after Sunday Night Football?).

You could even potentially see something like what ABC did with ESPN, when they got rid of "ABC Sports" in favor of "ESPN on ABC". Although, "Versus" doesn't have near the notability of ESPN, so, you'd almost wonder if they'd change Versus to "NBC SportsNet" or something of the sort. Will be interesting to see.

(Note: adding this on... I see at the end of the article.. "Ebersol said the Versus name will be changed within 90 days to better reflect its association with NBC. The most attractive part of the deal from the NBC side is the exclusive nature it provides."... so, "Versus" might be a Dead Man Walking at this point).

CBS recently changed their "CBS College Sports" to "CBS Sports Network" (so they are not "limited" to College Sports now on there). So, they are also looking to get a little bigger I'd assume.

jayhawk88		2011-04-19 08:44:28 PM

How is it that one of you hockey nuts hasn't offed Bettman yet? What the hell does he have to do to get a contract out on his life?

Ham Sandvich		2011-04-19 08:45:42 PM

mjoven1975: Is there anybody who doesn't know that hockey is on Versus now? Is this really that big of a problem?

Oh, and NBC can you show somebody other than the Wings, Penguins, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers, Rangers, and Blackhawks? There are really good teams out west that you NEVER show.

As a Rangers fan, THIS. They are on there far more than they deserve to be. I know MSG is a short ride from your main hub NBC, but would it really break your budget to head out to San Jose or Vancouver?

Ham Sandvich		2011-04-19 08:47:46 PM

Panty Sniffer: Didn't NBC bump one of the SC finals games last year to air Dancing With the Stars instead? I may have been really drunk back then, but I think that really happened. F them. Oh, and them putting games only on in the afternoon is another problem I have with them. That and the United Center hosting The Harlem Globetrotters causing a playoff series to be off schedule was the other really strange thing I recall from the playoffs last year. Well, there was the whole Blackhawks winning it all and the eastern conference in complete disarray things too.

I distinctly remember NBC cutting away from a playoff game in OVERTIME because they had to show 2 hours of horsies trotting around before a Triple Crown race.

IMDWalrus		2011-04-19 08:48:47 PM

mjoven1975: Oh, and NBC can you show somebody other than the Wings, Penguins, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers, Rangers, and Blackhawks? There are really good teams out west that you NEVER show.

I'm going to assume part of it is that they want games to be in the EST afternoon slots. I don't think the Sharks are up for a 10AM start...

mavrickatubc		2011-04-19 08:50:37 PM

Bob_Laublaw: CBC's HNIC is just sitting there, online and on the box, just waiting for you, NBC watchers.

Yeah, but it's starting to suck a bit. TSN is kicking their ass, plus CBC still thinks that there are no Canadian teams east of Ontario...

And Kelly Hrudey hates the Flames and is a dick. And Grapes only talks about the Leafs, even after they're eliminated. Only Ron still has my unqualified respect...Weeks is pretty good though.

Oh, and PJ Stock is so bad he causes me physical pain.

mavrickatubc		2011-04-19 08:52:42 PM

jayhawk88: How is it that one of you hockey nuts hasn't offed Bettman yet? What the hell does he have to do to get a contract out on his life?

He's like Odd Job on Goldeneye for the 64...too short, hard to hit, very fast...

12349876		2011-04-19 08:53:28 PM

mjoven1975: Is there anybody who doesn't know that hockey is on Versus now? Is this really that big of a problem?

There's people like me who know it's on Versus but my cable provider only has it on a tier that I'm not gonna pay for.

Mrtraveler01		2011-04-19 09:06:10 PM

I don't see what good it would've done the NHL to put it on ESPN or even Turner. ESPN also has rights to the NBA, MLB, NCAA basketball and football, NASCAR. In other words they have rights to more sporting events than they did back in their NHL days and ESPN would've probably still treat it like a second-rate sport and put it on ESPN 2 or something.

Blackneto		2011-04-19 09:07:46 PM

anyone that thinks NBC can do sports right needs to remember their awful Olympic coverage.

funk_soul_bubby		2011-04-19 09:09:39 PM

So who's gonna be a hero and contribute a live hockey feed? Because I am traveling, in a hotel with no VS, drinking heavily, and perpetually lazy.

I got nothin', so here's Little Red Riding Kate.

photos.posh24.com

Mrtraveler01		2011-04-19 09:09:53 PM

dletter:
You could even potentially see something like what ABC did with ESPN, when they got rid of "ABC Sports" in favor of "ESPN on ABC". Although, "Versus" doesn't have near the notability of ESPN, so, you'd almost wonder if they'd change Versus to "NBC SportsNet" or something of the sort. Will be interesting to see.

It's already starting, NBC's golf programming is branded as "Golf Channel on NBC".

dletter		2011-04-19 09:10:24 PM

I submitted before I finished my thought on the other deals....

NFL $3.085 billion/yr (negotiated in 2008)
NBA $930 million/yr (negotiated in 2007)
MLB $670 million/yr (negotiated in 2006)
NHL $200 million/yr (negotiated in 2011)

So, yeah, the 10 years is kind of "ground breaking" in the length, but, the NHL isn't sniffing the dollars the other three leagues get for national rights.

I do note though that part of the NFL's "largess" in their number is that they control ALL the TV (other than preseason games local tv deals, there are no local TV deals for NFL teams). So, I'd be interested to see what that TOTAL of the national AND local TV contracts are for the NBA, MLB and NHL... obviously, they would bring them closer to the NFL's number.

funk_soul_bubby		2011-04-19 09:14:50 PM

Well fark me, there's a hockey thread if you read down further. Note to self!

Pinhead Patriot		2011-04-19 09:16:19 PM

Just don't let FOX get a hold of it...

www.mikelobban.ca

Mrtraveler01		2011-04-19 09:23:09 PM

Pinhead Patriot: Just don't let FOX get a hold of it...

Heh...they were one of the bidders.

Desquamation		2011-04-19 09:25:35 PM

mjoven1975:
Oh, and NBC can you show somebody other than the Wings, Penguins, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers, Rangers, and Blackhawks? There are really good teams out west that you NEVER show.

Because 9:00 am start times would be awesome, right?

mjoven1975		2011-04-19 09:26:03 PM

IMDWalrus: mjoven1975: Oh, and NBC can you show somebody other than the Wings, Penguins, Capitals, Bruins, Flyers, Rangers, and Blackhawks? There are really good teams out west that you NEVER show.

I'm going to assume part of it is that they want games to be in the EST afternoon slots. I don't think the Sharks are up for a 10AM start...

That's a ridiculous argument. First, the Sharks, Kings, Ducks, and Canucks all travel to the Eastern Time Zone multiple times a year. NBC could show them on the road against one of their precious chosen teams. Secondly, NBC does show games at 3PM ET some weeks. A noon start time on the West Coast for a home game isn't unreasonable.

Look, I know that the decision making at NBC is largely based on ratings and money. However, how is alienating an entire portion of your viewing audience going to solve anything? Throwing a couple games on a year with West Coast teams isn't going to kill them, particularly when two of the most entertaining teams in the league play in the Pacific Time Zone.

Doc Daneeka		2011-04-19 09:26:21 PM

I think this is a great deal for the league.

ESPN was reportedly offering only one game a week on espn2. That would have been a huge step backward. Not to mention, the last time ESPN had the NHL, it was a disaster.

With Versus/NBC, the NHL has 100 national regular season games, full national coverage of the entire playoffs. They have a stable cable home on which they are the premier property, which has been growing year-on-year, and which now has the combined weight of Comcast and NBC behind it. According to Dick Ebersol, Versus itself will soon be renamed and rebranded as "NBC Sports." Which should at least clear up complaints about name recognition. The NBC brand is about as established as it gets in television.

As a hockey fan, I'm very pleased with this deal. It's a huge win for the NHL.

ciderczar		2011-04-19 09:30:25 PM

I'm just happy they're only willing to 5 of the possible 7 Stanley Cup Finals matches.

Flappyhead		2011-04-19 09:30:59 PM

dletter: I submitted before I finished my thought on the other deals....

NFL $3.085 billion/yr (negotiated in 2008)
NBA $930 million/yr (negotiated in 2007)
MLB $670 million/yr (negotiated in 2006)
NHL $200 million/yr (negotiated in 2011)

So, yeah, the 10 years is kind of "ground breaking" in the length, but, the NHL isn't sniffing the dollars the other three leagues get for national rights.

Not to mention you have to divide that 200 mil between thirty teams, so roughly 6.6 per franchise. That's barely enough to pay the salary of one top player in todays market.

fusion7		2011-04-19 09:31:04 PM

Now all they need to do is throw a boatload of money at Gary Thorne to be the main play by play announcer. One of the few things I miss about ESPN Hockey coverage.

Doc Daneeka		2011-04-19 09:35:33 PM

Flappyhead: Not to mention you have to divide that 200 mil between thirty teams, so roughly 6.6 per franchise. That's barely enough to pay the salary of one top player in todays market.

Yeah, but then you have to add in the more than $100 million annually the NHL gets from Canadian national TV deals.

The other major pro leagues don't get significant money from Canadian television.

The Canadian TV deal is up in a couple years, and the early rumors are that it could garner as much as $250 million per year.

Because the NHL is the most binational of the leagues, Canadian and US revenues have to be considered together.

Britney Spear's Speculum		2011-04-19 09:36:02 PM

10 more years of Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Rangers, Capitals, and Chicago. Fun.

dletter		2011-04-19 09:37:35 PM

Flappyhead: dletter: I submitted before I finished my thought on the other deals....

NFL $3.085 billion/yr (negotiated in 2008)
NBA $930 million/yr (negotiated in 2007)
MLB $670 million/yr (negotiated in 2006)
NHL $200 million/yr (negotiated in 2011)

So, yeah, the 10 years is kind of "ground breaking" in the length, but, the NHL isn't sniffing the dollars the other three leagues get for national rights.

Not to mention you have to divide that 200 mil between thirty teams, so roughly 6.6 per franchise. That's barely enough to pay the salary of one top player in todays market.

Well, the other thing with the NHL that doesn't get mentioned much is I am guessing the Canadian TV rights, while not as big as any US TV rights, I am guessing garner the NHL MUCH more than the other three leagues get. The number I was able to find was $100 million/yr for the Canadian TV rights, so, that brings the NHL's major TV rights up to $300/mil a year.

dholway		2011-04-19 09:38:01 PM

Mrtraveler01: ESPN would've probably still treat it like a second-rate sport and put it on ESPN 2 or something.

Hockey IS a second-rate sport.

dletter		2011-04-19 09:38:12 PM

Props Doc, you beat me to it :)

Mrtraveler01		2011-04-19 09:39:45 PM

Britney Spear's Speculum: 10 more years of Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, Rangers, Capitals, and Chicago. Fun.

People have been saying that on the ESPN website. But why would people think ESPN wouldn't do the exact same thing they accuse NBC/VS of doing.

Remind me when was the last baseball game that didn't feature the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cardinals, and Cubs?

dletter		2011-04-19 09:40:43 PM

dholway: Mrtraveler01: ESPN would've probably still treat it like a second-rate sport and put it on ESPN 2 or something.

Hockey IS a second-rate sport.

If you are going off of that perspective, ESPN 2 is a "second rate" network, then , Versus is "3rd rate"... but, I guess you'd rather be the king of 3rd rate than the pauper of the 2nd.

Mrtraveler01		2011-04-19 09:40:58 PM

dholway: Mrtraveler01: ESPN would've probably still treat it like a second-rate sport and put it on ESPN 2 or something.

Hockey IS a second-rate sport.

I love hockey, but let's face it, it'll never reach a point where it rivals, the MLB, NFL, and NBA.

dletter		2011-04-19 09:44:35 PM

Mrtraveler01		2011-04-19 09:44:45 PM

dletter: dholway: Mrtraveler01: ESPN would've probably still treat it like a second-rate sport and put it on ESPN 2 or something.

Hockey IS a second-rate sport.

If you are going off of that perspective, ESPN 2 is a "second rate" network, then , Versus is "3rd rate"... but, I guess you'd rather be the king of 3rd rate than the pauper of the 2nd.

ESPN had the the rights to the MLS games but that didn't create a swarm of new MLS fans. Why do the ESPN fanboys think that'll be the case with the NHL?

Doc Daneeka		2011-04-19 09:45:34 PM

Mrtraveler01: dholway: Mrtraveler01: ESPN would've probably still treat it like a second-rate sport and put it on ESPN 2 or something.

Hockey IS a second-rate sport.

I love hockey, but let's face it, it'll never reach a point where it rivals, the MLB, NFL, and NBA.

Who's to say what can happen in another decade or three?

MLB is facing record lows in attendance yet again this season. The sport is in a slow, long-term decline.

The NBA's regular season ratings this season averaged 1.3 (ESPN) and 1.5 (TNT). Those aren't what I would consider astronomical, unreachable numbers.

Once upon a time, the three most popular sports in America, by far, were baseball, boxing, and horse racing. Things change.

spazmcnasty262		2011-04-19 09:46:22 PM

mlb sucks so does the nba....

I just hope nbc shows some games...it pisses me off that not all playoff games are not on tv

its dumb to just show 1 game every 1-2 weeks nbc

Britney Spear's Speculum		2011-04-19 09:48:21 PM

Doc Daneeka: MLB is facing record lows in attendance yet again this season. The sport is in a slow, long-term decline.

I wonder what the attendance impact at other parks is the next season when the Yankees win a WS.