ESPN Dumps NHL

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article.jsp?content=20050527_164035_6528

How will this affect the CBA negotiation?

 

Exactly how many national sports stations are there in the States?

 

Good job, Bettman.

I hope this was part of your calculus.

 

Is Sports Channel America still in business?

 

further proof that the game is in bad shape. Further reason to get the CBA done and talk about a new long term deal with ESPN while also looking into other cable possibilities.

 

The NHLPA is going to love the NHL's next offer.. If any is actually made.

 

There's a few -- but they're all owned by ESPN. But both Fox and Comcast are talking about starting their own, so the NHL may not be as bad off as it seems at first. Heck, the only reason the NHL got onto network television in the 90's was because Fox wanted to create an actual sports division.

 

Was he supposed to hold a gun to their head so they picked up the option?

 

This isn't all Bettmans fault. The NHL has told the NHLPA that once something like this happens, the pie is going to get alot smaller.. The NHLPA doesnt seem to think so, but they'll see soon enough.

 

All it's really proof of is that ESPN feels that they can get the rights for cheaper than $60M.

 

You make it sound like ESPN was paying them a lot of money.

 

i suppose this could be worse, just not erally sure how

Maybe this will be the wake-up call both sides need to get serious and get this damn deal done

 

If thats the case then I hope Fox Sports steps up and buys the NHL rights for 10 years and starts a national sports network.

 

Exactly why this isn't the end of the world that many fans and especially the media will make it out to be.

It, btw, represents a cap decrease of slightly over $1M if 54% ends up being the percentage.

 

I think the best solution is to put the games on more than one cable network like the NBA does.

 

It's not dollars and cents from the ESPN contract. It's about exposure and getting people interested in the game and buying merchadise

 

And you make it sound like it wasn't alot.. I don't know the specifics, but I'm pretty sure that whatever the last offer from the NHL was, the next is going to drop at least 2-4 million.. These are un-educated guesses but still, you know that if the NHLPA is already declining 38 million cap, how are they going to feel about at the least, 34 million?

 

Gorgeous, so unless you have a satellite or subscribe to Comcast, you're basically f**ked as far as seeing any regular hockey. Beautiful.

 

Right there.

 

ESPN hasn't done jack to expose hockey or get people interested in the game. What makes you think they would start now? Hockey always has been and always will be something ESPN puts a half assed effort into.

 

Good job Goodenow.

I hope this was part of your pressure point negotiating strategy.

 

The NHL has had 5 minutes since this news was released to discussion options with other networks. Perhaps we should wait and see before jumping to this conclusion.

 

They've put in on TV for starters! They've had NHl tonight. This league can't afford to not have as much exposure as possible

 

Hey!!!



It's not June 1 yet!!!


This isn't exactly a bad thing.

 

Well stated, I think if multiple networks are able to pick up the NHL(nfl has fox, abc and cbs, nba has tnt and abc and nbc) and make it available in different formats, that might be the best possible solution remaining. Granted the nhl won't get as sweet a deal as the other major sports, but it's a start.