"ESPN Remains Interested in the NHL"

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Alain Racette

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Jun 18, 2005
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The last thing I want is for ESPN to get the NHL contract after they mistreated and neglected the game for so long like some red-headed stepchild.

Remember the time where they cut away from Leafs-Flyers triple overtime a few years ago to broadcast Michael Jordan's THIRD retirement game?!!

That's when I lost all faith!

As for Comcast, they could do well. They just need to get into more households to compete with ESPN. Since it is owned by Ed Snider, I wouldn't be surprised to see quite a bit of Flyers games on there...
 

PeterSidorkiewicz

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Apr 30, 2004
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Does Dish network offer Centre Ice this year? I was looking at the website and at the sports packages and they made no mention of Centre Ice. Right now I have comcast digital cable and I can order CI with it, but looking around it seems like the overall price for the dish is cheaper than comcast. Also, any comments on whats a better dish, directv or dish network?
 

#66

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Dec 30, 2003
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The NHL should take both deals. Two games a week on OLN and ESPN gets the rest. I've never liked the term exclusive rights anyway. At the very least give ESPN the rights to classic games.
 

RLC

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Aug 7, 2004
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Well I would rather comcast.
ESPN has had the contract and every time bowling or some other thing ran over time its NHL that got bumped.

COmcast is interested in developing a sports channel to go head to head with ESPN. Comcast would do a much better job for the NHL.
As long as all games are in HDTV.
 

Slapshot17

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Aug 29, 2004
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CaptainShark said:
If ESPN matches the offer, does Comcast have a chance to up the ante or do the rights automatically go to ESPN in that case?

That's a good question. A bidding war would be the best thing the NHL could hope for.
 

SPORTSMANIAC

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Nov 15, 2004
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I agree that ESPN this past year neglected hockey with backing down from the World Junior Finals. But if the NHL wants to get back in the main stream of sports in USA they have no other choice but go to ESPN. OLN in main stream sports in the USA is just known for the showing the Tour de France every July. It is what is Out Door Life. It a different audience than mainstream USA sports. ESPN probably eaches to 175 to 200 Million homes in America while OLN probably from 125 to 150 homes in America. (That is my estimate if somebody has exact please correct me) The NHL needs to grab the most people they can get.
 

Spydey629

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Jan 28, 2005
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This does present a REALLY interesting scenario...

If ESPN says no, Comcast will promote the NHL so they can grow whatever they rename OLN so that can go after the NFL contract.

Should ESPN match the offer, they will be almost be forced to promote the hell out hockey, just to get the ratings up, to get the ad dollars to cover the cost of the contract.

Sounds like a win-win to me.
 

Trizent

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Mar 4, 2005
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SPORTSMANIAC said:
I agree that ESPN this past year neglected hockey with backing down from the World Junior Finals. But if the NHL wants to get back in the main stream of sports in USA they have no other choice but go to ESPN. OLN in main stream sports in the USA is just known for the showing the Tour de France every July. It is what is Out Door Life. It a different audience than mainstream USA sports. ESPN probably eaches to 175 to 200 Million homes in America while OLN probably from 125 to 150 homes in America. (That is my estimate if somebody has exact please correct me) The NHL needs to grab the most people they can get.

Remember Homes and People are two different things.

OLN 63M Homes
ESPN 89.5M
ESPN2 88.4M

89/90M is pretty much the tops a cable channel has for clearance.
 
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Skk82

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Mar 30, 2004
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Trizent said:
Remember Homes and People are two different things.

OLN 63M Homes
ESPN 89.5M
ESPN2 88.4M

89/90M is pretty much the tops a cable channel has for clearance.

it doesn't matter how many homes a channel is in if it's mis-marketing the product or those that get the channel don't have any interest in it.

pretty much every basic cable/satelite package in america has atleast ESPN and often times 'the deuce' as well. but if the customers aren't sports fans and/or ESPN doesn't properly give the product a chance to shine, it isn't going to make too much of a difference if it's in every household in the country.

63 million houses might get OLN, but i'm betting those that do either 1) are diehard sportsfans or 2) are people that want just about every channel under the sun so they buy the biggest programming package around. folks in the #1 demographic that regularly watch and like sports are the best target market for hockey, not necessarily Joe Q. Public.

the NHL doesn't need ESPN to be a credible league if the 'worldwide leader' is going to bungle marketing and treat hockey worse than poker, bowling and softball.
 

coolguy21415

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Jul 17, 2003
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sirkraut_82 said:
it doesn't matter how many homes a channel is in if it's mis-marketing the product or those that get the channel don't have any interest in it.

pretty much every basic cable/satelite package in america has atleast ESPN and often times 'the deuce' as well. but if the customers aren't sports fans and/or ESPN doesn't properly give the product a chance to shine, it isn't going to make too much of a difference if it's in every household in the country.

63 million houses might get OLN, but i'm betting those that do either 1) are diehard sportsfans or 2) are people that want just about every channel under the sun so they buy the biggest programming package around. folks in the #1 demographic that regularly watch and like sports are the best target market for hockey, not necessarily Joe Q. Public.

the NHL doesn't need ESPN to be a credible league if the 'worldwide leader' is going to bungle marketing and treat hockey worse than poker, bowling and softball.

excellent post :clap:
 

King'sPawn

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Well said, SirKraut.

I'd like to give Comcast a chance to market the NHL. ESPN probably just wants to jump on the Crosby bandwagon now that they realize they screwed up.
 

Original6

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It's a Lose - Lose situation in terms of improving fan base for the NHL. If they give the deal to espn again they'll just continue to bash the game. If they give it to comcast they will lose potentially 20 million viewers.
 

Randall Graves*

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OLN sounds good to me, ESPN does not give a damn about hockey so screw them their game presentations are poor and there is no promotion, not to mention little coverage during 'sportscenter'(how about showing more hi lites, might help the ratings?)

If ESPN wants to have a one day a week thing, fine let them OLN having two days is great. You see how TNT does basically covering one sport, they put everything into it. OLN may be the same.

to hell with ESPN.
 

joechip

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May 29, 2003
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This move by ESPN is too cut-off the potential competition that Comcast represents. The money ESPN spends to keep control of the NHL is nothing compared to the potential loss of revenue is Comcast is successful.

So, they buy the NHL, bury it and keep Comcast on the outside looking in. Taking the NHL back is a 'Bury Comcast' maneuver by ESPN.

I"m all for trying something new with a hungry, growth-oriented partner, as opposed to an ossified one with a history of treating the sport badly, no matter how many homes their channel reaches.

Ta,
 

Tekneek

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Nov 28, 2004
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It is marketing spin that says you have to be on ESPN to be 'legitimate.'

If ESPN matches, which is what they intend to do, they will attempt to further erode the TV ratings.
 
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