"ESPN Remains Interested in the NHL"

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Motown Beatdown

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darkboy said:
I'm selfish... I hope ESPN matches so I don't have to upgrade my Dish Network subscription package. But beyond that, it will be better for the NHL to be on ESPN2 than OLN just in terms of visibility. I hadn't even heard of OLN before there was talk about them picking up the NHL. Yeah, sure, ESPN hasn't done the NHL much good, but unfortunately the NHL is in no position pretend they've got any leverage here. The NHL needs ESPN more than ESPN needs the NHL.



One thing i noticed is the Americas Top 180 which has OLN is cheaper than Americas Top 120. So i'm gonna change aways.
 

AdmiralPred

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dwkdnvr said:
Sorry, but I disagree completely with your post. It represents all the mistakes in conventional thinking that IMHO lead me to hope that the Comcast move is a good thing. Basically

- Hockey needs ESPN to be a 'legitmate' sport. Well, we tried that, and it failed. The 'ESPN crowd' - both viewers and all the new 'analysts' they have on have voted clearly and unambiguously that they have at best no interest in hockey, and at worst they have nothing but contempt.
- Hockey will grow by attracting 'conventional sports fans'. I now doubt this. In my experience, a large fraction of hockey fans in the US are NOT conventional sports fans. My wife for example is a rabid hockey fan, and couldn't give a rat's a$$ about any other sport. IMHO 'sports fans' that have interest in hockey will find it even on OLN. Given the trend in ESPN coverage towards polarization (they're clearly going down the talk-radio path) way more conventional sports fans will take more pleasure in dumping on the NHL than they will get from trying to give it a chance.
- We need to get in as many homes as possible. I don't think hockey is the type of game that 'most people' will fall in love with due to a casual viewing. We've heard the complaints for years, and it basically comes down to the fact that uninitiated fans have a very tough time following a game. Given that, folks will have to make some level of effort to get to know the game well enough to follow - this implies that a properly targeted marketing campaign to the correct audience is likely to be more valuable than simple broad coverage. IMHO OLN has a better chance of drawing a more open-minded fan than the group-think influenced ESPN crowd.
- OLN is the wrong brand. Let's face it - if cycling fans will turn on the 'hunting and fishing' channel to watch their sport, hockey fans will do the same. Plus, I really believe that OLN will shift focus, particularly if they're serious about going after an NFL package.

Anyway, IMHO the single biggest overriding consideration is the HD coverage - not only ensuring it is prominent, but also what they do with it. The same stale tired coverage in HD isn't going to be particularly compelling to folks. However, HD is still so 'exciting' to people that MANY non-fans will likely tune in to HD broadcasts occasionally just out of curiosity. If the viewing experience is compelling, I think there's a very good chance to capture an audience even if they don't fully appreciate the game to start with.

A secondary concern is a predictable/consistent set of auxiliary programming. A daily wrap-up show like NHL2Night (not necessarily the same people/format, but a daily scores/highlights/analysis slot), plus a weekly wrap focussing on broader analysis could be important to gaining/maintaining an audience. This is IMHO where ESPN screwed hockey over so badly - as soon as they moved NHL2Night to a sporadic schedule, they were nailing the coffin shut. It IS a tough call as to how to schedule it to address both east coast and west coast audiences, but something is needed.

Anyway, regardless of what's 'best', ESPN still holds all the cards with their right to match. If they match and guarantee 2 HD games a week in predictable/decent time slots, it may not end up being a complete disaster.

Sorry to quote a long post, but this one deservs a bump. Perhaps the best take I've heard on the subject.
 

kdb209

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Kenadyan said:
Originally Posted by kdb209
Well, I think that someone has been reading way too much DirecTV (D*) marketing fluff - crisp, digital clarity.
No, I'm speaking from experience. Has nothing to do with marketing. :D
Well from experience also, I can definitely say that some D* channels look like over compressed crap when blown up to a 43" (or larger) screen, but I will leave it at that since this is www.hfboards.com and not www.avsforum.com .
 

Ar-too

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I'm perfectly happy with OLN. It's part of the locals-package here in Columbus that I pay about $14/mth for - the one that doesn't include ESPN, etc.
 

LazRNN

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JWI19 said:
One thing i noticed is the Americas Top 180 which has OLN is cheaper than Americas Top 120. So i'm gonna change aways.

You sure about that? The Dish Network website says 180 is $10 more than 120. Plus, 180 has more channels and I don't think there are any channels that are on the 120 package that aren't on the 180 package, so it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for it to be cheaper...
 

jcookc6*

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don't care who does it, as long as Gary Thorne is not the announcer!
 

DasherSmasher

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Unfortunately, ESPN is doing to sports what MTV did to music- selling out like the Ho's they are.

What does eating a lot of tubes made of compressed meat parts have to do with sports? What does playing a game of chance (poker) have to do with sports? (expecting arguments here)

OLN is fine with me: competition is healthy, monopoly's dictate.
 

clarkwgriswold*

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Espn has until wed. Aug 17 to match OLN's deal with the NHL, and it looks like they won't. As long as OLN is Hi Def and Gary thorne is no where around I'll be happy. Espn already has awful programming ready to replace the Nhl like women's kickboxing, Pejorative Slured arm wrestling, walking, and NBA basketball
 

ej_pens

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DasherSmasher said:
Unfortunately, ESPN is doing to sports what MTV did to music- selling out like the Ho's they are.


No, they are putting on filler programming that is cheap, gets decent ratings, and sells enough advertising.

And it ain't going to be any different when Comcast starts theirs either.......
 

Egil

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Comcast, should they get the NFL, would be ideal. I think you market Hockey to Football fans. Just take a 30 second clip of a Don Cherry video and off you go.
 

i am dave

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bladoww said:
Just curious. What's peoples beef with Thorne?

I have zero problem with Thorne despite his uncanny ability to mispronounce player names.

That being said, I still think the first thing OLN/Comcast should do (assuming they get the contract) is hire Mike Emerick because in the US, there is no better.
 

LadyStanley

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PitkanenPower said:
I have zero problem with Thorne despite his uncanny ability to mispronounce player names.

That being said, I still think the first thing OLN/Comcast should do (assuming they get the contract) is hire Mike Emerick because in the US, there is no better.

Misprounounciation is a big part of it (I recall times when there were at least three players "I didn't know" on the roster he misprounced the names so poorly). They've made on air comments about having huge posters of name pronouciations in the booth/suite.

He's also pretty much a "homer" in that he's always for the "big" team in the contest, even if the other team is winning big.

(I recall multiple occurrences of muting the TV, paying outrageous dial up charges, online connection charges, hotel phone charges, and perhaps incurring the wrath of a spouse, dialing in to hear my favorite team's radio on the internet -- which is delayed about one minute from the TV action -- rather than listening to Thorne.)

If Comcast/OLN gets the contract, I'm worried that Al Trautwig may be in the broadcast mix. He's OK for cycling, but I saw him in another sporting context and cringed.

Obviously Comcast has "a plan" as to where they'd get 'casters, etc. Could be they'd use the home team broadcasters until they get a crew of their own.

I'd have no problem with Emerick, and would even suffer through Melrose's suits to have him as a color guy. (Pang isn't available after he headed to the desert to work with the Coyotes.) Maybe they could induce Scott Bowman to sit in a booth.
 

Lou is God

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PitkanenPower said:
That being said, I still think the first thing OLN/Comcast should do (assuming they get the contract) is hire Mike Emerick because in the US, there is no better.
No doubt, listening to Mike Emerick call a hockey game is like listening to poetry, us Devils fans are so blessed having as our play by play man.
 

Gnashville

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bladoww said:
Just curious. What's peoples beef with Thorne?
He doesn't know a single player in the league not on the Red Wings, Flyers, or Avalanche. He is a Homer to those 3 teams. Pang is even worse He admitted he loves the Red Wings on the air. During the skills competion one year he picked Pavel Datsyuk to win the Fastest skater, Breakaway, hardest shot, and Best Goalie and everything else.
 

Levitate

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Gnashville said:
He doesn't know a single player in the league not on the Red Wings, Flyers, or Avalanche. He is a Homer to those 3 teams. Pang is even worse He admitted he loves the Red Wings on the air. During the skills competion one year he picked Pavel Datsyuk to win the Fastest skater, Breakaway, hardest shot, and Best Goalie and everything else.


yeah pretty much...he is not a good play by play guy at all. he constantly calls players the wrong names, and is prone to random, pointless outbursts when nothing is happening. granted, it can make it somewhat fun to watch when thorne has a fit because a guy skated up the ice, but it's ultimately stupid. he also has a habit of screwing around and not noticing what's going on in the game and then randomly jumping back in with the afore mentioned random outburst.

all in all he comes off as being extremely unprepared for the games he calls
 

Buffaloed

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OLN doesn't seem to be included with many basic cable packages, while with ESPN it's almost universal. I'm not too thrilled that I'll have to spend money to upgrade my cable package to get OLN. I have no problem tolerating ESPN's coverage to save $20/mos. :D
 

Sinurgy

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Buffaloed said:
OLN doesn't seem to be included with many basic cable packages, while with ESPN it's almost universal. I'm not too thrilled that I'll have to spend money to upgrade my cable package to get OLN. I have no problem tolerating ESPN's coverage to save $20/mos. :D
Agreed! I mean c'mon...what the hell is OLN?!?! I do know what it is now because I looked it up but I can't believe they are going to put hockey on such a hokey channel. All I can hope for is that they really do go after the NFL Package and bring some legitamcy to what is currently a fringe channel. I know, I know...everyone hates ESPN, poker, yada yada but c'mon, putting hockey on OLN is seriously a step down!! If they were smart they'd atleast try to get on Spike or something like that. Oh who cares, I just want hockey on...where's my Center Ice damnit?!
 

Montrealer

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Sinurgy said:
Agreed! I mean c'mon...what the hell is OLN?!?! I do know what it is now because I looked it up but I can't believe they are going to put hockey on such a hokey channel. All I can hope for is that they really do go after the NFL Package and bring some legitamcy to what is currently a fringe channel. I know, I know...everyone hates ESPN, poker, yada yada but c'mon, putting hockey on OLN is seriously a step down!! If they were smart they'd atleast try to get on Spike or something like that. Oh who cares, I just want hockey on...where's my Center Ice damnit?!

If you would read instead of rant you would know that OLN will in all probability be rebranded as Comcast's flagship sports network, especially if they get NFL games as well. It won't be the same hokey OLN with flyfishing shows guest-starring George W. Bush.

That being said, it's the 17th... any news?
 
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