N.H.L. May Be in at OLN

[Islanders4Cups]

ESPN? Competing with March madness and NBA.

Comcast will be looking to make a statement! Everyone should start calling their cable company to get the NHL!

 

[Baron Von Shark]

When I first opened this thread, I was like, wtf is OLN??? So I went through my TV menu and it turns out I have it, but I never even knew this channel existed, LOL.

 

[joechip]

{ESPN rant I agree with snipped}

I'm not entirely sure of what the best approach is, but some thoughts:
- (for now) stop trying to court the 'New' fan, particularly in markets without local teams. Hockey is too dynamic and chaotic for newbies to pick up without assistance. Unlike football/baseball and even basketball, there is no inherent 'structure' governing possession nor are divisions between 'plays' clear, which means you can't just glance at a screen at a bar and pick up on what's happening.
- growing a fanbase *must* be done in conjunction with getting lots of 'new' fans to games in person. I can't tell you how many folks say things like "I didn't really get it until I saw it in person".
- you can't just televise the games - you have to provide additional programming to help fill in the overall scope of the game. This will not be easy - getting people to watch may be tough, and doing anything 'educational' will probably pi$$-off the elitist cognoscenti, but new fans won't stick around if they can't understand what's going on.
- mainstream broadcast ratings for all sports seem to be sliding. Heck - MNF which has been the crown jewel of sports programming for years is slipping badly. I don't think it's a good assumption that a 'good' broacast TV deal should be the aim/goal of the league. Cable-only may well be the right approach.
- HD should be central to any strategy. In addition to taking advantage of the aspect ratio and extra resolution, you have to push the limits of what's possible with HD - split screen views (particularly sync'd multi-angle replays), P-in-P isolation views, info/stat sidebars during stoppages etc. HD is still new enough that many folks will tune in for the sheer novelty, so take advantage of it by making it a spectacle.

Brilliant! This is a great post. Aggregate cable ratings have surpassed Aggregate Network Ratings (actually this happened over a year ago). What's important to the NHL right now is not the perception of 'legitimacy' that comes from being the whipping boy of the Institution (ESPN) but simply putting as many games on as possible with a provider that supports it. ESPN doesn't need the NHL (and honestly doesn't want it), so therefore the NHL should stop trying to be needed by ESPN.

Move on, promote the game from within, get people into seats and use the hunger of ESPN's burgeoning competition to your advantage. OLN/CSN will need the NHL to succeed (if they buy the broadcasting rights) if their challenge of ESPN is to succeed. Therefore, if they're serious in their business plan then they should do a lot to support the NHL. Moreover, a new network will be desperate for content to take up air time. That translates into greater opportunity for NHL-related programming and more regular exposure to channel surfers.

Ta,

 

[joechip]

I think the biggest hurdle would be whether or not Comcast would stall on making themselves available on satellite systems. Is OLN available on dish?

I get OLN on directv with the sports package[/QUOTE]
Acutally, you get it with the Total Choice ($39.99) package. I just bought hte sports pack on saturday monring (yes, to watch the Draft) and I've always had OLN.

Ta,

 

[NJD Jester]

If it is OLN, I have but one wish:

Tie Domi's Celebrity Bullriding.

 

[denverwingsfan]

I assumed it was part of the sports package, my bad. Like a earlier poster I didnt even know it was there.

 

[denverwingsfan]

For the record the sports package sucks, you get all the fox channels, but as soon as a game comes on the screen goes blank, so centerice is a must.

 

[Spungo*]

Saying that the NHL needs ESPN is like saying an abused wife should stay with her husband because he's rich. The NHL has been abused in this relationship for years and it's time to get out while it's still pretty enough to get dates with other networks. The NHL needs to find a partner that will treat it how it deserves to be treated. A partner that will finally appreciate it. It's time to write ESPN a dear John letter.

 

[kdb209]

For the record the sports package sucks, you get all the fox channels, but as soon as a game comes on the screen goes blank, so centerice is a must.

Actually it does have some value for people on the West Coast.

Many of the RSNs replay their games late night (12a or 1a EST) and the replays are not blacked out. This makes a not inconvenient 9p or 10p Pacific start time - actually more convenient than the live 4p or 4:30p broadcasts. I used to get both CI and the Sports Pack to be able to watch more games - pre Tivo.

But obviously, Center Ice is the way to go.

 

[RangerBoy]

It has been widely reported that Comcast has been discussing a offer with the reborn NHL, although both sides have been reluctant to reveal any specifics.

We may get a better sense of where Comcast is headed today when Roberts addresses analysts and investors in an earnings conference call.

The league, therefore, has been willing to consider multi-year offers not only from Comcast, but from SpikeTV and USA Network. NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin said last week all avenues were open and the players wanted to do "what's right for the sport."

What's right for the NHL could be to a national cable contract on a smaller network that will more actively commit to promoting the re-launched league---as well as coming up with cash.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-spzip0802,0,1323460.column?coll=ny-sports-columnists

 

[Baron Von Shark]

Well, USA Network would be a great choice IMO. Why, b/c it's not "illegitimate" like SpikeTV, but more importantly it is owned by NBC/Universal.

 

[Guy Legend]

The only problems with the OLN are that

1) Lower installed base than even ESPN 2. The channel has to expand greatly (I suppose this is something that will be done)

2) No NHL on ESPN means that the league loses some legitimacy. NHL games will probably be bottom feeder material on Sportscenter (although it wasn't too hot in the first place).

Personally, if the OLN can greatly expand it's viewership base (including Missouri ), promote the NHL, and also obtain NFL games (this is a must to pose a threat to ESPN), then I would welcome the OLN.

ESPN is too dominant in sports today. I would love to see some serious competition pop up. There is Fox Sports, but ESPN is still the king.

Also, I still believe that the NHL should gets televised on multiple outlets, like the other leagues. Perhaps games on OLN and Spike or USA or ESPN 2.

 

[Spungo*]

Let's not forget the little matter of Comcast offering a reported $60 million for the NHL cable rights fees. That's an offer that blows ESPN's revenue sharing deal out of the water.

If ESPN offers $60 million *and* adds many more games to ESPN and ESPN2, then the NHL should go that route. If not, bolt to Comcast. More money, more exposure, more respect.

The NHL needs ESPN like a fish needs a banana. NASCAR did fine and dandy without ESPN. No sport needs ESPN. Period. What sports has ESPN "saved" or even enhanced recently. It seems every sport they acquire actually gets hurt in the ratings as soon as they switch to ESPN or ABC.

The NBA before ESPN > The NBA on ESPN

And what exactly has ESPN done for the NHL. Let's see, the last 6 or 7 years, the ratings for the NHL have dropped through the floor. How has ESPN helped? By reducing coverage? By slashing the exposure the NHL once got on that network? By making fun of hockey on Sportscenter? Wow, that's some great help. Thanks ESPN. What would the NHL do without that kind of "help"?

 

[TheBudsForever]

OLN ?? What a joke. Why not the Comedy Network, they probably have millions more in the way of subscribers...

LMAO, I can just see OLN carrying "The Strongest Player In The NHL Contests" every week. Think about it, you get to see some of your favourite NHL players racing for the fastest time pushing tractor tires around, pulling buses and trucks hooked up on ropes for distance, carrying barrels full of water .... or how about a weekly fishing show in the offseason with the colourful Jeremy Roenick as co-host.... "I don't care if you watch my show or not"..

 

[Spungo*]

Strongman and Fishing are jokes but Poker and Cheerleading aren't? Ok then. Money talks, ESPN bullsh*% walks. If ESPN is so great, why hasn't it done jack squat for the NHL in the past 6 years? What did the NHL get out of being on ESPN and being shown 15 minutes after bowling highlites on Sportscenter? Exactlty, the NHL got nothing out of the ESPN relationship. Absolutely nothing. Legitimacy my ass.

 

[Brad*]

Who will announce the games? A Duck Hunter & his dog? Beats Engblom.

I don't care what channel it's on. Hell, it could be on the Oxygen Network and I wouldn't mind. Actually, that would be pretty awesome.

 

[Jimmypop316]

ESPN is becoming just like MTV less actual content, more bullpoop.

 

[Slapshot17]

It doesn't really matter who gets it as long as they're willing to promote the game and show plenty of games that will get people hooked on hockey. If it is OLN and they turn it into a comcast sports channel, the amount of homes the channel is in will increase. It's about getting a partner that believes in the NHL and will promote it more than how many homes it's in. If the product is worth watching, people will call their cable companies and have the channel added.