Here is the official press release from the NHL:
NHL Network To Launch In U.S.
Contact Information: Kerry
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / OCTOBER 8, 2007
NHL NETWORK TO LAUNCH IN U.S.
Beginning This Month, 24-Hour Hockey Network To Be Distributed Through Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network®, And Time Warner Cable
Available To 75 Million Homes
Full-time HD Feed Also Available
NEW YORK (October 8, 2007) – NHL Network, the first national network dedicated entirely to hockey, is being launched in the United States, beginning this month, through carriage agreements with Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network and Time Warner Cable. Based on the carriage arrangements, NHL Network will be accessible to 75 million homes.
NHL Network, which launched in Canada in 2001, gives viewers unprecedented 24-hour access to the most comprehensive hockey coverage, both on and off the ice. NHL Network will broadcast 50 live regular-season games in addition to classic games, documentaries, instructional shows, highlights and more.
The U.S. and Canada versions of NHL Network will have similar programming schedules. Initially, the major difference in the two channels will be in live NHL game selections, with each channel focusing on games of greater interest to its fans. All live NHL games will be televised in high-definition on the full-time HD feed (all games subject to local blackout).
The signature show on NHL Network, NHL On The Fly, airs nightly throughout the hockey season and features up-to-the minute hockey information, live look-ins on games in progress, extended highlights, overtime shootouts, real-time scores, interviews, pre- and post-game reports and news conferences. Dan Pollard and Brian Duff rotate as hosts and are joined in-studio for expert analysis from a variety of NHL veterans, including Gary Green, Dave Reid and Bill Berg. Todd Lewis and Jim Van Horne also contribute to the show on a regular basis. Fans can tune in to NHL On The Fly: Final every night during the season immediately following NHL On The Fly for a final wrap-up of the night’s action from around the NHL.
“Our fans across the U.S. and Canada now can have access to the hockey programming they want, regardless the time of day,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “We have joined with six of the most-respected cable and satellite distributors in the industry, and that is testimony to the appetite and demand for the NHL.”
“NHL Network’s success in Canada has paved the way for the network’s launch in the U.S.,“ said Rick Brace, President, Revenue, Business Planning and Sports, CTV Inc. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to mirror the success we’ve had in Canada in the U.S.”
About NHL Network
As the definitive hockey destination, NHL Network offers viewers a 24-hour all-access pass to complete hockey coverage both on and off the ice, including live NHL games featuring stars such as Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. The network's daily signature show - NHL On The Fly - offers fans exclusive live look-ins to each NHL game, including every goal from every game, complete shootouts, extended highlights, stellar saves, features, interviews, pre- and post-game reports, team press conferences, expert analysis from a variety of hockey insiders and former players, plus special event coverage from the NHL All-Star Game, NHL Stanley Cup Final and NHL Entry Draft. Additional NHL Network programming includes international and amateur hockey, player profiles, interview shows and youth-oriented programs. NHL Network is operated out of Canada and is available in the United States by contacting digital cable or satellite providers.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League’s international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, NASN, NHL Network and HDNet) and radio (Westwood One and XM Radio). Through the NHL Foundation, the League’s charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer, Hockey’s All-Star Kids and NHL Diversity, and supports the charitable efforts of all NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.
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NHL is a registered trademark and the NHL Shield, NHL Network name and logo and the word mark Stanley Cup are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.
