NHL TV ratings 2015/16

[cutchemist42]

Disney was disenchanted with hockey after their ownership in Anaheim and when Bob Iger took control of Disney at the same time as the lost season the NHL had zero leverage.

ESPN told Bettman 'Gary, truth is we discovered we don't need the NHL but you need us.' and then offered the NHL a contract for 2005-06 that was 50% less than it was before the lost season. Bettman then said we don't need ESPN - we have the Outdoor Life Network (OLN was owned by Comcast which owned the Flyers)



Little did we know than 6 years later Comcast would by NBC from GE and OLN (which became Versus) would now be branded NBCSN.

But now ESPN will televise the World Cup in September which is a big slap in the face to NBC. Comcast still owns the Flyers but they no longer have Ed Snider whispering in Gary's ear.

I work in the TV business and I am shocked ESPN is back in the picture. The World Cup Final is scheduled for a Saturday night in the height of the college football season and ESPN is putting the final on the mothership. I have no idea why NBC was not included but now you have Doc Emrick and Pierre McGuire silenced in favor of Jack Edwards and Barry Melrose

I really think they will end up regretting even bothering with the tourney. How do you tell Americans watching that the NHL created fake teams that impacted America picking its best team.

 

[kdb209]

ESPN told Bettman 'Gary, truth is we discovered we don't need the NHL but you need us.' and then offered the NHL a contract for 2005-06 that was 50% less than it was before the lost season. Bettman then said we don't need ESPN - we have the Outdoor Life Network (OLN was owned by Comcast which owned the Flyers)

AIUI, the option that ESPN declined to exercise would have been a 50% cut. Instead ESPN offered a deal with no money upfront - just a split of revenues after production costs (similar to the deal that the League had signed with NBC).

ESPN had overpaid for the rights in 1999 - when they inked a 5 yr $600M deal ($120M/yr). After they signed the NBA in 2002, they dropped support of the NHL considerably. Before the lockout, ESPN had already signed a new two year deal, one year plus an option, for $60M/yr - which included reduced coverage from 100+ games on ESPN/ESPN2 to ~40 (15 regular season games plus playoffs) all on ESNN2. The lockout wiped out the first year and ESPN opted not to pick up the option for the second. Note that even before the lockout ESPN had already announced the cancellation of NHL2Nite.