Is there anything other sports property for V/S to go after? Is anything up soon?
If V/S were to get another sport, then it's availabitly will increase even further.
VS offered 400 million for Thursday night NFL games, the NFL decided to air them on the NFL network instead. They also tried to get MLB's Wednesday and Sunday games, but couldn't get the deal done. They also failed to get NASCAR. The NHL is the only legitimate sport they have, the next biggest things they run are NCAA Mountain West Basketball and the National Lacrosse League.
OLN/VS is a joke. Its not even on my cable system, and a lot of cable systems don't carry it. Most that do, that aren't Comcast, have it on a digital or premium tier. They're just not in nearly the amount of households that ESPN is. A lot of people have never even heard of this network.
Right now, the NHL is being branded and associated with the likes of bull riding, hunting, extreme sports, and truck racing. Much of the public has begun to regard the NHL as a joke comparable to those. They need to be on a major cable network with the market penetration of an ESPN. Hell, ECW Wrestling on the SciFi Channel is available in more households than the NHL is.
VS could've become a major network if they secured deals with the NFL, MLB, and NBA. They didn't get it done. The NHL isn't enough to propel them out of obscurity, and VS isn't enough to propel the NHL out of obscurity. They need to be back on ESPN, or a major network like TNT, FX, The Weather Channel, or Comedy Central. At least there wouldn't be major markets completely shut out from playoff coverage like LA was last year, if they were on The Weather Channel.