Can the NHL take advantage of NFL and NBA work stoppages?

[LadyStanley]

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2...-a-sports-landscape-all-to-itself-in-2011-12/

Editorial

As little as I understand about the NFL’s labor situation, I understand even less about the NBA’s. Here’s what I do know: if there is an NBA lockout that takes any time out of their season in addition to the NFL having problems, it leaves the National Hockey League with the sports world to itself once the World Series ends, save for college football, which rarely runs over. It’s an opportunity, folks, one that we may never have again.

The goal for the NHL is to be aggressive. Be very aggressive. The 1998-99 NBA season did not start until February, and the National Hockey League did little to nothing to take advantage of it via television or in appealing to their fans. However, times were different then: the league was in a lame duck television contract with FOX (who were busy cutting games instead of adding them). This time, they’ll have relative labor peace, and a new television deal with potentially an added network (whether it’s ESPN or Turner) that will need to fill tons of hours of programming due to the lack of basketball and football.

This is my way of telling, no, imploring the NHL: create a schedule that prepares for there to be no other sports with it in the fall. Throw a ton of games on Sundays to garner attention from fans looking for a game to check out on their day off that would typically spent either at an NFL game, or at the bar watching them. Discount the Sunday games to remind fans that the players and owners have at least a public face of peace and wanting to “play for the fans.â€

Get NBC, VERSUS, and whoever else is televising the National Hockey League involved. Put more hockey on network television than ever before, and put it on while the NFL and NBA are gone. Take advantage of this chance to have people paying attention to hockey in October, November and December like never before. Build success into the Winter Classic instead of having to build it off of the Winter Classic.

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[Rink Rage]

The NHL should use this opportunity to sell the World Juniors to the American public as well.

 

[rojac]

So, I'm curious. Just how much more NFL and NBA did you folks watch during the NHL lockout? Because, personally, I didn't watch any more at all. So I see little reason to expect that NFL and NBA fans are suddenly going to start watching the NHL.

 

[Rink Rage]

So, I'm curious. Just how much more NFL and NBA did you folks watch during the NHL lockout? Because, personally, I didn't watch any more at all. So I see little reason to expect that NFL and NBA fans are suddenly going to start watching the NHL.

I actually found myself watching a lot more NFL and NBA.

 

[tim_*]

"Taking advantage" of the lockout would consist of one move: putting the game on ESPN. Leaving it on the current channels without expanding accomplishes nothing.

Non-hockey fans don't know of or care about Versus - chances are if they even have the channel, they don't know what number it is. I certainly wouldn't were I not a fan. ESPN on the other hand is your standard cable sports channel in the US. It's *the* national sports channel, and there really isn't any substitute.

It's more than just airing games though. ESPN has no reason to cover hockey in their daily programming. When they do have a reason (direct viewership on their channel) coverage expands to every person watching Sportscenter and the like. That's where you grow the sport and the league.

I love how much stronger Versus has become, but it's a dead end, as is NBC. Expand - don't get exclusive.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

One way I could see is the NHL loaning money to franchises that have the most to gain from NFL/NBA Lockouts for the purpose of advertising.

Phoenix (Suns, Cardinals)
The 3 California Teams (Lakers, Clippers, 49'ers, Warriors, Chargers, etc.)
Colorado (Nuggets, Bronco's)
Atlanta (Hawks, Falcons)
Florida (Heat)