Centre Ice should be FREE this year

[Cat Herder]

If the NHL wants to show goodwill towards the fans because of the lockout, then they should offer Centre Ice free this year. I usually get it (because I live out of market and it helps me get the Sens games) but as part of the protest, I have decided I will not pay for anything this year at all (not going to games or buying merchandise, and I usually do both). This protest may carry over to next season as well... unless they appease us fans.

Click to read more...

 

[SilverSeven]

This is what I have been saying for a while. Would be a great gesture and a way to win a lot of new fans.

 

[Patvolcom65]

The Cat Herder has spoken.

Get on it NHL.

 

[sens83]

I thought they hinted at this a few weeks ago, I think Bettman himself may have said it.

 

[RedWhiteBlackGold]

Rally up the cats!

Would be a nice gesture by them, however I would think they are more concerned over making as much money as they can with a 48 game season.

 

[BUCKLE UP]

 

[BonkTastic]

I remember reading something about the reasons why they couldn't do it.

... Something about how the contract they have with some of the local TV feeds prohibits such-and-such, and that there's something prohibiting them from offering center-ice for free. Like, some local stations are worried that people would tune into the Center ice feed for FREE instead of theirs, or something.

I dunno. I read something about it. I'm tired. I could be wrong... Someone else can do the homework on this one.

 

[enviro61]

League will give away as few $$ as they have to in order to entice the fans to stay. I think they are going pretty easy on the promotions and if ratings are down the first few weeks over what they were the first few weeks of last season, you will see stronger incentives.

Right now they are going on the high of hockey being back and trusting that fans will return as they did after the last lockout. The league is banking on the fact that fans will soon forget their hard feelings once the puck drops and they won't need to shell out much coin to bring them back.

Personally, I am as interested in seeing how the fans react in some lesser markets as I am the outcome of the games. Should be fascinating in markets where hockey is not well established and the emotions of the fans are more apathetic then they are angry or jaded.

 

[MainDotC]

It is what it is.

 

[2CHAINZ]

Technology has advanced quite a bit, for instance the internet is no longer only for posting on forums. You can actually now go on the internet and stream sporting events for free!

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

Totally agree. I don't even think they make much money on centre ice & gamecenter relative to ticket and merch sales.
centre ice plus all the other sports packages are $30/m - after it's divvied up and Rogers/bell take their cut they probably only get $5-10 per subscriber.

 

[Laoghaire]

Or at least GameCentre

 

[The Waffler]

It's stealing money and views from the local broadcasters. They would be doing us a favor by not giving us free center ice.

 

[MainDotC]

Totally agree. I don't even think they make much money on centre ice & gamecenter relative to ticket and merch sales.
centre ice plus all the other sports packages are $30/m - after it's divvied up and Rogers/bell take their cut they probably only get $5-10 per subscriber.

Would appreciate it if people didn't make assumptions unless they have the actual dollar figure sitting in front of them.

 

[Hutz]

Center ice price is set by your cable provider, not the NHL, I believe.

Gamecenter, on the other hand is under the nhl's direct control, so i'm hoping they'll make it relatively cheap. If they throw us that bone, I'll buy it, otherwise, like Patizzie said, there are other ways to watch.

 

[Hutz]

Here's the reason why it won't be free
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/1/6/3843108/why-free-center-ice-simply-cant-happen

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Apparently, Bell and Rogers have already signed off on this.

 

[MainDotC]

Apparently, Bell and Rogers have already signed off on this.

According to which source ?

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

According to which source ?

There's a thread about it on the main board. It seems like employees at Comcast call centers have been informed of their intention to have free center ice. The OP mentions that Cogeco, Shaw, Rogers and Bell have approved. I have my doubts but it would be pretty awesome.

 

[18Hossa]

Technology has advanced quite a bit, for instance the internet is no longer only for posting on forums. You can actually now go on the internet and stream sporting events for free!

Have you seen the quality of streams?

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

Would appreciate it if people didn't make assumptions unless they have the actual dollar figure sitting in front of them.

$113,465,564.37 CAD per year. In USD that's 112,765,877.89

I made that up but hopefully it suffices

 

[MainDotC]

Have you seen the quality of streams?

quality from http://www.ustream.tv/channel/senshockey is absolutely phenomenal

 

[18Hossa]

quality from http://www.ustream.tv/channel/senshockey is absolutely phenomenal

Well obviously, but try finding a stream for a sens game with that quality.

 

[MainDotC]

Well obviously, but try finding a stream for a sens game with that quality.

I'm going to be streaming dat in HD bro - just waiting till Jan 19th.

 

[18Hossa]

I'm going to be streaming dat in HD bro - just waiting till Jan 19th.

Sweet, I'll be there pretty much every night then.