Ed Snider: "We will have another cable network other than ESPN."

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Thibaj

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rekrul said:
Bettman has been premoting HDTV as a savior for hockey,Spike or TNT doesn't have a HD presence right now. spike TV would make as much sence as going to Sportschanel in the late 80's. ESPN may do a horrid job of promoting but the NHL should be more proactive if they don't like the job being done and be involved. Without a national TV contract this league can kiss growth to 2.1 billion and beyond goodbye.

Well at least Spike TV is available in Canada, so the ratings will go up! Just put Molson ads all over...
 

MojoJojo

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Maybe Comcast would come to the rescue, and try to use an exclusive NHL contract to expand its own sports network into new markets. Comcast has been trying to move into the direction of being content providers for some time, which was what the failed bid for Disney a few years back was all about. They have become large enough, they have the infrastructure, money, influence, etc. to pull something off.
 

RangerBoy

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ScottyBowman said:
You can't promote a product that sucks. My dad has been a fan since the 60's but during the past few years he got fed up and hasn't even watched the playoffs because of all the clutching and grabbing. IMO, blaming ESPN is a cop out.

The # of games on ESPN and ESPN2 decreased every year.When ESPN started ESPN2 in 1993,a NHL game was on ESPN2 three nights every week.The NHL2night appeared 5 nights a week

You can call it anything you want but Gary Bettman did not sound happy with ESPN when he appeared with Mike and the Mad Dog on July 1
 

RangerBoy

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Dr Love said:
Good point.

I can't see this happening. Comcast competes with FSN in Chicago and Atlanta, and Comcast are pretty demanding in what they give and get in contracts. I don't see them wanting to join forces with FSN, or FSN wanting to join forces with them. But who knows. It all depends on how much they'll make.

Comcast stripped FSN Chicago of every sports team.FSN Chicago is owned by MSG.However,Comcast and MSG have an equal 50/50 split of FSN New England

If you have access to the Fox College Sports channels,they have the CSN nightly sports highlights shows as part of their programming
 

Dr Love

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Weary said:
Yeah. Fox did nothing to promote the sport. Never mind that they showed many more games than ABC. Never mind that they covered more than one game per week in the hopes of generating regional interest. Never mind that they constantly promoted the NHL during other broadcasts. Never mind that they tried to promote the stars and make them something other than guys with helmets. Never mind that they tried to develop story lines each week to catch the interest of non-hockey viewers.
And for all the good they did, they shot themselves in the foot with their stupid glowing pucks, animated robots, and not showing all of the Finals.

Look, I'm of the opinion that ESPN has done a fine job promoting the NHL. Could it be better? I guess, but it's not a popular sport, all the promotion in the world isn't going to make hockey a ratings bonanza. But when FOX had the contract, it was a bad product.
 

OILBEEF

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JWI19 said:
Snider is way out of line with his comments. The NHL needs ESPN more than ESPN needs the NHL. They are getting as good if not better rating than what they did in the NHL time slots.

As if ESPN is the only carrier. Somebody else out their that believes in the product will jump on board with a better deal will do a lot better job!
 

Weary

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RangerBoy said:
The # of games on ESPN and ESPN2 decreased every year.When ESPN started ESPN2 in 1993,a NHL game was on ESPN2 three nights every week.The NHL2night appeared 5 nights a week

You can call it anything you want but Gary Bettman did not sound happy with ESPN when he appeared with Mike and the Mad Dog on July 1
And what did the NHL do to keep the product at the same quality level that is was in 1993? Very little. Most of their changes made it worse. It's like a food maker constantly lowering the quality of their product and then whining when supermarkets won't give it the same shelf space. The onus is on the manufacturer to provide something customers will want. Only then will retailers put forth the effort to showcase the product.
 

Old Hickory

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Weary said:
Yeah. Fox did nothing to promote the sport. Never mind that they showed many more games than ABC. Never mind that they covered more than one game per week in the hopes of generating regional interest. Never mind that they constantly promoted the NHL during other broadcasts. Never mind that they tried to promote the stars and make them something other than guys with helmets. Never mind that they tried to develop story lines each week to catch the interest of non-hockey viewers.

What was their reward for those efforts? A bunch of whining hockey fans trashing them and the NHL ditching them because ABC offered more money.

Maybe with the next television contract will give NHL fans what they deserve -- which isn't much.

They tried. But you have to admit their coverage sucked
 

X0ssbar

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rekrul said:
Bettman has been premoting HDTV as a savior for hockey,Spike or TNT doesn't have a HD presence right now. spike TV would make as much sence as going to Sportschanel in the late 80's. ESPN may do a horrid job of promoting but the NHL should be more proactive if they don't like the job being done and be involved. Without a national TV contract this league can kiss growth to 2.1 billion and beyond goodbye.

I'm sure it differs from market to market, carrier to carrier, but here in Cbus TNTHD is available. TNT would be my destination of choice.

I don't blame the NHL for wanting to get out from underneath ESPN - they drag the NHL through the mud any and every chance they get. PTI and Around the Horn take every shot possible at this league. I do my best to avoid anything and everything ESPMTV has to offer aside from SNF (MNF now).

I'd like to see the league move in a different direction and see if things improve.
 

Weary

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kingsjohn said:
They tried. But you have to admit their coverage sucked
Nope. It didn't. People just like to complain and the glowing puck was an easy target. They tried everything they could to entice non-hockey viewers to stay with the game and check it out. Fox Sports was a fledgling outfit and the reason they acquired the NHL rights was to show other sports that they could get the job done. They did and as shown by the later agreements they reached with other leagues.
 

blitzkriegs

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Spike TV Proponents:

This does have the NHL demographic, but it's a new programming format that no one knows how successful (ie. how long it will be on) it will be. It's a risky proposition. Say during the middle of the NHL deal w/spike, spike's parent wants a NEW format that is NOT the same demographic. The LA Times stated this over the weekend - just a one sentence blurb, so I'm not finding a link.
 

Jackets16

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Well, that is the wish of many fans. Spike TV (i.e., Man TV) and hockey sounds like a perfect marriage.
you guys are kidding yourselves if you think the nhl doesnt need espn. its the biggest sports producer in the usa, nothing comes close. yea, so many casual fans are gonna tune into spike to watch hockey. with espn, you get more causual fans. fans KNOW espn as sports. sports fans always tune into espn when they turn their tv on, and even if they arent die hard nhl fans, if thats whats on they will probably watch it. thats not gonna happen on a channel like spike. sports on obscure channels like spike represent novelty sports to me. like mxc :) :) :) :) that show is hilarious. also, you think sportscenter coverage and highlights used to be low, just wait till they arent the carrier of the sport
 

NHLFanSince2020

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What sense does it make for the NHL to say "We love you ESPN. Please put us back on your programming schedule. We love you so much, we'll take nothing if you just show our stuff."?

The NHL is going to have alternatives to ESPN and try to make the best deal it can.

They didn't cave to the PA, why should they cave to ESPN?
 

Gnashville

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JWI19 said:
Snider is way out of line with his comments. The NHL needs ESPN more than ESPN needs the NHL. They are getting as good if not better rating than what they did in the NHL time slots.
Comming from a Wing fan that's not a suprising comment since your teams is on 95 times a year. Good riddance to em that way I don't have to put up with Darren Pang's manlove for Pavel Datsyuk. SpikeTV is the best option IMO. They would show all the teams more often not just the same 6 over and over.
 

Epsilon

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RDriesen16 said:
you guys are kidding yourselves if you think the nhl doesnt need espn. its the biggest sports producer in the usa, nothing comes close. yea, so many casual fans are gonna tune into spike to watch hockey. with espn, you get more causual fans. fans KNOW espn as sports. sports fans always tune into espn when they turn their tv on, and even if they arent die hard nhl fans, if thats whats on they will probably watch it. thats not gonna happen on a channel like spike. sports on obscure channels like spike represent novelty sports to me. like mxc :) :) :) :) that show is hilarious. also, you think sportscenter coverage and highlights used to be low, just wait till they arent the carrier of the sport

People really are brainwashed into believing that ESPN is the be all end all of sports broadcasting arn't they?
 

Dr Love

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Gnashville said:
SpikeTV is the best option IMO. They would show all the teams more often not just the same 6 over and over.
And you know this how? ESPN shows the same games FOX did... and whoever takes it next will do the same. It's not going to suddenly change.
 

HeidiHalter

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Nobody does a good job promoting the NHL.

Stan Kroenke started his own TV station in Colorado to handle his teams' games and programming. And thank God for Altitude Sports Network, which continuously played Avalanche games throughout the lockout.
 

HF_Rangers

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I'm surprised nobody's mentioned USA Network. They're owned by NBC and they've just updated their on-air image. Seeing as how the NHL had them in the early 1980's, I think they would be the perfect candidate for the NHL. USA has had some success lately with its original programming and they are far from the network that used to show old game shows and Silk Stockings. USA, like TNT, is in almost every household with cable or satellite.
 

Drewr15

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I think ESPN in the beginning did a good job f promoting the NHL, funny commercials and more promos. But once they didn't get the return on viewership they were looking for they just gave up in my opinion. And with the NBA, NFL and MLB all having ESPN contracts, they will not put the effort into the NHL that it needs. If i was the NHL i'd try to get USA, TNT or some other well known network that has cable reach and get some popularity up and then sign a game of the week deal with ESPN, just to stay on there because unfortunately they do need some favorable coverage from ESPN.


EDIT: HF Rangers i was in the middle of typing it and you beat me to it. ;)
 

Buffaloed

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getnziggywidit said:
What sense does it make for the NHL to say "We love you ESPN. Please put us back on your programming schedule. We love you so much, we'll take nothing if you just show our stuff."?

The NHL is going to have alternatives to ESPN and try to make the best deal it can.

They didn't cave to the PA, why should they cave to ESPN?

Snider's behavior hurts the NHL's chances of getting a deal with ANY network. No one wants to do business with people who can't conduct themselves professionally in public. Snider can slam ESPN all he wants in private, but when he comes out and does it in the media, it makes the NHL look like a garage league.
 

X8oD

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HF_Rangers said:
I'm surprised nobody's mentioned USA Network. They're owned by NBC and they've just updated their on-air image. Seeing as how the NHL had them in the early 1980's, I think they would be the perfect candidate for the NHL. USA has had some success lately with its original programming and they are far from the network that used to show old game shows and Silk Stockings. USA, like TNT, is in almost every household with cable or satellite.

USA Just reaquired WWE programming, and is doing a "Relaunch" this fall. Would actually be perfect if they want to add a sport.
 

Dr Love

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X8oD said:
USA Just reaquired WWE programming, and is doing a "Relaunch" this fall. Would actually be perfect if they want to add a sport.
Or maybe it's not worth the money for USA. Yeah, they're owned by NBC... the same NBC that isn't paying the NHL a dime upfront for their TV rights.

I don't think people here realize that the regular programming on networks like USA and TNT gets better ratings than the NHL.
 

Pepper

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Buffaloed said:
Snider's behavior hurts the NHL's chances of getting a deal with ANY network. No one wants to do business with people who can't conduct themselves professionally in public. Snider can slam ESPN all he wants in private, but when he comes out and does it in the media, it makes the NHL look like a garage league.

Well, I don't think it hurts NHL's chances to deal with Comcast too much... :)
 
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