According to all of the reports, no. You will have every NHL game with your ESPN+ subscription. That said, if the rumors are true, and ESPN gets its hands on the NFL Sunday Ticket Package... I'd bet my house on there being an extra fee for that.
ESPN signs 7 year deal with the NHL
- Thread starter MMC
- Start date
- Status
According to all of the reports, no. You will have every NHL game with your ESPN+ subscription. That said, if the rumors are true, and ESPN gets its hands on the NFL Sunday Ticket Package... I'd bet my house on there being an extra fee for that.
KopitarFAN
Reno Sucks!
Cool. I have no interest in the NFL Package, as my job requires me to work Sundays.
That or they bump up the price of ESPN+ which is what I find more likely. The issue with the NFL Sunday package was it had long been losing subscribers the money that was paid for it broke DirecTV's back. I think ESPN will employ a different strategy to try and get as many as folks as possible to continue to join ESPN+. They'll open the gates and NFL heads will head there because it's way cheaper at $6 dollars a month than Sunday ticket. After that they'll probably double the price. I wouldn't be shocked if it goes to $12 month, then they'll do that thing companies do where they keep the monthly bill cheaper but you end up paying more in the long run vs just subscribing for the annual package. The annual package will be something like $89.99 month vs the monthly $12 charge. They keep it cheap enough that budget conscious people can fork over $12 month but end up paying more in the long run and folks looking to save don't mind paying $89. Rinse repeat every few yrs.
Last edited:
I can easily see it going that way, too.
The NFL might not let them do that though, just to protect the other networks (and more specifically the billions they spend) to televise games.
Since I am getting the Disney Bundle free from Verizon, I will only care if I start having to pay for it...
Sunday Ticket would be an additional add on subscription for the service of whoever buys the rights. However the extra channels like red zone could become part of a general subscription. That isn’t any different than the league selling it’s own red zone channel through cable now.
That's no different than DirectTV and the reason DirecTV got in the mess its in now. Maybe you're right but I don't see why ESPN would replicate the same failing strategy as DirectTV. In 2005 Sunday Package was HUGE but folks haven't been buying it like they used to do. I think it will look different somewhat maybe it's a $10 mo. add on or something. But it'd make little sense to just try to replicate a model that will more than likely lead to the downfall of DirecTV. I guess the only bonus of having it is to still make folks pay almost $200 yr for Sunday ticket and then say you need to pay a extra $6 or 12 mo. and subscribe to ESPN+ to watch it. I get that's the exact sort of thing greedy networks and cable companies have done for so long, but as a originally subscriber to ESPN+ when they started off with MLS that hasn't seem to be their approach. It's been to draw in a mass amount of people to build a large subscriber following which will eventually allow them to start increasing prices and profits.
They'll get more bang getting Sunday ticket, marginally increasing prices 2x to $12 and watching folks flock to ESPN+ for that package. Then once they are hooked...BAM. Going that way will also entice more bars to drop DirecTV then ESPN+ becomes the defacto package. Think about it if you're a public place or bars with TV's, you buy the full bundle you don't even need cable anymore you have sports, and Nat Geo/Disney for the medical offices and waiting rooms. Following that model would see ESPN really cash in once they got the Sunday ticket package. The BDubs of the world and the small local pubs would make out great they wouldn't need that Direct TV cable package now they all seem to have just to have Sunday ticket.
Last edited:
As Spidey pointed out the NFL likely won’t let Sunday Ticket be part of a general subscription to protect their other tv contracts.
As for ESPN+ getting it they presumably would be able to sell more Sunday Ticket subscriptions as they have less barriers for customers. The cost of an initial ESPN+ would be far less the directv service and equipment (which needs by a satellite is very out of date today). Plus those who are presumable interested in Sunday Ticket would likely also be interested in other ESPN+ offerings.
From ESPN+’s standpoint having Sunday Ticket as a higher tier probably makes more sense than inclusion of a general package at a higher price. Including in the general package would raise the price to where it would be cost prohibitive for those who don’t want ticket but would otherwise buy for the other offerings.
I would also guess it may not be an exclusive deal like Directv is. Where ESPN would be able to sell the package through plus, but it would also be available through cable (like Center Ice). That would lower the cost for ESPN
As for ESPN+ getting it they presumably would be able to sell more Sunday Ticket subscriptions as they have less barriers for customers. The cost of an initial ESPN+ would be far less the directv service and equipment (which needs by a satellite is very out of date today). Plus those who are presumable interested in Sunday Ticket would likely also be interested in other ESPN+ offerings.
From ESPN+’s standpoint having Sunday Ticket as a higher tier probably makes more sense than inclusion of a general package at a higher price. Including in the general package would raise the price to where it would be cost prohibitive for those who don’t want ticket but would otherwise buy for the other offerings.
I would also guess it may not be an exclusive deal like Directv is. Where ESPN would be able to sell the package through plus, but it would also be available through cable (like Center Ice). That would lower the cost for ESPN
TheMoreYouKnow
Registered User
Sunday Ticket is exactly the type of service that should be an extra fee rather than part of a general package. Most people - even most sports fans - don't need to be able to watch every NFL game. I think the main flaw was that it's just been too expensive. Compare the amount of content you get with MLB.TV or NHL.TV (or whatever name you wanna give it) vs. what you get with the NFL package and then look at the prices.
The only people I know who ever got Sunday Ticket were folks who wanted to see their team, but lived well out of market (A Bills fan in Arizona, and a Bengals fan in eastern PA).
Yes, anecdotal evidence. But most NFL fans I know pretty much watch their team’s game, Sunday night, Monday night, and a whole lotta RedZone.
Disney is already down the extra charge path, with movies on Disney+ and UFC on ESPN+. If Disney gets the package, I am sure it’ll be an add-on price.
SJSharksfan39
Registered User
I would like to know what the bundle deals are. I know currently Verizon (My phone service) has a deal which looked really nice (And it also includes Apple Music). I also do subscribe to NHL.TV every year so I wonder how that is going to work. I guess the Discover 10% discount is no more, but I think I would much rather get it through Verizon than paying Disney directly.
IU Hawks fan
They call me IU
Sunday Ticket being included on ESPN+ would really hurt the value of the CBS & FOX deals. Can't see that happening, think it'll be an add on but maybe RedZone is added to the normal package (which would be amazing, I could stop stealing it then).
It’s included with some plans, after jumping through a couple hoops to get set up.
I had accounts with all three services at one point or another, so I may have had more issues because I was consolidating them all.
Side Note: Watching the NCAA hockey tournament on ESPN2 right now. They are (understandably) pushing the NHL contract, going in and out of every commercial break.
LadyStanley
Registered User
ESPN promoting return of NHL on ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu (aka ABC) during NCAA hockey regional semifinals.
Are they showing highlights on SportsCenter yet? Or shows like PTI etc? Promoting it to the NCAA Hockey Crowd is basically preaching to the choir.
Marshmallow Man
Registered User
- Nov 6, 2020
- 294
- 386
People shouldn’t hold their breath waiting for that to happen. The last time they had NHL rights they dumped all over the league and made jokes at its expense on Sports Center.
PTI did 3 minutes (on their timer) on the Maple Leafs about a week and a half ago. It was 2nd on their topics list I believe. I was surprised they spent that much time on a Canadian team and the NHL in general other than playoff time. Although that is just one show.
I don’t think you are going to see that again, because part of that was trying to squeeze the league on the rights fee.
That said I’m not going to expect any robust coverage on the non-hockey telecast or Sportscenter. The end of the day the host of the debate shows don’t follow the league closely and don’t want to look stupid. You aren’t going to get topics such as should team X fire their coach or make a trade. Any topics you will get are the “is this good for the league/sport variety.”
They have, Levy has been a lot of the anchoring of the late night SCs and I’ve seen him do some NHL highlights
I’m not sure if I’m making the correct association in my memory, but I hope they bring back the “Welcome to Hockey Falls” commercials.
Following up on this, if Al Michaels isn't retired from NBC by 2023, the network should let ABC "borrow" him for the latter's NFL telecasts, otherwise, ABC would be his only network. In this scenario, Michaels would call play-by-play for most ABC broadcasts (if NBC is not televising a game on the same day, like they would likely do in the divisional playoffs, in which case Chris Fowler does play-by-play), with Kirk Herbstreit (replacing the late Frank Gifford, also succeeding him as the narrator at the beginning of each broadcast) and Dan Dierdorf doing color commentary, and Lynn Swann being the sideline reporter.
Kirk Van Houten
Registered User
- May 7, 2019
- 1,243
- 1,435
If I remember correctly ESPN had the rights to the NHL Draft in the new deal so this is something to look for the future ABC now will broadcast both drafts they have the right to.
Looking back the ESPN release makes no mention of the draft, unless that is included in special events. But the draft would seemingly be something that would be listed separately. So that might be something that has added value.
Regardless, even if ESPN has draft rights there no chance it goes on ABC. Hockey prospects aren’t as high profile as football and basketball prospects who have college football/basketball exposures.
Regardless, even if ESPN has draft rights there no chance it goes on ABC. Hockey prospects aren’t as high profile as football and basketball prospects who have college football/basketball exposures.
LadyStanley
Registered User
- Status
Ad
Upcoming events
-
French Open - Women's Jelena Ostapenko vs Clara TausonWagers: 3Staked: $1,125.00Event closes- Updated:
-
-
-
-