ESPN signs 7 year deal with the NHL

[DaBadGuy7]

I'm still confused: in the ESPN/ABC package, will ESPN2 not show games, just ESPN and ABC, along with ESPN+?

25 Games on ESPN/ABC and 75 on ESPN +/Hulu. That’s the deal, maybe in future years that number goes down a bit on the ESPN + side and maybe some of those games go to ESPN 2. But for now, that’s the deal.

 

[End of Line]

I’m pretty much the same. College Football is my #2 sport after hockey. In October and November I am Penn State at 3:30 and Pens at 7:00 - with a whole lotta channel flipping in between.

Right there with you as a fan of the B1G as well (OSU). Having noon kickoffs on Fox is beneficial as well since you don't waste the day waiting.

 

[gotyournose]

I'm still confused: in the ESPN/ABC package, will ESPN2 not show games, just ESPN and ABC, along with ESPN+?

I guess it could be put on espn2, but they will prioritize putting it on ESPN

 

[jkrdevil]

Some playoff games will be on ESPN2 I think. But that is it.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

With only 25 regular season games on TV, it’s clear that networks see the playoffs as being responsible for the bulk of the value of these deals. Wish that would push the league to shorten the regular season. The flip side is that streaming services want as much content as possible, so my 74-game regular season preference is probably a pipe dream.

 

[Trizent]

B package likely to have 50 exclusive games on conventional tv. At least that was the plan. So minimum 75 games on conventional tv is the plan ... comparable to this year.

 

[Spydey629]

With only 25 regular season games on TV, it’s clear that networks see the playoffs as being responsible for the bulk of the value of these deals. Wish that would push the league to shorten the regular season. The flip side is that streaming services want as much content as possible, so my 74-game regular season preference is probably a pipe dream.

Ha. I think they need to add two games - 84 makes the math work for 32 teams. Using the pre-COVID matrix, at least.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

With only 25 regular season games on TV, it’s clear that networks see the playoffs as being responsible for the bulk of the value of these deals. Wish that would push the league to shorten the regular season. The flip side is that streaming services want as much content as possible, so my 74-game regular season preference is probably a pipe dream.

You're ignoring every other area that would lose money on a shortened year.

• Local TV deals: each team guarantees their local network at least 70 games
• Gameday revenue: tickets, merch, concessions, parking
• Sponsorships: They're all going to want to pay less for lower inventory

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Ha. I think they need to add two games - 84 makes the math work for 32 teams. Using the pre-COVID matrix, at least.

I would not be surprised if 84 game season happens if they go back to normal schedule matrix

 

[MNNumbers]

I would not be surprised if 84 game season happens if they go back to normal schedule matrix

I don't think the players would go for that. It would be a CBA issue, and I don't think it happens.

I think the most likely schedule going forward is.....home and away with everyone outside of your division, and ask the remaining games in the division.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I don't think the players would go for that. It would be a CBA issue, and I don't think it happens.

I wouldn't se so sure. Yes, the players would have to agree to an 84 game schedule, but the players are going to be in a bind after this season. By not agreeing to a reduction in salary or escrow they're getting way way more than 50% of HRR this year - and that money has to be paid back. So the players have an incentive to try and grow revenues to try and make up that shortfall.

 

[jkrdevil]

If they are going to add games to boost revenue they are going to expand the playoffs to 20. Not expand the schedule to 84.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

I don't think the players would go for that. It would be a CBA issue, and I don't think it happens.

I think the most likely schedule going forward is.....home and away with everyone outside of your division, and ask the remaining games in the division.

No chance, there is gonna be at least 32 games interconference games. So that leaves 50 games against teams within your conference. 84 games works because you have 28 division games (7x4) and 24 intraconference games (8x3). I think that’s a better schedule matrix than 82 with Seattle coming abroad. But of course NHL could steal the NBA’s play-in tournament idea if it’s an successful as well.

 

[supsens]

I'm not at all saying this is a bad thing, but as a Canadian, I'll never understand American's interest in college sports. It's part of US culture that does not translate to Canada at all.

I guess the closest we have is the World Junior hockey tournament, but that's only 2 weeks and a fairly recent (1990s) phenomenon mostly created by TSN.

Even girls basketball has the boosters on game nights and so many vans trucks and cars waving flags will cross over to the next state to support the team. They have a good time

 

[MNNumbers]

No chance, there is gonna be at least 32 games interconference games. So that leaves 50 games against teams within your conference. 84 games works because you have 28 division games (7x4) and 24 intraconference games (8x3). I think that’s a better schedule matrix than 82 with Seattle coming abroad. But of course NHL could steal the NBA’s play-in tournament idea if it’s an successful as well.

For the record, I don't think the PA will allow the schedule to go to 84 games.
I think that the BOG will choose to abandon the Wild Card, since they originally wanted to abandon it when they realigned after Atlanta moved to Winnipeg. If they are 4 8-team divisions, there doesn't need to be a wild card.
So, with all of that in mind, I think the schedule will be, using the Pacific as an example:
Home and home with Central/Atlantic and Metro which makes 48 games.
5 games against 6 of the other Pacific teams, and 4 games against the last of the Pacific teams, which makes 34 games.
82 games total.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

For the record, I don't think the PA will allow the schedule to go to 84 games.
I think that the BOG will choose to abandon the Wild Card, since they originally wanted to abandon it when they realigned after Atlanta moved to Winnipeg. If they are 4 8-team divisions, there doesn't need to be a wild card.
So, with all of that in mind, I think the schedule will be, using the Pacific as an example:
Home and home with Central/Atlantic and Metro which makes 48 games.
5 games against 6 of the other Pacific teams, and 4 games against the last of the Pacific teams, which makes 34 games.
82 games total.

Probably would be interconference games (16x2) 32 games
Intraconference games (15x3) + 5 divisional opponents meeting 4 times
50 games

 

[Trizent]

Arizona will be playing their "extra games" against teams outside their division next year.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

For the record, I don't think the PA will allow the schedule to go to 84 games.
I think that the BOG will choose to abandon the Wild Card, since they originally wanted to abandon it when they realigned after Atlanta moved to Winnipeg. If they are 4 8-team divisions, there doesn't need to be a wild card.
So, with all of that in mind, I think the schedule will be, using the Pacific as an example:
Home and home with Central/Atlantic and Metro which makes 48 games.
5 games against 6 of the other Pacific teams, and 4 games against the last of the Pacific teams, which makes 34 games.
82 games total.

I hope they get rid of the idiotic wildcard, but it's my understanding the players wanted it. I'd also prefer pure divisional playoffs, but I might be in the minority there. You win your division, then you win your conference, then you win the Stanley Cup. It much more logical than the current system.

If I live to be 1,000 years old I'll never understand the objection to divisional playoffs from a fan's perspective. "The 2 best teams in the league might play each other in the 2nd round... instead of the 3rd round!" OK. If you aren't the best team in your division, you have no business being in the conference championship, in my opinion.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

There's no need to have conferences with the 8×4 balance.

Divisional playoffs leading into a Semi- Final reseed like they're doing this year makes so much more sense.

 

[MNNumbers]

I hope they get rid of the idiotic wildcard, but it's my understanding the players wanted it. I'd also prefer pure divisional playoffs, but I might be in the minority there. You win your division, then you win your conference, then you win the Stanley Cup. It much more logical than the current system.

If I live to be 1,000 years old I'll never understand the objection to divisional playoffs from a fan's perspective. "The 2 best teams in the league might play each other in the 2nd round... instead of the 3rd round!" OK. If you aren't the best team in your division, you have no business being in the conference championship, in my opinion.

There's no need to have conferences with the 8×4 balance.

Divisional playoffs leading into a Semi- Final reseed like they're doing this year makes so much more sense.

This sums up the matter. The players wanted the wild card, they said, specifically because when the alignment was re-done a few years ago, there were both 7- and 8- team divisions. That didn't make playoff qualification equal, they said.... And, thus the wild card was born, along with it the '3-games with the other division in your conference' schedule model.

If all divisions have 8 teams, none of that is necessary, and, because the 2 western divisions (especially the central) would then be shielded from long travel in rounds 1 and 2, I think it likely that the players would prefer the model described above.

What we don't know is what the BOG and players would prefer for the last 4 teams. Either a straight "Pac v Cent, Atl v Metro" model, or a re-seed.

 

[John Price]

What we’re hearing: Who's going to be working on ESPN's NHL broadcasts, virtual reality training and more

 

[Butch 19]

the other day ESPN had axe throwing on. This is what the NHL wants?

 

[Lt Frank Drebin]

the other day ESPN had axe throwing on. This is what the NHL wants?

NBCSN shows car shows and professional tag so axe throwing is a bit of an upgrade. ESPN has lost a bit of popularity but it’s still the biggest sports network by far. When people want to watch sports the first channel they check is espn. Espn also has a huge social media following. If they regularly post about the NHL on Twitter and Instagram the leagues ratings will go up. Being on ESPN helped make the nba and ufc more popular so I think it’ll make the NHL more popular too.

 

[varsaku]

The price ESPN paid for package A is too much for any other network to pay for a proportional priced package B. I think that's why package B negotiations have been going alot longer than expected.

 

[Marshmallow Man]

You're ignoring every other area that would lose money on a shortened year.

• Local TV deals: each team guarantees their local network at least 70 games
• Gameday revenue: tickets, merch, concessions, parking
• Sponsorships: They're all going to want to pay less for lower inventory

The NFL must be hemorrhaging money in that case. I take it they are the least successful of the major sports in the US? With a measly 17-game season, their TV rights fees must be abysmal. Merch and sponsorships too!