Future of NHL on NBC

[Butch 19]

I think it means he sucks at negotiating if a deal with multiple networks isn't the best he can do.

Hockey will never be as big as the other 3 sports, so a multiple network deal will more than likely never happen.

 

[eddygee]

First, we need to see who winds up controlling the FOX RSN's and that could take a few more months.

NBC has addressed some of the NHL concerns with new music introduced and sending Pierre out west for late games. They also are looking hard at Dave Goucher as a possible replacement for Doc along with John Forslund and putting the ASG on the main network in prime time makes the NHL happy.

I only see 2 other media companies likely to make a run at NBC - FOX and CBS as both can provide the cable and OTA main network that the NHL wants.

ESPN simply has too much inventory to add the NHL....but I could see them getting a game of the week package.

What the NHL has in their favor is very good demographics. Discover Card has been a major NHL sponsor for a decade and like American Express you need a decent FICO score to be approved.

Hey Fenway I respect your opinion but are the demographics really very good? The NHL demographics are affluent sure but middle aged affluent and rapidly aging.
The NHL has a Problem: All its Fans are Bloody Old

Sports Business Daily published a report this week looking at the television audiences for 25 major sports, and it turns out the NHL has some of the world's most rapidly aging fans. The median age for an NHL fan in 2016 was 49. In 2000, it was 33, which means the average NHL fan aged 16 years over those 16 years, which means there aren't any new fans coming through the turnstiles. (Only wrestling fans had their median age go up by more—by 26 years, to age 54—but that's a scripted show involving fake violence. If Law & Order wasn't a sport, then neither is wrestling.)

 

[LadyStanley]

NBC has addressed some of the NHL concerns with new music introduced and sending Pierre out west for late games. They also are looking hard at Dave Goucher as a possible replacement for Doc along with John Forslund and putting the ASG on the main network in prime time makes the NHL happy.

Frankly, was SHOCKED that McGuire was in west for opening night in SJ and 2nd night in Vegas. Rarely was someone who wasn't from one of the teams involved in national RS games last season and previously.

Goucher seems happy in Vegas. (Did national call Thursday) Probably helps he was voice of Bruins for a number of years.

I know that SJ's Hahn has done a few national games of western teams in some years.

 

[nickschultzfan]

NBC is a good partner for the NHL. They treat the game seriously, and there is good overlap in younger demographics with their EPL coverage.

ESPN is a slowly sinking ship and would be a disaster.

Fox would Foxify the NHL in a manner that would be only slightly less annoying than ESPN. Fox recently took over Big Ten coverage and its just downright painful. A bunch of announcers and color commentators who clearly rather be covering the NFL.

CBS? Eh, maybe?

 

[canuckfan75]

I see a $600 million per year rights fee over 5 years .

 

[eddygee]

NBC is a good partner for the NHL. They treat the game seriously, and there is good overlap in younger demographics with their EPL coverage.

ESPN is a slowly sinking ship and would be a disaster.

Fox would Foxify the NHL in a manner that would be only slightly less annoying than ESPN. Fox recently took over Big Ten coverage and its just downright painful. A bunch of announcers and color commentators who clearly rather be covering the NFL.

CBS? Eh, maybe?

I agree do what it takes to make it work with NBC I don't want to be in a situation where NHL overplays it's hand again. It is concerning that after such a successful post season that the numbers didn't translate to regular season opening day. That's the biggest issue NHL faces this year will be telling on many levels if regular season numbers don't turn around. At the end of the day I still think NHL get a nice US TV bump up to $400-500 mil per yr from be it from NBC or ESPN.

NHL Has Least-Watched Opening Night Since 2009
NHL Has Least-Watched Opening Night Since 2009
Bruins-Caps blowout down 24 percent

Also ESPN has righted the course they stemmed losses with their restructuring and have posted coverage gains since starting ESPN+ in April that has
Nielsen coverage estimates for September see gains at ESPN networks, drops at MLBN and NFLN
Nielsen coverage estimates for September see gains at ESPN networks, NBCSN, and NBA TV, drops at MLBN and NFLN

 

[eddygee]

I see a $600 million per year rights fee over 5 years .

Whats your basis on thinking that much I'm curious I know last year some one mentioned NHL was seeking $500 mil on a similar deal which is honestly reasonable but that kind of money you are talk $600 mil per yr over 5 yrs is 6x more than the current deal. Would love for that to happen but TV numbers don't justify it, they actually are lower on NBCSN than what they were when we got the current deal. So expecting that big of jump is a major stretch IMHO.

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

First, we need to see who winds up controlling the FOX RSN's and that could take a few more months.

NBC has addressed some of the NHL concerns with new music introduced and sending Pierre out west for late games. They also are looking hard at Dave Goucher as a possible replacement for Doc along with John Forslund and putting the ASG on the main network in prime time makes the NHL happy.

I only see 2 other media companies likely to make a run at NBC - FOX and CBS as both can provide the cable and OTA main network that the NHL wants.

ESPN simply has too much inventory to add the NHL....but I could see them getting a game of the week package.

What the NHL has in their favor is very good demographics. Discover Card has been a major NHL sponsor for a decade and like American Express you need a decent FICO score to be approved.

Frankly, was SHOCKED that McGuire was in west for opening night in SJ and 2nd night in Vegas. Rarely was someone who wasn't from one of the teams involved in national RS games last season and previously.

Goucher seems happy in Vegas. (Did national call Thursday) Probably helps he was voice of Bruins for a number of years.

I know that SJ's Hahn has done a few national games of western teams in some years.

I think NBC this year is working hard to address a lot of concerns that people have had in the past about their coverage. More Canadian teams and more Western teams. Toronto-Winnipeg on Wednesday the 24th this year? Even last year you would have been called crazy to suggest they air something like that on WNR.

I'm a little surprised, Fenway, to see that NBC thinks of Goucher as a possible Doc replacement. Goucher's good, yes, but I would think Forslund and even Kenny Albert would be higher on the totem pole. And then you have Alex Faust also and he I think may be younger than Goucher.

I suspect what you'll end up seeing at some point moving forward is that NBC will perhaps need to go back to what they had tried to do with Doc and Strader in making them full-time to the network as opposed to what they let Forslund and the rest of them do now and that is do their national commitments outside of their local ones. Similar to what Rogers does in Canada. Have a full-time national announcer stable as opposed to national/local. Yes, Rogers has a little bit of the latter with Bartlett and Rick Ball, but Hughson, Dave Randorf and Bob Cole are all exclusively national.

I'd think with this in mind, they'd hire Forslund once Doc calls it quits to be the lead national announcer with Goucher as their main voice out West. As for Pierre, I'm also a bit surprised with him being out West at this point, but the way you address that moving forward is hiring Hayward or Jim Fox fulltime away to be that main Western analyst from their local games. Or perhaps you seek to grab Ray Ferraro from TSN, he's based in Vancouver and probably would enjoy the reduced travel to games if he was NBC's full-time Western analyst.

In terms of who might challenge NBC, you are correct, we have to see who wins the FOX RSN bidding before that can be handicapped. If Sinclair is able to win that and buy the nets for their Stadium network, then they could be a player, albeit on a lesser scale, than FOX or CBS. My prediction is that if they win, you'll see them be a player, but in a "game of the week" role similar to that of what ESPN would look for, probably on Sunday nights. NBC I think will still end up with the lion share of the contract, but they'd lose perhaps part of the playoffs and the Cup final every two seasons to the other network.

 

[Fenway]

Forslund is in the final year of his contract with Carolina. Gary Thorn is itching to get back to hockey, it must have been hard for him calling Orioles games this year. Faust is a good candidate and he is in the running to replace Trebek on Jeopardy.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

I agree do what it takes to make it work with NBC I don't want to be in a situation where NHL overplays it's hand again. It is concerning that after such a successful post season that the numbers didn't translate to regular season opening day. That's the biggest issue NHL faces this year will be telling on many levels if regular season numbers don't turn around. At the end of the day I still think NHL get a nice US TV bump up to $400-500 mil per yr from be it from NBC or ESPN.

NHL Has Least-Watched Opening Night Since 2009
NHL Has Least-Watched Opening Night Since 2009
Bruins-Caps blowout down 24 percent

Also ESPN has righted the course they stemmed losses with their restructuring and have posted coverage gains since starting ESPN+ in April that has
Nielsen coverage estimates for September see gains at ESPN networks, drops at MLBN and NFLN
Nielsen coverage estimates for September see gains at ESPN networks, NBCSN, and NBA TV, drops at MLBN and NFLN

It really isnt. Ratings were bad because of a blowout. Its not rocket science

 

[snovalleyhockeyfan]

Forslund is in the final year of his contract with Carolina. Gary Thorn is itching to get back to hockey, it must have been hard for him calling Orioles games this year. Faust is a good candidate and he is in the running to replace Trebek on Jeopardy.

I'd have to think NBC would offer him more $$ to go full-national, and a lot more job security too considering the long-term future of the Hurricanes is very debatable I think at best, no offense to the Carolina fans here at HF. As for Thorne, that set of games he did in Bob Miller's place a few years ago - the manner in which it seemed he was able to get back to the old flow of things after having not done it for so long along with I'm guessing some good reviews of that work, no wonder he probably longs for that. I'd have to think though that he'd be more a lower-level NBC candidate as opposed to a full-time Doc replacement (I think he's Doc's age if I'm not mistaken). And yes, Faust on Jeopardy would definitely be interesting.....

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Hockey will never be as big as the other 3 sports, so a multiple network deal will more than likely never happen.

MLS has it. I don't think it's a matter of popularity.

 

[eddygee]

MLS has it. I don't think it's a matter of popularity.

I think it can happen but you have to way the overall benefit. NHL is a bulk buy. Broadcasters pay for the bulk of games not the ratings. The way I see it the more you slice the ratings the less valuable rights become. The best case scenario from a money perspective is a 70/80 NBC split and give a third of the non ESPN+ games to ESPN. Given the decades long rating slide with NBC you have to believe NBC won't want to pay more than what they are paying now with significantly less inventory. So it's a sticky situation. Which is why it may overall just be best for Bettman to lead the making up strengthen of relationships via concessions like Olympics anticipation in hopes NBC realizes the whole they'd have in filling program and decides to do a new deal double the current one.

 

[eddygee]

It really isnt. Ratings were bad because of a blowout. Its not rocket science

NHL Has Least-Watched Opening Night Since 2009
It wasn't just that game the other was down too.

Later Wednesday night, Ducks-Sharks had a 0.20 and 338,000 (-27%) — the least-watched Opening Night game in any timeslot since 2009 (Sharks-Avalanche: 330K).
The NHL did face tougher Major League Baseball competition than a year ago, with the A’s-Yankees American League Wild Card game up 46% in ratings and 40% in viewership from Rockies-Diamondbacks on the same night last year.
NHL SEASON OPENER VIEWERSHIP, PAST TEN SEASONS

Excludes lockout-shortened 2013 season.

 

[Fenway]

I'd have to think NBC would offer him more $$ to go full-national, and a lot more job security too considering the long-term future of the Hurricanes is very debatable I think at best, no offense to the Carolina fans here at HF. As for Thorne, that set of games he did in Bob Miller's place a few years ago - the manner in which it seemed he was able to get back to the old flow of things after having not done it for so long along with I'm guessing some good reviews of that work, no wonder he probably longs for that. I'd have to think though that he'd be more a lower-level NBC candidate as opposed to a full-time Doc replacement (I think he's Doc's age if I'm not mistaken). And yes, Faust on Jeopardy would definitely be interesting.....

The problem is NBC can't offer anybody a longterm contract until they know IF they are keeping the contract.

NBC is going all in with Toronto at Winnipeg on 10/24 as even the studio show will be done on location. Impossible to predict a rating as we don't know what teams will be in the World Series which will have Game 2 that night.

 

[eddygee]

The problem is NBC can't offer anybody a longterm contract until they know IF they are keeping the contract.

NBC is going all in with Toronto at Winnipeg on 10/24 as even the studio show will be done on location. Impossible to predict a rating as we don't know what teams will be in the World Series which will have Game 2 that night.

Good points

 

[Anisimovs AK]

NHL Has Least-Watched Opening Night Since 2009
It wasn't just that game the other was down too.

Later Wednesday night, Ducks-Sharks had a 0.20 and 338,000 (-27%) — the least-watched Opening Night game in any timeslot since 2009 (Sharks-Avalanche: 330K).
The NHL did face tougher Major League Baseball competition than a year ago, with the A’s-Yankees American League Wild Card game up 46% in ratings and 40% in viewership from Rockies-Diamondbacks on the same night last year.
NHL SEASON OPENER VIEWERSHIP, PAST TEN SEASONS

Excludes lockout-shortened 2013 season.

A first game blowout usually tempers the nightcap's attendance as well. This is like in 2014 (IIRC) when a NHL playoff game outrated a NBA playoff game. Its more of a fluke due to the circumstances than it is a reflection of the game's popularity

 

[Vamos Rafa]

How long until Netflix enters the live TV streaming service business?

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Hockey will never be as big as the other 3 sports, so a multiple network deal will more than likely never happen.

MLS has multiple network deal...

 

[13 others]

How long until Netflix enters the live TV streaming service business?

Never.

 

[Bookie21]

ESPN isn't competent enough to get the rights to the NHL. They are hemorraging money and viewers. People are dumping the channel because of the political bs it has become. The layoffs are now in the thousands at ESPN, they signed one of the worst possible deals with the current MNF package, and want out desperately. Disney has completely screwed the entire channel up. Most people that enjoy ESPN, don't even watch it, because they'd rather tune in to CNN

 

[awfulwaffle]

ESPN doesn't have the rights to the UFC but they still manage to advertise the shit out of them.

Wake up people. The NHL just doesn't pull the draw as other sports.

 

[MNNumbers]

ESPN doesn't have the rights to the UFC but they still manage to advertise the **** out of them.

Wake up people. The NHL just doesn't pull the draw as other sports.

This, unfortunately, is what I think. If I were an exec at any of the major broadcasters, I would low-ball the NHL. The league doesn't pull enough viewership to get me ad-buys. And, I am relatively sure that, long-term, sports media is going digital. The young fan wants to be notified when something happens, and watch the replay on their phone - not watch the whole game live. It wouldn't be worth 400-500M/yr to me for what I would perceive to be decreasing revenues.

 

[Butch 19]

MLS has multiple network deal...

I guess I should have said the 3 other major sports.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I guess I should have said the 3 other major sports.

My point is you don't have to be as big as other Big 3 to have multi network deals.