NBC broadcast deal extended

[LadyStanley]

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=298224

So, it looks like neither Canada or US will have a change of broadcasters for next season.

Click to read more...

 

[X0ssbar]

Good I think the NBC's production has been outstanding. I would have liked to have seen this extended at least two years though instead of this optional year for NBC stuff.

I do wonder if the NHL makes anything off this deal?

 

[kdb209]

It looks like there has been a significant change in how NBC is scheduling the games. Rather than doing regional coverage (as they did this year), they seem to be doing a single national game with flexible scheduling:

"Flexible scheduling will always allow us to have the best possible games," said Ebersol. "Nothing could be better for hockey fans, who now will be able to see the best teams and marquee players on national broadcast television each week."

Bettman said: "In under two seasons, NBC Sports has significantly elevated NHL broadcast coverage in the U.S. We're delighted to have extended our partnership and look forward to next season's scheduling innovation, aimed at delivering the best possible action to hockey fans."

FLEX SCHEDULING

The NHL will offer flexible scheduling for NBC's nine regular season dates.

NBC will be able to select from a minimum of three games scheduled on Sunday afternoons. Thirteen days prior to the scheduled games, NBC, in conjunction with the NHL, will select one of those games as the "Game of the Week" to be broadcast during the NBC window. The other two games will revert back to the team's regional carrier (not to be televised during NBC's broadcast window).

It appears that for the games not selected, the teams will have to chose between changing the start time and having it broadcast on thier RSN or keeping the Sunday Afternoon start with no TV.

The other complication I see is with teams that do not broadcast all 82 games and have contractual stipulations on a specific number of games to broadcast. For example the Sharks deal with Fox Sports Bay Area covers 70 games - when VS dropped a game this season, FSN-BA picked it up and had to drop another game later in the year. It is uncertain how they will handle these Game of the Week candidates. If a selected game is picked for NBC's Game of the Week, the RSN may need to add another game to it's broadcast schedule (if they counted the GotW) or if a game is not picked, they may need to drop a game from their schedule (if they didn't count the GotW).

 

[Shoalzie]

Good to hear...I am a fan of the NBC broadcasts. I like the idea of flex scheduling but I would just like to see more games shown period. What is really stopping them from showing games every weekend during the season? The fact the games aren't always on just Sunday or Saturday or just one particular time or aren't shown every week will keep the casual fan from getting into a routine of watching them each week. Versus doesn't show enough games either but they at least consistently show games Monday and Tuesday nights. I kind of like having the one game on Monday night showing on Versus...gives it a little bit of a Monday Night Football vibe. They also need to get the All-Star Game onto network TV.

 

[iceman64]

Good to hear...I am a fan of the NBC broadcasts. I like the idea of flex scheduling but I would just like to see more games shown period. What is really stopping them from showing games every weekend during the season? The fact the games aren't always on just Sunday or Saturday or just one particular time or aren't shown every week will keep the casual fan from getting into a routine of watching them each week. Versus doesn't show enough games either but they at least consistently show games Monday and Tuesday nights. I kind of like having the one game on Monday night showing on Versus...gives it a little bit of a Monday Night Football vibe. They also need to get the All-Star Game onto network TV.

right on about getting the All Star game onto network tv. It would also help to play it on the weekend. NHL swung and missed big time not having the game on the weekend of January 27th / 28th. Furthermore the NFL had a bye week as it was in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. It would have gotten a lot more play than playing it the middle of the week. Bad decision.

 

[Hasbro]

I do wonder if the NHL makes anything off this deal?

Who cares? The NHL should be treating the national tv deal like a promotional expense.

 

[Stevedude530]

It's an extension of the revenue sharing deal.

 

[Fugu]

Look on the bright side. At least they opted to continue. Personally I'm expecting a lot of NY area vs whoever, or Pittsburgh vs. whoever, with the occasional Detroit v Aves/Stars or something of that ilk. What I don't like is the potential for the local broadcast to be dropped and/or delayed. Then again, it shouldn't be too bad since most teams can expect to appear on the Sunday NBC option only 3-4 times perhaps.

 

[Stevedude530]

Here's the 9 matchups you'll see on NBC next year:

1. Rangers-Flyers
2. Penguins-Capitals
3. Wings-Avs
4. Penguins-Avs
5. Wings-Stars
6. Penguins-Rangers
7. Wings-Sabres
8. Stars-Flyers
9. Kings-Rangers

 

[X0ssbar]

Who cares? The NHL should be treating the national tv deal like a promotional expense.

I'm sure the NHL and its teams care. You don't just give away your product if you don't have to.

 

[Terrier]

Wait, there's more.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nhl_signs_broadcast_deal_with_food

 

[jkrdevil]

They also need to get the All-Star Game onto network TV.

First they need to get games 1 and 2 of the Cup Finals on network tv.

 

[Meichel Kane]

I've enjoyed NBC's coverage so far.

 

[Hasbro]

I'm sure the NHL and its teams care. You don't just give away your product if you don't have to.

Not many buyers out there. For the $2mill a team they are getting it is relatively little.

The NHL should have just offered a revenue sharing deal to ESPN, but made their demmands on the presentation and devetion to the sport.

 

[GernerPSU]

Not many buyers out there. For the $2mill a team they are getting it is relatively little.

The NHL should have just offered a revenue sharing deal to ESPN, but made their demmands on the presentation and devetion to the sport.

I don't think we don't get ESPN because of this deal. If VS gets extended, then, I think ESPN is all but out the window.

I wonder if any details are out there about the deal. I think the current one the NHL gets nothing.

 

[rye&ginger]

Wait, there's more.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nhl_signs_broadcast_deal_with_food

Brilliant!

 

[Hasbro]

I don't think we don't get ESPN because of this deal. If VS gets extended, then, I think ESPN is all but out the window.

I wonder if any details are out there about the deal. I think the current one the NHL gets nothing.

Up front.

With any TV deal for the time being the NHL needs to be less concerned with the up front money, which won't make or break, and be more concerned about how and how often hockey is presented.

 

[Karl]

Glad to hear, NBC has done a better job than ABC/ESPN in showing the games. Now they need to have a half hour pregame show before the games.

 

[X0ssbar]

I do wonder if the NHL makes anything off this deal?

I guess this article answers this question:

A money-maker?

The NBC-NHL television deal is a revenue-sharing agreement. No rights fee is involved. But is the league making money from the NBC telecasts?

Bettman wouldn't comment, but Schanzer said both sides made a profit in 2005-06 from the telecasts and will again this season. "They [the NHL] should make money," he said.

Bettman suggested revenue has increased this season. "I think it's at least as good. And with the playoffs not having started yet, it has the potential to be even better."

Neither side would discuss specific figures, but Bettman noted that profit from TV is distributed equally among the 30 NHL clubs.

Also some decent news on the ratings front:

NBC's ratings (percentage of households tuned in) for NHL telecasts are down slightly from last year, 1.0 compared with 1.1.

The Versus audiences are up 30 per cent. What's more, the average audience of 216,000 is larger than the ESPN2 average in the final year of its NHL contract in 2003-04 (209,000 viewers). However, there is an important qualifier. To protect the regional networks, ESPN2 was blacked out in the home markets of the two teams playing in the game it was telecasting. Versus's broadcast is not.

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070327.wspttruth27/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home

 

[GKJ]

Also new will be that all games will be played on Sundays for the entire regular season and will be broadcast in high definition. As per the current agreement, NBC will also carry Saturday and Sunday playoff games, in addition to Games 3-7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

By this I'm assuming "entire regular season" begins after the NFL is done. I would also assume that the NHL would be on NBC every Sunday.

 

[Stevedude530]

No, just nine Sundays.

 

[jsginsocal]

I guess this article answers this question:



Also some decent news on the ratings front:



http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070327.wspttruth27/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home

Globe sports says the NHL on NBC has been averaging a 1.0, down from a 1.1 last year. Actually the NHL is exactly on par with the 1.1 rating from last year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratings_for_The_NHL_on_NBC

 

[MaskedSonja]

I guess this article answers this question:



Also some decent news on the ratings front:



http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070327.wspttruth27/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home

There seem to be early indications that the Versus deal isn't creating armageddon like some in the media thought for the NHL-they're increasing viewership, though it would help if Versus were on a lot more regular cable packages, instead of extra cost specialty channel. Too early to make a judgement, but these early signs are encouraging.

And as quoted earlier, putting the All-Star game on a weekend would help immensely. I think that the NHL is secretly hoping for either a Pens or Sabres/Wings Stanley Cup final ratings wise in the states, the Sabres being their first choice.

 

[trueblue9441]

this has definitely been said before but no one knows where versus is.. the fact that the games are getting these ratings when no one knows where the hell the channel is is amazing... here in ny the tv grid for the night is on the back pages of the post and the news etc.. not once has it been on there... maybe if it was in tv guide or something like that people would find it

 

[risnuff]

There seem to be early indications that the Versus deal isn't creating armageddon like some in the media thought for the NHL-they're increasing viewership, though it would help if Versus were on a lot more regular cable packages, instead of extra cost specialty channel. Too early to make a judgement, but these early signs are encouraging.

And as quoted earlier, putting the All-Star game on a weekend would help immensely. I think that the NHL is secretly hoping for either a Pens or Sabres/Wings Stanley Cup final ratings wise in the states, the Sabres being their first choice.

And you know the NHL's hoping for a Buffalo-Pittsburgh Eastern Conference Finals.