NBC does it again

[Kardi]

Doubt it... other than Toronto there are no other sports teams other than hockey in Canada.

that means canada is fresh meat

 

[frivolousz21]

The problem with yesterday's NBC debacle was that they've given their word to Bettman numerous times that they won't cut away from a game going into overtime. That was one of the "guarantees" he was supposed to get from NBC. However, they cut away to the Preakness preshow. Not the actual race, but a preshow. For surely, they could have delayed the preshow to show the overtime. Instead, the NHL gets screwed yet again by NBC and they get shut out.

What I don't get is that there has to be more than one sports channel in the States besides ESPN. I thought Fox Sports was there and if so, why doesn't the NHL try to get a national contract with them? I remember in the late 90s when Fox used to show games and I always thought Fox was great. The Saturday afternoon games was always something to watch and always something good. I think it's time the NHL revisit Fox and go from there.

Fox has baseball on saturdays and Nascar on Sundays and football on Sundays in the fall

 

[jkrdevil]

Last year's rating FWIW:

"The overnight ratings for NBC's coverage of the Preakness Stakes May 20 indicated a small drop-off in viewers from 2005's numbers. The overnights, which measure viewership in 54 major markets, gave the overall telecast a 5.7 rating and a 14 share, down 4% from last year's 5.9/14.

With one rating point equal to 770,000 viewers, the Preakness, from Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Md., was seen in approximately 4.4-million homes. The share indicates the percent of TV sets that were tuned to the race.

The pre-race portion of the one-hour, 45-minute telecast, from 5 p.m.-5:45 p.m. EDT, registered a 4.0/10, down fractionally from 2005's 4.2/10. The race portion of the show, 5:45-6:45, yielded a 7.0/16, down 3% from a 7.2/17 last year.

Nevertheless, the Preakness telecast was the highest-rated sporting event televised May 20. ABC will telecast the Belmont Stakes June 10 from New York."

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=33676

I think a SCFs elimination game could at least equal that.

GHOST

But there is a huge difference the Stanley Cup Finals are in primetime this was during the day. a 4 rating for a saturday afternoon is a great rating, a 4 ratings for primetime (which the Cup Final would probably get) is a bad rating.

The reason for Saturday afternoon sports in the States is because Friday and Saturday nights in the States are the worst ratings night. Networks often put shows they want to get rid of or play reruns on those nights. Given the cost it takes to produce a sports event and the fact that regular season Baseball, Basketball, and Hockey won't pull a decent rating on those night they go with the afternoon slots. Baseball this year moved the start of the Wrold Series from Saturday to Monday or Tuesday for television because Saturday night gets low ratings.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Who gives a **** about the ratings? The problem is that Bettman allowed this to happen, he knew if the game went into overtime NBC would be switching over to the horse race. He turn the NHL into some cheap throw away product. For that alone he should have his ass thrown out, but unfortunately most of the American owners don't give a **** about the game either.

 

[risnuff]

Bettman at least got the NHL onto network television in the U.S. on a somewhat consistent basis, which is more than I can say for John Ziegler or Gil Stein.

 

[Trizent]

Bettman at least got the NHL onto network television in the U.S. on a somewhat consistent basis, which is more than I can say for John Ziegler or Gil Stein.

100% true.

 

[BobbyClarkeFan16]

Bettman at least got the NHL onto network television in the U.S. on a somewhat consistent basis, which is more than I can say for John Ziegler or Gil Stein.

But now it's time to get someone in who can at least land the NHL a decent television contract with some more exposure. Bettman has already run his course. He's managed to crush the NHLPA and he's managed to get a salary cap in place. Now the league needs someone who at least has some good working relationships with the major networks in order to land a very good television deal.

 

[Wetcoaster]

Not the first time for NBC..... the "Heidi Bowl" game in the AFL????

In American football, the Heidi Game (also sometimes called the Heidi Bowl) refers to a famous 1968 American Football League (AFL) game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders, played on November 17 in Oakland, California. Another NBC "Heidi" incident happened on May 20, 2007, during the Stanley Cup Semi-Finals.

With the Jets leading 32-29 with only 65 seconds left in the game, the Raiders quickly scored 14 points to win, 43-32. Meanwhile, millions of American television viewers were unable to see Oakland's comeback. The NBC television network cut off the live broadcast in favor of a pre-scheduled airing of Heidi, a new made-for-TV version of the classic children's story

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

NBC is not the only network, other US and Canadian networks have done the same. Dave Hodge was fired from HNIC when he protested a cut away. For similar incidents see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Game#Similar_events

Not the first time and it will not be the last.

 

[Ruckus007]

I empathize with NBC on this, sorta. You have an NHL contract, you have a Preakness contract, and a conflict.

-It's not like they didn't know what day the Preakness was on. This game should've started at 1pm EST at the latest, or scheduled for Friday - NBC contract be damned.

-The real issue for me is that the race took place an hour and fifteen minutes AFTER the switch took place. I get the move if you switch right at post time but so they can get their entire, hour-plus, degenerate gambler pre-race show in? Unforgivable. At least they had the decency to keep the game on the Buffalo NBC affiliate.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Not even a Stanley Cup Finals elimination game between two large American markets? If so, things are even worse than I thought. Either that or Preakness is a much bigger event in the USA than I had imagined.

GHOST

Preakness is huge. There is a reason why 100, 000+ turn out in the rain in Pimlico, MD.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

Apparently some Versus viewers were none to happy to have their professional strongman competition cut off half way through the broadcast in order to show the hockey game.



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/allan_muir/05/20/playoffs.preakness/

GHOST

 

[puck57]

But now it's time to get someone in who can at least land the NHL a decent television contract with some more exposure. Bettman has already run his course. He's managed to crush the NHLPA and he's managed to get a salary cap in place. Now the league needs someone who at least has some good working relationships with the major networks in order to land a very good television deal.

WAYNE WAYNE WAYNE #99- he could do it!! Come on Wayne- ditch the coaching gig and move back to NY and take over from Uncle Gary! Ha- oh well- nice to at least think it could happen even if it won't. Gretz has to give coaching more of a test before he is ready to throw in the towel- but never know.

 

[MAROONSRoad]

Preakness Stakes blows away Stanley Cup Conference Finals

Preakness Stakes horse race audience on NBC was over 400% that of the Stanley Cup Conference finals.

Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Final elimination game on NBC: 1.2 rating

Preakness Stakes on NBC: 5.4 rating

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/hiestand-tv/2007-05-20-hiestand-weekend_N.htm

GHOST

 

[taunting canadian]

Apparently some Versus viewers were none to happy to have their professional strongman competition cut off half way through the broadcast in order to show the hockey game.



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/allan_muir/05/20/playoffs.preakness/

GHOST

From your link:

"I can't believe it," he moaned. "They cut off the strongman competition I was watching for a stinkin' hockey game!"

The NHL gives the CBC the short end of the scheduling stick so they can try win over American fans, and this is the response. Good move, Bettman!

Just take a lesson from NBC, and start pandering to the people who actually pay your bills. NBC chooses the Preakness and their advertising dollars over the NHL. The NHL should learn from that lesson and choose the national network that actually pays them for broadcasting rights.

 

[skeena1]

From your link:


The NHL should learn from that lesson and choose the national network that actually pays them for broadcasting rights.

Any thoughts on who that might be?

 

[Kardi]

Any thoughts on who that might be?

no one..

 

[ej_pens]

-The real issue for me is that the race took place an hour and fifteen minutes AFTER the switch took place. I get the move if you switch right at post time but so they can get their entire, hour-plus, degenerate gambler pre-race show in?

The issue was advertising. The advertisers paid the money they did for the Preakness-type audience, not the NHL. Unfortunately, there are a lot more people that watch the Preakness than the NHL and NBC isn't going to piss off their advertisers to show the rest of the hockey game.

 

[taunting canadian]

Any thoughts on who that might be?

CBC.

 

[Lil' Jimmy Norton*]

Complete JOKE....!!! What the **** is the NHL doing??? Get rid of NBC they are a complete bunch of idiots. I thought I'd seen it all until Saturday at 5pm!!

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Complete JOKE....!!! What the **** is the NHL doing??? Get rid of NBC they are a complete bunch of idiots. I thought I'd seen it all until Saturday at 5pm!!

Read the thread, por favor.

 

[Dr Love]

Well, we hated the NHL on FOX. And we hated the NHL on ESPN/ABC. And now we hate the NHL on NBC/Vs. It doesn't matter who carries it, we'll find a way to hate 'em.

 

[Lou is God]

Well, we hated the NHL on FOX. And we hated the NHL on ESPN/ABC. And now we hate the NHL on NBC/Vs. It doesn't matter who carries it, we'll find a way to hate 'em.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[HockeyCritter]

Who gives a **** about the ratings? The problem is that Bettman allowed this to happen, he knew if the game went into overtime NBC would be switching over to the horse race. He turn the NHL into some cheap throw away product. For that alone he should have his ass thrown out, but unfortunately most of the American owners don't give a **** about the game either.

I would say NBC gives a fig about the ratings …………. When the horse race brings in twice (or three times) as many viewers and millions more in sponsorship dollars, what do you think they’ll do.

If hockey fans want the NHL to receive the same kind of coverage as the second leg of the Triple Crown they need to 1-watch the games on NBC and 2-buy the sponsor’s products. Until hockey fans do that, the NHL will not have any bargaining leverage.

 

[jsginsocal]

Not even a Stanley Cup Finals elimination game between two large American markets? If so, things are even worse than I thought. Either that or Preakness is a much bigger event in the USA than I had imagined.

GHOST

Things are worse then you thought...
Mostly only gamblers care about the Preakness. But to be fair, I wouldnt call Anaheim a large U.S. market. Not unless you are including the entire greater LA area as Anaheim's market. Honestly though - most hockey fans in SoCal view the Ducks as a joke. That was Disney's fault. Things are going better with the new management but it will take a while to distance themselves from the image that had surrounded them for sometime.

 

[Ruckus007]

The issue was advertising. The advertisers paid the money they did for the Preakness-type audience, not the NHL. Unfortunately, there are a lot more people that watch the Preakness than the NHL and NBC isn't going to piss off their advertisers to show the rest of the hockey game.

Good point. The obvious answer seems to be start the game at 1, right?

Well, we hated the NHL on FOX. And we hated the NHL on ESPN/ABC. And now we hate the NHL on NBC/Vs. It doesn't matter who carries it, we'll find a way to hate 'em.

Bingo.