NHL could split media rights in next deal
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Chileiceman
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Debrincat93
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i thihk NBC is killing off their NBCSN according to one report i read a while back. So idk if that works.
Just a spitball guess, Peacock gets the rights to some non-exclusive games (like one a week for their free tier). ESPN+ retains the rest of the NHL.tv rights.
USA network would be the home. With only half the package it would be fewer games (which is likely one of the reasons for ending NBCSN)
How does ESPN even fit them in? Wednesday/Friday/Sunday is nba and the rest is college basketball
They flexibility to shuffle the college sports. My guess is ESPN2 on tuesdays. Monday’s on ESPN open up I think in March. ESPN didn’t renew their Monday MLB rights so that night is open for the playoffs I believe.
This is interesting, I think NFL TV rights news probably made ESPN more aggressive in getting NHL just in case they lost the NFL. Now interesting thing now is whether FOX makes an aggressive offer of their own. I still think they have a shot getting the rights that aren’t NBC. So I think it comes down to NBC and FOX for the other half of the rights.
I think the deals are probably close to done to the dotting the i’s at crossing the t’s portion. Especially if it is leaking out now. I think NBC made the NBCSN announcement (that included mentioning the NHL on USA) because they knew what they were going to get get in the next contract (it was just matter of determining the other partner). It looks like that other portion is close to being finalized.
Normally the incumbent deals get done first with any add on’s coming second.
That is my best guess. I could be wrong.
Normally the incumbent deals get done first with any add on’s coming second.
That is my best guess. I could be wrong.
Another hint
NBC declined to put the rescheduled Philly/Boston Tahoe game on the main network Sunday night opting for game show RERUNS and a generic Dateline. This wipes out local ads at NBC-owned WCAU Philly and WBTS Boston.
*DISCLAIMER* I work as a contractor for NBC/Universal
FOX and ESPN/ABC have offered the NHL a 5-year deal that starts at 800M a year and will balloon to 1 Billion and NBC will not match it.
May or may not be related - FOX is looking to swap their O&O in Houston with the Cox Broadcasting FOX affiliate in Boston
NBC has tipped their hand by announcing NBCSN will close down later in 2021.
NBC declined to put the rescheduled Philly/Boston Tahoe game on the main network Sunday night opting for game show RERUNS and a generic Dateline. This wipes out local ads at NBC-owned WCAU Philly and WBTS Boston.
*DISCLAIMER* I work as a contractor for NBC/Universal
FOX and ESPN/ABC have offered the NHL a 5-year deal that starts at 800M a year and will balloon to 1 Billion and NBC will not match it.
May or may not be related - FOX is looking to swap their O&O in Houston with the Cox Broadcasting FOX affiliate in Boston
NBC has tipped their hand by announcing NBCSN will close down later in 2021.
Is it wise to drop out NBC on next TV deal. They have been good partner for the league?
The NHL BoG has historically thrown loyal media partners out for the promise of more $$$$$$
In 1973 they went with NBC over CBS and 3 years later NBC walked away and the NHL had no US network deal for 20 years.
US NHL cable deals bounced between USA Network and ESPN and out of nowhere the NHL signed with SportsChannel America.
FOX in 1995 went all-in with the NHL - These production values 26 years ago were not cheap
In 2005 I signed on with the Outdoor Life Network based in Philadelphia when they got the NHL rights.
Who would have thunk that OLN would become NBC Sports today
Streaming is an issue and it will be a component in the next package
The problem with streaming is the delay factor and there is no easy fix
They have absolutely been a good partner for the league. NBC and Fox both worked to get people watching - outdoor games, glowing pucks, and everything else to try to get viewership up.
Disney? Not so much. Games on ESPN slipped farther and farther to the back burner, and the games for the Cup Final were drawn from a hat on which ones were on ABC or ESPN.
saffronleaf
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Yea, there's a good chance that if ESPN is the main partner that they'll bury it in their many channels. Still don't think sportscenter or any of their other programs will mention hockey, except to ridicule it once in a while.
Might be better to go with a partner who actually likes you...
JMUcapsfan07
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I'd imagine they'd be the secondary partner in this scenario - which is perfect. Doesn't sound like it will be a cheap offer so there should be incentive to be back on Sportscenter and other shows. Fox having the main station and FS1/FS2 should provide plenty of space to air a lot of games.
I'd assume that any deal that the NHL signed with ESPN would guarantee a certain level of coverage (for example, a certain minimum number of games on the main channel).
Actually, that will likely be the case with any deal with any network.
Actually, that will likely be the case with any deal with any network.
That's exactly how they ended up on OLN in the first place. Nothing on the mothership, and one game a week on ESPN2.
Trizent
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ESPN for me is a huge negative as a passionate hockey and futball fan. I've seen what they've done to Serie A and I expect hockey to suffer from the same tactics; prime matches like Bruins/Habs on ESPN+ with Blue Jackets/Predators on ESPN2 (forcing you to buy their subscription). Plus, ESPN themselves - via Disney - cut a lot of hockey content in terms of writers and if they get the rights they're just going to expand it again out of nowhere? Then they have Stephen A. Smith - absolutely entitled to his opinion - who's been quite outspoken on how he despises hockey (on the "worldwide leader of sports" as their slogan). I actually will consider it hilarious that Disney might force him to talk about the NHL since they only talk about sports they have the rights to. Finally, ESPN is going into the political culture and we're going to hear more stories of how hockey is a "white" sport regardless of skin colour having to be a major fact in climates; black people live in hot climates, white people in cold climates and hockey is a cold climate sport. The only positive is that hockey could get a lot more exposure for casual fans on ESPN than NBC.
Fox is a big step in the positive, especially if they're offering like 500+ million then that shows they absolutely care. NBC did produce a good product, but they should be fortunate that they got the NHL at an advantage considering the ratings. I think Fox will produce the same amount of content that NBC did, so nothing is going to change here for me except the channels. However, Fox employs Skip Bayless, who is one of the biggest pieces of shit in North American sports (picture Steve Simmons level). He's a hottake troll and has written multiple pieces about how he considers hockey a Neanderthal sport. I expect him to talk as little about hockey as humanly possible and if he has to...it will only be in a negative attitude like ESPN did with the racial injustice segments about the "whiteness" of it. Whatever the case is, he's just one bloke and will be much easier to silence on Fox compared to Disney's culture which reeks of a lot of "hockey is a secondary niche sport" brigade IMHO.
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saffronleaf
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One advantage with ESPN is that Disney seems to have a strong relationship with the CCP, so they can probably grow the game in China.
Lol, sadly there won't be any Chinese Muslim and Christians to promote our sport because they're too busy being held in Nazi-esque concentration camps. I doubt Disney and NBA want people to know this though.
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