NHL Fans Will Experience A Whole New Game On OLN

[Egil]

I hear what you are saying. But, TSN will pay far less for rights not involving Canadian teams.

But the Leafs will get money for local rights if TSN and HNIC don't show the Leafs Nationaly....

 

[eaton28]

will us Canadians with the OLN get these games?

 

[Chileiceman]

It would be awesome if the games that they're gonna steam are free.

 

[ArtG]

will us Canadians with the OLN get these games?

No. The Canadian OLN is not owned by Comcast. It is owned by Bell Globemedia (aka the company that owns TSN).

 

[iagreewithidiots]

If it were Crosby's first game at HOME, then you'd have a case.

Home, road, who cares. The NHL needs to play this guy up.

Being on Leno more people in America know who Crosby is then who Forsberg is.

 

[Epsilon]

I'm personally much more interested in Rangers vs. Flyers than Leafs vs. Senators: Rangers led by Jagr coming off his monster season during the lockout vs. one of the league's top teams sporting a new lineup with one of the game's top stars, or a declining old Leas team vs. a Senators team with nothing new that we've seen play many times. That's an easy decision for Comcast to me.

 

[Epsilon]

Home, road, who cares. The NHL needs to play this guy up.

Being on Leno more people in America know who Crosby is then who Forsberg is.

I'd say you greatly overestimate Jay Leno's reach, and how much people remember/care about his secondary guests. I can't even tell you who was on last week.

 

[i am dave]

The Devils always sellout opening night. Thought it is usually the occassion of a banner raising. You wouldn't know anything about that in Philadelphia unless your an oldtimer listening to Led Zepplin remember the glorious times over 30 years ago!

Man, I hate Led Zepplin.

Also, I hope Joannie keeps his head up this. I wouldn't want his career to go the way of Lindros in the 2000 ECF.

Who is Joannie?

 

[i am dave]

Home, road, who cares. The NHL needs to play this guy up.

Being on Leno more people in America know who Crosby is then who Forsberg is.

I completely disagree.

Folks, the kid has yet to play a single professional game. You play with fire, you're asking to get burned.

Could we please let him play before we crown him king? I am seriously going to feel bad for this kid if he can't live up to the hype because fans have been far too quick to call him heir to a throne, which, no matter how awesome he is will STILL be a long, hard road to best. I am of course talking about Crosby surpassing Wayne Gretzky.

Besides, this is exactly the type of situation which has lead to such annoyances as Jeremy Roenick being mic'd for every nationally televised game, for high school basketballers having their games shown on PPV, and for Michael Jordan's third retirement game preempting an NHL playoff game (no, I will never get past that).

Crosby's hype? I blame ESPN The Magazine.

 

[iagreewithidiots]

Man, I hate Led Zepplin.

Me too those guys are god awful.

Crosby's hype? I blame ESPN The Magazine.

Nope, hes french canadian and led the Q in scoring. Who needs ESPN when you do that.

 

[Steve L*]

Pardon!

Sidney Crosby making his NHL debut against Martin Brodeur and the Devils. Mario and Mogilny will also be there. That's really a worse matchup than the Flyers taking on a team that hasn't made the playoffs since spring 1997 and is weaker going into the season than they have been in a period longer than that.

No, it's only his NHL debut. That's not an important game.

The people that have heard of Crosby will probably watch any game, the people that havent heard of Crosby (the ones the station will need to attract) wont be bothered about watching one of the most boring teams in the league playing what used to be a really bad team.

 

[Castor Troy]

Man, I hate Led Zepplin.

Led Who?

Anyways, I think your reasoning is fine Egil, but the problem with that type of scenario is that Comcast/Local Broadcasters most likely will not have the good of the NHL taking priority over their own ratings. Sure, somewhere down the line it'll benefit them by attracting more fans and increasing ratings for everybody but I see that as a hard sell to TV execs. The NHL looks like its on the way up but its not going to be easy and its far from a sure thing at this point. If Comcast was doing all the local broadcasts, as well as the national one, then I think it would be much more likely.

And I agree, Leafs vs. Sens is much more interesting based on the rivalry alone. I understand that Philly/NYR may have a rivalry of sorts based on geographics, but come on... how intense can it be with the way the Rangers have played most of the last decade. On the other hand, we have two teams that have faced each other in the playoffs 4 of the last 5 years. Not even close in my mind.

 

[Prince Mercury]

I'm just impressed with the streaming broadcasts... maybe this will spur NHL.com to get off it's ass and really step it up, look at NHL.com and then look at what MLB.com is doing (and making a ton of money too).

 

[two out of three*]

I love how some of the fans here find something negative in everything and then whine incessently about it for hours.

Super!

Exactly.. This is a good deal for the NHL. We wanted out of ESPN, and we are out. Thats what this thread should be about. All I know is I am excited I get to watch the NHL on a network that (seemingly) gives a crap about the NHL.

Who cares WHO plays? At least we are PLAYING.

 

[eaton28]

No. The Canadian OLN is not owned by Comcast. It is owned by Bell Globemedia (aka the company that owns TSN).

damnit! i guess it is HNIC and TSN and Sportsnet for me

 

[eaton28]

Me too those guys are god awful.



Nope, hes french canadian and led the Q in scoring. Who needs ESPN when you do that.

crosby is not french canadian, he is from Nova Scotia, he just played in Quebec

 

[i am dave]

Me too those guys are god awful.

Queen = greatest band EVER.

Nope, hes french canadian and led the Q in scoring. Who needs ESPN when you do that.

Well I was referring to the article they wrote on Crosby last year. I honestly think that's where most (non-die-hard-hockey) people heard about him. I mean, when my cousin - who despises hockey, and coincidentaly subscribes to ESPN the Magazine - tries to get all smart-like and tell me about how there's "this guy no one knows about who is going to be better than Gretzky," then we have a red flag.

 

[nyrmessier011]

I hope that game is not an exclusive, I don't even know if I can get OLN in the Bronx when I got back to school in a few weeks.

 

[alanschu]

I think Comcast owns the Flyers in some way.


In any case, showing a local Philly/NYR game and a national Toronto Ottawa game only has better ratings if you make the assumption that there are no fans of Philly/NYR outside the local coverage. Or at the very least less fans than Toronto/Ottawa has across the nation.

 

[iagreewithidiots]

crosby is not french canadian, he is from Nova Scotia, he just played in Quebec

You are correct sir. Between the way he speaks french and all the Montreal fans saying he will be "coming home" in 7 years I got all mixed up.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

...

Does anyone know if the LIVE ONLINE STREAMING is going to be free even for those who don't have OLN channel?

 

[JonathanK]

The more games that I can see without ordering pay-per-view the better.

 

[GKJ]

I think Comcast owns the Flyers in some way.


In any case, showing a local Philly/NYR game and a national Toronto Ottawa game only has better ratings if you make the assumption that there are no fans of Philly/NYR outside the local coverage. Or at the very least less fans than Toronto/Ottawa has across the nation.

no, no.

Comcast OWNS the Flyers...not in just some way.


Toronto/Ottawa fans across America...


..in which there isn't any. They're all in Canada.

 

[alanschu]

I knew Comcast was involved in some way. Didn't want to fully commit to total ownage without being certain though. And besides, totally ownage is still owning it "in some way."

And if what you say about Toronto/Ottawa fans is true, then ratings for a complete National game of Flyers/Rangers would indeed result in greater ratings than local Flyers/Rangers with National Leafs/Senators.

 

[David Puddy]

Man, I hate Led Zepplin.

I couldn't think of any other 70's groups. Maybe I should have used the Brady Kids.

Who is Joannie?

Joannie is Joni "Pinky" Pitkanen