NHL on FOX?

[Night Shift]

I'd like to see Fox take over NBC altogether. When I was a kid NBC was great for NBA and I think NBC is better for basketball.

Fox just did a better job with hockey

 

[powerstuck]

In the end, NHL will split the TV rights among more than one network and we as fans will lose the priviledge of paying only one subscription fee to watch all hockey games. They win we lose.

 

[SHANNYPLAN]

How much can we expect the cap to go up after the new TV deal(s)?

 

[LadyStanley]

How much can we expect the cap to go up after the new TV deal(s)?

$64m question.

A lot will depend on the TOTAL VALUE of broadcast AND streaming deals. With falling #s of folks "cutting the cord", the subscription #s on cable/satellite will probably fall (and may not have much $$ increase) while streaming options (including NHL.tv) #s should increase.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

How much can we expect the cap to go up after the new TV deal(s)?

We can make a rough guess with this formula: x / 32 / 2
That's the increase, divided by 32 franchises (as Seattle will exist then), and then split 50/50 between teams and players (assuming that doesn't change by then)

So let's say it jumps to $500mm from the current $200mm.

$300mm / 32 / 2 = A little under $4.7mm

 

[justafan22]

Once the new nfl CBA comes in I wonder if we'll see any cards shown by fox re: the new tv rights

 

[USAUSA1]

Skip and Shannon would be forced to talk about it.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Skip and Shannon would be forced to talk about it.

If will be interesting who FOX Sports hires to be their NHL analysts to randomly discuss NHL on their debate shows. I imagine they try to get big personality ex-player like Brett Hull and/or personality hockey talking head like Brian Burke imo.

 

[SwaggySpungo]

One thing to watch - FOX has been testing 4K games the past 2 years on FS1 and NBC has not done the same.

Canada is way ahead of the US in rolling out 4K but the main issue is OTA stations can not transmit in 4K and when they do finally implement ATSC 3.0 it will require separate transmitters that currently use ATSC 1.0. Canada gets around this by simulcasting CBC games on Sportsnet.

I believe the NHL feels that NBC has not promoted the sport better so.....

I think Bettman wants to give ESPN a piece of the pie but like MLB it will be a regular-season package.

ESPN defecated all over the NHL the last time they had broadcast rights. Then followed that up by lowballing the league with such an insulting offer that the NHL walked away with its tail between its legs to broadcast games on Vs. and for free on NBC.

The idea that Bettman has forgotten that is absurd. I’d be shocked if they ever went back to ESPN or ABC for the major TV package under Bettman’s watch. Nobody has ever promoted the league the way NBC and FOX have. NBC has been a phenomenal TV partner.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

ESPN defecated all over the NHL the last time they had broadcast rights. Then followed that up by lowballing the league with such an insulting offer that the NHL walked away with its tail between its legs to broadcast games on Vs. and for free on NBC.

The idea that Bettman has forgotten that is absurd. I’d be shocked if they ever went back to ESPN or ABC for the major TV package under Bettman’s watch. Nobody has ever promoted the league the way NBC and FOX have. NBC has been a phenomenal TV partner.

I think it bowls down to the fact it’s been 15 years since ESPN has had the NHL rights and new management there seems to want the NHL back by their ESPN+ streaming deal and the fact they have simulcast TSN’s deadline day coverage on ESPN2 for two hours the past few years. Also, they broadcasted the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and Bergman was coy on the future relationship between NHL and ESPN in the future when interviewed by Steve Levy and Barry Melrose. To be the honest, NBC’s coverage has seemed like boring and mundane the past few years. It feels like just a property they have on their air and simply broadcast the games. Look at their much raved Premier League coverage, feels like an event they cover the matches. I think NHL feels like NBC while a stable partner, hasn’t really made the NHL feel like a top sporting event on their NBC Sports catalog like NFL, Golf, and Premier League and I agree.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

ESPN defecated all over the NHL the last time they had broadcast rights. Then followed that up by lowballing the league with such an insulting offer that the NHL walked away with its tail between its legs to broadcast games on Vs. and for free on NBC.

The idea that Bettman has forgotten that is absurd. I’d be shocked if they ever went back to ESPN or ABC for the major TV package under Bettman’s watch. Nobody has ever promoted the league the way NBC and FOX have. NBC has been a phenomenal TV partner.

If any of that was true, he wouldn't have given them the WCOH rights.

 

[Giotrapani91]

I get the feeling that the NHL will have multiple networks in the next deal.

I think it'll be fox, fs1 & hopefully espn and abc.

 

[justafan22]

I think it'll be fox, fs1 & hopefully espn and abc.

I'd be shocked if this wasn't the case.

All the other 3 big sports split up the rights with at least 2 major networks.

 

[Giotrapani91]

If it gets rid of Milbury I'm all for it

Don't bring over Pierre, doc emrick & Roenick while there at it hire Kenny Albert as the lead play by play & Eddie O & bill Clement as the analysts.

 

[Dialamo]

Don't bring over Pierre, doc emrick & Roenick while there at it hire Kenny Albert as the lead play by play & Eddie O & bill Clement as the analysts.

I know Kenny Albert is announcing PBC (boxing) on FOX. If the NHL makes it to FOX, it should be a seamless transition.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

I think it'll be fox, fs1 & hopefully espn and abc.

I think it will be FOX/FS1 and NBC/NBCSN. I just think ESPN is overcrowded with content and would be hard to fit NHL on their fall-winter lineup. Remember college basketball is big on their lineup post CFB and NFL maybe you can squeeze in those games midweek on ESPN, but I’m not sure.

 

[StreetHawk]

$64m question.

A lot will depend on the TOTAL VALUE of broadcast AND streaming deals. With falling #s of folks "cutting the cord", the subscription #s on cable/satellite will probably fall (and may not have much $$ increase) while streaming options (including NHL.tv) #s should increase.

SN is laying off analysts because their deal hasn’t panned out like they hoped.

US deal will be for more than what they are currently getting but I doubt we’ll see anything like triple the current annual value.

 

[jiggsawpuzzle35]

I know Kenny Albert is announcing PBC (boxing) on FOX. If the NHL makes it to FOX, it should be a seamless transition.

Kenny Albert does MLB and NFL for FOX. And if i remember it correctly, he also did the NHL of Fox as well.

 

[jkrdevil]

ESPN defecated all over the NHL the last time they had broadcast rights. Then followed that up by lowballing the league with such an insulting offer that the NHL walked away with its tail between its legs to broadcast games on Vs. and for free on NBC.

***Whispers*** ESPN already owns a major NHL rights package worth close to a $100 million.

Having said that, I don’t see an ESPN exclusive or Fox/ESPN split as that would essentially kill NBCSN and could put the league in a similar position as the early lights where they got squeezed on the rights deal for the next set of negotiations.

The league should always look at least on negotiation beyond the current negotiation period. Essentially make sure you always have at least one extra suitor who is looking to get in.

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Skip and Shannon would be forced to talk about it.

I think you're sorely mistaken if you think these debate shows would give a second of time to the NHL unless there was some major scandal in which case you wouldn't want them talking about it.

 

[HisIceness]

Skip and Shannon would be forced to talk about it.

I highly doubt it. Even Colin Cowherd has mentioned at least once on Twitter that he enjoys the Stanley Cup Playoffs, attends LA Kings games, and would talk about Hockey but his audience largely is only interested in the NBA and NFL, and occasionally College Football and Baseball during the World Series. ESPNs First Take is the same way (They've admitted this on more than one occasion) and likely the same is true of Undisputed and Speak for Yourself. The only time Undisputed has had a Hockey topic to my knowledge was when Charles Barkley slammed the NBA playoffs for being boring and went to Nashville for the Finals. Skip was "deeply offended" that Barkley wanted to watch Hockey instead of Basketball, lol.

My favorite Skip Bayless Hockey topic was the day after the first Winter Classic in 2008 when he was on First Take. It was more a debate about whether or not the NHL should keep doing them but Skip was so disgusted that he had to talk about Hockey for perhaps the first time in his life that he made it known from the start that he wanted to continue the last debate, probably something Kobe or LeBron related, and spent the entire time lambasting the NHL for not being as popular as the NFL or NBA and therefore it wasn't worth his time. Wouldn't acknowledge it at all and he acted like a child being told to do their homework instead of playing video games, the guest filling in for Stephen A. Smith even told him so and Skip just shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't care and wanted to talk more NBA. It was ridiculous, but typical for someone of Skips persona. On the other hand the guest that day was Michael Smith from His and Hers, and he knew his shit, could name several of the players that day and their positions besides just Crosby. I was impressed.

 

[Giotrapani91]

I think it will be FOX/FS1 and NBC/NBCSN. I just think ESPN is overcrowded with content and would be hard to fit NHL on their fall-winter lineup. Remember college basketball is big on their lineup post CFB and NFL maybe you can squeeze in those games midweek on ESPN, but I’m not sure.

Well the playoffs aren't on espn. Their on tru tv, tbs, cbs & TNT.

 

[Giotrapani91]

Kenny Albert does MLB and NFL for FOX. And if i remember it correctly, he also did the NHL of Fox as well.

He was the lead announcer in nhl championship 2000.

 

[Giotrapani91]

I think it will be FOX/FS1 and NBC/NBCSN. I just think ESPN is overcrowded with content and would be hard to fit NHL on their fall-winter lineup. Remember college basketball is big on their lineup post CFB and NFL maybe you can squeeze in those games midweek on ESPN, but I’m not sure.

And they only have one game a week on espn or espn 2 and F1 is on early in the morning on abc and espn so maybe they could have Sunday games on abc and make espn and NBCSN asthe cable networks, even if ABC doesn't get the rights to Sunday night football, hockey is after baseball season and they could have a primetime hockey game on ESPN on Sunday and Monday night.

 

[voyageur]

Ed Snider was the driver behind the NBC contract with Comcast buying into them. It will be different. I think the NHL needs something more flexible, NBC wouldn't touch hockey until New Years. Don't know if the primetime paradigm will change with a new contract. I liked ESPN's coverage of hockey. Fox is going to have to do some work, but I think they offer the potential of bringing back more evening hockey back, especially for the playoffs, as they have MLB and NASCAR filling those spots on the weekend.