NHL, Turner Sports reach 7 year TV deal for games on TNT, TBS

[jkrdevil]

According to the Athletic, Edzo will get to keep doing Triple Crown events. My uneducated guess is that’s why he will sign with Turner and not ESPN.

That and Turner is probably less work overall. If you look at the NBA and NFL one of the reasons why the the other bat works have been able to attract bigger names as analyst is they basically only have to do the game broadcast and that is it. ESPN you have to do all the Sportscenter hits and other ancillary shows. Though this is more for studio analyst and “down ballot” commentators.

I agree with how quickly some of these hires are leaking out. But you have two networks competing for talent, I guess that moves things along faster.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Also, for the Turner deal you...get to be on television.

I'm sure a guy like Edzo sees going from NBC to primarily ESPN+/Hulu as a downgrade.

 

[dortt]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/16/att-in-advanced-talks-to-merge-warnermedia-with-discovery.html

Not directly affecting the rights, but AT&T is spinning off Warner Media

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/16/att-in-advanced-talks-to-merge-warnermedia-with-discovery.html

Not directly affecting the rights, but AT&T is spinning off Warner Media

they were just merged into Discovery....

 

[IU Hawks fan]

A combined HBO Max/Discovery+ service is a behemoth.

Great news for the NHL's potential reach.

 

[Fenway]

Also, for the Turner deal you...get to be on television.

I'm sure a guy like Edzo sees going from NBC to primarily ESPN+/Hulu as a downgrade.

His deal with Turner was done quickly - he asked his agent if there was a way to keep his Hawks and racing gigs with NBC and still do national hockey.

 

[dortt]

they were just merged into Discovery....

Just reading that there was the expectation than NBC was going to be the one to acquire Warner Media. Wonder if that had anything to do with NBC not aggressively bidding on the NHL? Did they think they were bidding against themselves as they thought they would be buying Warner?

 

[dortt]

Discovery WarnerMedia Merger Talks: How It Could Rattle Hollywood – The Hollywood Reporter

Before it emerged that Discovery was in the game, the betting had been that NBCUniversal would make off with the WarnerMedia assets, including premium cabler HBO, Warner Bros. Studios and Turner networks like TNT and TBS.

Seems NBC did think they were bidding for the rights against themselves, as they'd have kept the rights had they bought Turner

 

[Marshmallow Man]

Discovery WarnerMedia Merger Talks: How It Could Rattle Hollywood – The Hollywood Reporter

Before it emerged that Discovery was in the game, the betting had been that NBCUniversal would make off with the WarnerMedia assets, including premium cabler HBO, Warner Bros. Studios and Turner networks like TNT and TBS.

Seems NBC did think they were bidding for the rights against themselves, as they'd have kept the rights had they bought Turner

That would have been hilarious.

I have to say, watching NBC’s playoff coverage this weekend, to put it nicely, their presentation is about as exciting as eating a slice of Wonder bread and a glass of room temperature tap water for lunch.

NBC has always covered hockey in the blandest way possible. They make the CBC look positively wild and crazy by comparison. It’s like they are going out of their way to present the game as lifeless and boring.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Discovery WarnerMedia Merger Talks: How It Could Rattle Hollywood – The Hollywood Reporter

Before it emerged that Discovery was in the game, the betting had been that NBCUniversal would make off with the WarnerMedia assets, including premium cabler HBO, Warner Bros. Studios and Turner networks like TNT and TBS.

Seems NBC did think they were bidding for the rights against themselves, as they'd have kept the rights had they bought Turner

Wow NBCU/WarnerMedia merger would’ve been quite something for sports and entertainment world. Definitely makes you wonder on their bidding to retain the rights

 

[dortt]

Wow NBCU/WarnerMedia merger would’ve been quite something for sports and entertainment world. Definitely makes you wonder on their bidding to retain the rights

Would have seen things like NBA and NCAA basketball tourney on NBC. Perhaps TNT becomes the new NBCSN with NBA and NHL on the network (maybe why they were planning on shutting down NBCSN, as they would have consolidated TNT with NBCSN to create a true rival to ESPN).

However, Comcast dilly dallied and got burned

 

[DaBadGuy7]

Would have seen things like NBA and NCAA basketball tourney on NBC. Perhaps TNT becomes the new NBCSN with NBA and NHL on the network (maybe why they were planning on shutting down NBCSN, as they would have consolidated TNT with NBCSN to create a true rival to ESPN).

However, Comcast dilly dallied and got burned

Actually what I’m reading online when the merger is complete, AT&T will lose some of their overall control of the new company and some are speculating Comcast will swoop in and buy WarnerMedia. So I don’t think this merger story is over. Idk how that affects the NHL and other sports entities that are involved with Turner.

@Fenway any clue on this Discovery/WarnerMedia and Comcast involvement in potential buying of WarnerMedia

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Actually what I’m reading online when the merger is complete, AT&T will lose some of their overall control of the new company and some are speculating Comcast will swoop in and buy WarnerMedia. So I don’t think this merger story is over. Idk how that affects the NHL and other sports entities that are involved with Turner

Warner Media will be its own company, the question is how much control will Discovery have over it, like they do currently over those channels linear they own, never mind discovery +

 

[jkrdevil]

Wow NBCU/WarnerMedia merger would’ve been quite something for sports and entertainment world. Definitely makes you wonder on their bidding to retain the rights

I don’t know if a NBC/WarnerMedia merger would go through the regulatory process. Too much overlap into what would be combining. Would have combined two giant movie studios in Universal and Warner Bros. CNN and MSNBC would be combined (although maybe that is where rumors of CNN being sold off came from).

Although the article mentions above rumors of Comcast turning its attention to CBSViacom. Can’t imagine how regulators would allow CBS and NBC to merge. Would have to be a lot of sell offs.

 

[DaBadGuy7]

I don’t know if a NBC/WarnerMedia merger would go through the regulatory process. Too much overlap into what would be combining. Would have combined two giant movie studios in Universal and Warner Bros. CNN and MSNBC would be combined (although maybe that is where rumors of CNN being sold off came from).

Although the article mentions above rumors of Comcast turning its attention to CBSViacom. Can’t imagine how regulators would allow CBS and NBC to merge. Would have to be a lot of sell offs.

Yea I read reading the response online as well. It’s clear that these major media companies are trying to acquire as much entities they can to boost their streaming services. You can especially see that with Comcast with Peacock, they want it to be successful and they don’t want to fall to behind on Netflix and Disney on that front. I do wonder what their next move now that this WarnerMedia/Discovery merger. Do they try to acquire this new company within a year or do they wait for another entity to come to sale.

 

[jkrdevil]

This seems relevant...



Makes sense for them as they basically avoid interruptions on TBS except for a couple of weeks during the baseball playoffs.

Also looks like the NHL will either begin on TBS for the early part of next season or on a different day on TNT before shifting to Wednesdays

 

[GKJ]

This seems relevant...

If it’s to open up Wednesday nights for the NHL on TNT, this should be happening in October instead of January. At any rate, I’d think that’s why.

 

[jkrdevil]

If it’s to open up Wednesday nights for the NHL on TNT, this should be happening in October instead of January. At any rate, I’d think that’s why.

Probably logistical reasons behind the timing. They can put the NHL on Tuesdays in October through January before shifting to Wednesdays. Probably isn’t that big of deal.

End of the day the obvious solution and deal is the deal. AEW shifts to TBS where it can keep its timeslot and not have massive interruptions. The also get super card events on TNT.

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

Maybe ESPN gets the bulk of their games at the start and then Turner gets their bulk on 2022? It's the especulation i get from the january move but it makes sense since in october TBS is full with MLB Playoffs.

 

[jkrdevil]

Maybe ESPN gets the bulk of their games at the start and then Turner gets their bulk on 2022? It's the especulation i get from the january move but it makes sense since in october TBS is full with MLB Playoffs.

Turner has 72 games. You can’t squeeze that into half a season (plus I’m sure they want games to lead into the Winter Classic).

As I said best guess they start their coverage on Tuesdays for the first couple of months up until the Winter Classic and then move to Wednesday (as TNT usually has NBA on Tuesdays, January on). It would be three months out of a 7 year contract. Not that big of deal. The NHL can still fix the schedule where Tuesdays early in the season is a light night for American teams.

 

[Spydey629]

Maybe ESPN gets the bulk of their games at the start and then Turner gets their bulk on 2022? It's the especulation i get from the january move but it makes sense since in october TBS is full with MLB Playoffs.

ESPN (and ESPN2) are loaded with football in the fall. Tuesdays are probably the only night available. And even that gets tight, since MACtion takes over any weeknight they can throw a game on.

 

[Kirk Van Houten]

Right i forgot about NCAA sports, my bad.

 

[NextBigThing]

If it’s to open up Wednesday nights for the NHL on TNT, this should be happening in October instead of January. At any rate, I’d think that’s why.

I’ve been saying for months that Wednesday nights on TNT was the perfect slot for the NHL. Every time I posted about it, a cartel of AEW fans would begin to seethe and say that it wasn’t possible. They would scream that AEW gets much better ratings and much better demos. So tell me wrasslin fans, what happened?

 

[GKJ]

I’ve been saying for months that Wednesday nights on TNT was the perfect slot for the NHL. Every time I posted about it, a cartel of AEW fans would begin to seethe and say that it wasn’t possible. They would scream that AEW gets much better ratings and much better demos. So tell me wrasslin fans, what happened?

They gave AEW a better deal that added a Friday night AEW show, which is also probably important in this context, but that was something that still had to be worked out, Turner couldn’t just do it because they wanted to and Tony Khan didn’t want to leave TNT completely.

Probably logistical reasons behind the timing. They can put the NHL on Tuesdays in October through January before shifting to Wednesdays. Probably isn’t that big of deal.

End of the day the obvious solution and deal is the deal. AEW shifts to TBS where it can keep its timeslot and not have massive interruptions. The also get super card events on TNT.

I think NBA is on Tuesday’s.

There has to be another night that TNT will have the NHL.

 

[jkrdevil]

They gave AEW a better deal that added a Friday night AEW show, which is also probably important in this context, but that was something that still had to be worked out, Turner couldn’t just do it because they wanted to and Tony Khan didn’t want to leave TNT completely.


I think NBA is on Tuesday’s.

There has to be another night that TNT will have the NHL.

The Tuesday NBA game is only post-Jan. 1 for the latter half of the NBA season.