Strike Two for OLN/Versus

[Spydey629]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06193/705129-63.stm

So much for OLN adding baseball (and a playoff baseball, at that) to it's line-up. MLB has extended the deal with Fox and is moving Sunday night games to TBS?

"Turner Broadcasting System also will televise 26 regular-season Sunday games in 2008 while eventually cutting back on its nationwide Atlanta Braves coverage."

TBS would also cover the entire Division Series Round on cable - all 4 Series.


Things continue to be an uphill battle for the NHL and its new TV partner...

Click to read more...

 

[Alpine]

Really more strike two for ESPN me thinks. First they won't pay for NHL and then are out bid for MLB by TBS. I kinda liked ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball's presentation. Mind you as a Canadian TBS is available here and ESPN isn't so maybe better for me but Sportsnet (outside of a few Jays games on TSN) is the only Canadian broadcaster of MLB will probably simu-cast the games anyways.
But ESPN seems to be banking alot on NFL and Bass Fishing?
EDIT:
Has ESPN lost it's MLB rights? I checked MLB.com and no mention of ESPN at all in their arcticles. Just the 26 regular season and Division Series on TBS as well as Fox's extension. I maybe assuming wrongly that ESPN was shut out??

 

[Stevedude530]

No, just the Division series. That's all they've lost.


These are the changes from this deal:
-ESPN keeps everything BUT the Division Series.
-TBS Gets a new Sunday Afternoon National Package
-FOX games will start at 3:30 instead of 1 PM (Ugh.)
-Another network will cover 1 of the Championship Series (CBS, NBC, ESPN, TBS are believed to be interested).

 

[OG6ix]

ESPN is fine. They have enough programming like NFL, NBA, some MLB, MLS, Lacrosse, and that crap like poker. OLN/Versus will never be able to compete with the media monster called ESPN. I have given up on the channel, all I want now is hockey coverage. Hockey is what it is, and we all want it to become bigger than it actually is. Wasting too much time on these matters.

 

[Stevedude530]

So are we cool with staying on OLN? It's sort of the chess club of sports with it's lineup of stuff that you've gotta be hardcore to be into.

NHL, AFL, TDF (which I've watched more of BECAUSE OLN got the NHL), NLL, possibly the Cal Ripken WS, PBR. That's stuff that you really gotta be into to like.

 

[ArchieIsGod]

So are we cool with staying on OLN? It's sort of the chess club of sports with it's lineup of stuff that you've gotta be hardcore to be into.

NHL, AFL, TDF (which I've watched more of BECAUSE OLN got the NHL), NLL, possibly the Cal Ripken WS, PBR. That's stuff that you really gotta be into to like.

i miss nhl tonight...if oln makes a show like that or adds any kinda extra hockey coverage...college hockey...then i think it will be a step in the right direction right now i look at oln as that channel that broadcasts nhl in between seasons of survivor

 

[Jori]

College hockey is on CSTV and ESPNU. Maybe OLN could pick up some AHL games.

 

[braincramp]

The significant point is that MLB, obviously a very popular sport, has accepted that some playoff series are now a cable/satellite product. A niche (in the US) sport like the NHL playoffs is probably destined for cable/satellite forever. The audience is not competitive with all the offerings a national broadcast network believes it must serve up to an audience with more diverse and popular interests.

No great loss, I suspect. Over 80% of the homes in the US have cable or satellite available, and the large number of channels make it possible to carry some which have smaller ratings. There are four PBS channels available in my area, and I doubt that could happen if all I had available was broadcast.

 

[Basher]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06193/705129-63.stm

So much for OLN adding baseball (and a playoff baseball, at that) to it's line-up. MLB has extended the deal with Fox and is moving Sunday night games to TBS?

"Turner Broadcasting System also will televise 26 regular-season Sunday games in 2008 while eventually cutting back on its nationwide Atlanta Braves coverage."

TBS would also cover the entire Division Series Round on cable - all 4 Series.


Things continue to be an uphill battle for the NHL and its new TV partner...

As a Braves fan not living in Atlanta permanently, this hurts. I want MORE Braves, not less, duh. Maybe one day I'll graduate and get a job and be able to get some MLB and NHL season packages.

 

[rekrul]

so much for Comcast getting into the sports biz, what a disapointment. Gary Bettman looks every bit as foolish as zigler did when they handed the NHL to sportchannel. "uh sure gary, just sign here.....yours is the first of the major sports to be on our new bigtime channel, ESPN is going down baby!!!!"

then NASCAR, NFL, NBA and MLB go to other networks. TBS?????? Comcast should have overpaid and gotten the MLB package if they wanted to be players. Bike riding, Fishin/huntin's shows, bullriding. Unless Lacross really becomes the sport of the future I doubt the NHL will grow much fromthe Versus network. Its much better as fans to have one channel treat the game with respect but how in the world will it grow with a cable partner like comcast?

 

[NJD Jester]

so much for Comcast getting into the sports biz, what a disapointment. Gary Bettman looks every bit as foolish as zigler did when they handed the NHL to sportchannel. "uh sure gary, just sign here.....yours is the first of the major sports to be on our new bigtime channel, ESPN is going down baby!!!!"

I wish people on the business boards would have a damn clue about the business sometimes.

OLN was never a serious contender for Major League Baseball. The NFL has always been its target from day one. Meanwhile, it's making strides in adding content, like a boxing series from Top Rank that's going to feature 12 big-name fights a year and 40 years of classic fights available for broadcast.

The SportsChannel comparisons have to stop. There is no comparison: OLN had a larger audience when the NHL signed on than SportsChannel ever had, and the network is in much better financial shape. From Television Week:

Comcast would really, really like to own ESPN," said Derek Baine, a cable analyst for Kagan Research. "ESPN are just a huge pain for all of the cable operators."

Comcast made an unsuccessful offer to purchase ESPN parent Disney in 2004. Mr. Baine added that he expects OLN's cash flow to swing into the black next year.

"OLN has lost quite a bit of money [and] has not really found a big enough audience," he said. "It makes sense to do a radical redefinition and really try to create value there. I have them losing money this year, but making it next."

Slam the OLN deal all you'd like -- the bottom line is that the NHL is the jewel of a new sports broadcasting venture rather than carrying water for the World Series of Darts.

 

[X0ssbar]

I wish people on the business boards would have a damn clue about the business sometimes.

OLN was never a serious contender for Major League Baseball. The NFL has always been its target from day one. Meanwhile, it's making strides in adding content, like a boxing series from Top Rank that's going to feature 12 big-name fights a year and 40 years of classic fights available for broadcast.

The SportsChannel comparisons have to stop. There is no comparison: OLN had a larger audience when the NHL signed on than SportsChannel ever had, and the network is in much better financial shape. From Television Week:



Slam the OLN deal all you'd like -- the bottom line is that the NHL is the jewel of a new sports broadcasting venture rather than carrying water for the World Series of Darts.

Excellent post.

OLN/Versus isn't built into a major competitor in a year...they took a big swipe at the NFL to make that second big splash but it didn't work out.....so now they go back to the drawing board...

Meanwhile, OLN/Versus will continue to offer the best NHL coverage the states has ever seen.....I'm going to continue to enjoy it because IMO it won't be around forever...Comcast will buy there way into another pro or college sport if they have to....money always talks and they have plenty of it.. Once that happens the NHL will need to make some room..

 

[rekrul]

I wish people on the business boards would have a damn clue about the business sometimes.

OLN was never a serious contender for Major League Baseball. The NFL has always been its target from day one. Meanwhile, it's making strides in adding content, like a boxing series from Top Rank that's going to feature 12 big-name fights a year and 40 years of classic fights available for broadcast.

The SportsChannel comparisons have to stop. There is no comparison: OLN had a larger audience when the NHL signed on than SportsChannel ever had, and the network is in much better financial shape. From Television Week:



Slam the OLN deal all you'd like -- the bottom line is that the NHL is the jewel of a new sports broadcasting venture rather than carrying water for the World Series of Darts.

it was my understanding that when Comcast owned OLN went to the NHL they laid out the plans to beging a new more mainstream sports network, NHL was going to be the first many new purchases. I understand being patient It just seems to me that if Comcast was serious they would overpay, which you have to do to obtain rights for sports. Once the NFL passed them up and the rest of the sports now the NHL is back to being on a niche channel that most every casual fan doesn't know exists.

is this how the NHL should grow? I'm all for respect and content which little OLN/Versus blows the ESPN of today away, but i remember Grets/ mario and the rest of the high flyuing late 80's early 90's hockey being on a niche channel before. How is sportschannel in the late 80's different than OLN/versus today. Found in more homes sure but not really on the overwhelming majority of American veiwers choices.

 

[Sixty Six]

it was my understanding that when Comcast owned OLN went to the NHL they laid out the plans to beging a new more mainstream sports network, NHL was going to be the first many new purchases. I understand being patient It just seems to me that if Comcast was serious they would overpay, which you have to do to obtain rights for sports. Once the NFL passed them up and the rest of the sports now the NHL is back to being on a niche channel that most every casual fan doesn't know exists.

is this how the NHL should grow? I'm all for respect and content which little OLN/Versus blows the ESPN of today away, but i remember Grets/ mario and the rest of the high flyuing late 80's early 90's hockey being on a niche channel before. How is sportschannel in the late 80's different than OLN/versus today. Found in more homes sure but not really on the overwhelming majority of American veiwers choices.

is it good business to overpay? Of course not, thats why they didn't do it. If they are going to lose money on a deal they won't do it, just to make NHL fans happy.

 

[Stevedude530]

Slam the OLN deal all you'd like -- the bottom line is that the NHL is the jewel of a new sports broadcasting venture rather than carrying water for the World Series of Darts.

To be fair, OLN is launching a program called "Premier League Darts".

And adding the Cal Ripken World Series (Like Little League, but less Little) and a cowboy movie with Bo Derek.

 

[GKJ]

College hockey is on CSTV and ESPNU. Maybe OLN could pick up some AHL games.

As long as they are games that are shown at 12am because that's really the best time slot.



I say this time and time again, VS should go for college football. Get a Big East exclusive rights deal and build off that.

 

[OG6ix]

To be fair, OLN is launching a program called "Premier League Darts".

And adding the Cal Ripken World Series (Like Little League, but less Little) and a cowboy movie with Bo Derek.

man.... I don't even have words so....

 

[Stevedude530]

Just proving that Every Sports Network makes dumb decisions.

 

[dabid]

Since the Awards show, I havent seen 1 hockey related program on OLN.

 

[Stevedude530]

The Tour De France replaces hockey as the big dog in July. I'm sure in September they'll be back to airing all the stuff you've seen 50 times before.