TV contract with VS?

[PensFanInCBus]

So it looks like the NHL and Versus are going to be dancing with each other for 3 more seasons.

I agree with most of you folks...the NHL should NEVER go back to ESPN. Jay Greenberg's column in the latest Hockey News noted that ESPN told the league that it was going to be stashed on ESPN2 exclusively...only after it agreed to pay the production costs. That's enough of a reason for me to say no,thanks.

If Versus doesn't work out,here's who I'd LIKE to see get the contract:USA Network.

Before you think I've lost my mind,hear me out.

USA is part of NBC Universal,and NBC already has the NHL rights. USA does run sports programming(and for a number of years in the 1980s,aired NHL games on the then fledgling network). What USA should do is select 2 nights(Friday and Saturday,just as an example;another date can be substituted for Friday if you want),and then do 2 games each night(1 east coast-based game,and one on the west coast). Ensure that you have a good plate of games on each night to pick the 2 that are the most compelling(and DEFINITELY do this during the run to the playoffs)and that are the least boring to the audience. Make sure that the games get cross-promoted across all NBC Universal channels(and that includes NBC).

Good call on USA Network as an alternate network for NHL. They have a graphics package in place as well as an established core of broadcasters. All the infrastructure is already in place. Also, from a marketing point of view, their "Characters Welcome" would work on several different levels.

 

[missK]

And dont forget, if they did get the NHL, 50% of the loudmouths on radio and PTI and otherwise would think twice about saying negative things about the NHL, they only do so now because they can. I think youd see alot more talk and positive spins on the sport. To be honest Around the Horn, PTI and Jim Rome all did a great job talking about the Cup this week, usually the first two shows bash the sport but youll find that Around the Horns Tim Caldishaw always reps the sport, Wilbon, the black guy, on PTI reps the sports and Jim Rome is a hockey guy to begin with...

I bolded the comment above for emphasis. That's crap because PTI has done nothing but bash hockey even when it was on ESPN. And if SportsCenter could talk about hockey for only 3 seconds once a day it would be happy. ESPN hates hockeys because it's all about the ratings and the squeaky clean NHL (compared to other sports) just doesn't have enough bad press as far as they are concerned. Press whether it's bad or good is RATINGS to ESPN.

 

[coolguy21415]

So it looks like the NHL and Versus are going to be dancing with each other for 3 more seasons.

I agree with most of you folks...the NHL should NEVER go back to ESPN. Jay Greenberg's column in the latest Hockey News noted that ESPN told the league that it was going to be stashed on ESPN2 exclusively...only after it agreed to pay the production costs. That's enough of a reason for me to say no,thanks.

If Versus doesn't work out,here's who I'd LIKE to see get the contract:USA Network.

Before you think I've lost my mind,hear me out.

USA is part of NBC Universal,and NBC already has the NHL rights. USA does run sports programming(and for a number of years in the 1980s,aired NHL games on the then fledgling network). What USA should do is select 2 nights(Friday and Saturday,just as an example;another date can be substituted for Friday if you want),and then do 2 games each night(1 east coast-based game,and one on the west coast). Ensure that you have a good plate of games on each night to pick the 2 that are the most compelling(and DEFINITELY do this during the run to the playoffs)and that are the least boring to the audience. Make sure that the games get cross-promoted across all NBC Universal channels(and that includes NBC).

Considering NBC has dropped their studio show for the NHL broadcasts they already do, you'd be hard pressed to get an NBC affiliate to show 6 hours of hockey on TWO nights.