Versus to air 2011 WC

[Rink Rage]

Likely select games with focus on Team USA, but at least it won't be buried on the supremely obscure Universal Sports network. With the NHL playoffs in the evenings and the WC in the morning/afternoon. This is why Versus deserves the TV rights. They are actually committed to the game.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2...s-to-air-the-2011-world-hockey-championships/

Click to read more...

 

[sh724]

Likely select games with focus on Team USA, but at least it won't be buried on the supremely obscure Universal Sports network. With the NHL playoffs in the evenings and the WC in the morning/afternoon. This is why Versus deserves the TV rights. They are actually committed to the game.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2...s-to-air-the-2011-world-hockey-championships/

Or perhaps they are showing this to better their chances of getting the tv rights and not bc they are committed to the game. Versus is a business and like all business they want to make money, most likely they are not going to make money on the WC so it is just a ploy to increases their chances of getting the next tv deal

 

[Dantes19]

Or perhaps they are showing this to better their chances of getting the tv rights and not bc they are committed to the game. Versus is a business and like all business they want to make money, most likely they are not going to make money on the WC so it is just a ploy to increases their chances of getting the next tv deal

You could look at it that way, and you may be right. But at least Versus is taking a step to devote more time to hockey -- unlike ESPN who, the last time they had the NHL, kept trying to reduce their amount of hockey time.

I'm hoping that the NHL stays with Versus. The idea of returning to ESPN is absolutely horrific.

 

[sh724]

You could look at it that way, and you may be right. But at least Versus is taking a step to devote more time to hockey -- unlike ESPN who, the last time they had the NHL, kept trying to reduce their amount of hockey time.

I'm hoping that the NHL stays with Versus. The idea of returning to ESPN is absolutely horrific.

ESPN has also drastically increased their hockey coverage over the past year especially online, but I never said anything about ESPN. Who is also a business and just like VS is trying to make money, the last time ESPN had the NHL they were not making money so like any smart business would do they cut the amount of time they spent on it. Everyday businesses drop contracts and customers that are not profitable, ESPN has the right to do that and they did. Its not ESPNs fault people were not watching NHL.

 

[worstfaceoffmanever]

Strongman competition fans everywhere are in an uproar over this development.

 

[jkrdevil]

Or perhaps they are showing this to better their chances of getting the tv rights and not bc they are committed to the game. Versus is a business and like all business they want to make money, most likely they are not going to make money on the WC so it is just a ploy to increases their chances of getting the next tv deal

I think it is a programming thing. NBC already had the rights for a couple years for the World Championships for their Universal Sports Channel. Sticking some WC games on Versus adds some programming to the channel that they can easily cross promote with their main programming of the playoffs.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

It's really a win-win for Versus. They have the rights, the games are at times where you're not gonna put anything ultra-competitive anyway and it's a good way to further tie hockey fans to the channel.

The WCs are underrated anyway, it's not the Olympics but people in the US have been shown to like international hockey. With no Olympics this year I reckon the rosters will be stocked with a decent number of well-known NHL players as well.