JayUp88 1 Report post Posted January 29, 2007 All we can do is hope the the hockey gods that ESPN will pick up hockey in any form at all. from there we can grow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icteria virens 11 Report post Posted January 29, 2007 Bad news for those who want to see NHL on ESPN. Versus Nets NHL Right Extension Until 2011! and what was ESPN offering per year? 40million, this has been and continues to be good for the NHL. Don't you guys remember how ESPN treated the NHL as soon as they got the NBA rights? Like second class citizens. The Comcast deal is *currently* worth over 1/3 that and it's just gotten sweeter. the small increase the NHL would have by going to ESPN, well actually ESPN2, would be offset by the major reduced fee for the rights to broadcast the games. Comcast is actually bigger than ESPN/Disney, it's their featured program and it won't take a back seat to hot dog eating constests and poker(which get better ratings even though hockey has been on ESPN for over a decade) They are working on expanding the market and as a result of the first deal the NHL Network is coming to the US, that would not have happened on ESPN. I would like to know how ESPN is going to sell the game now when they couldn't do it before? Doesn't anybody remember them taking NHL hockey off in March for an entire week during the college basketball tournements. Or how they kicked NHL tonight, a show many lament not being available anymore, to the 1.30am slot when they secured the NBA rights and began showing NBA "2 nite" in the former NHL slot? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lou_Siffer 1 Report post Posted January 29, 2007 "The NHL's decision to go up against ME with their cheesy all-star game was completely and utterly horrid. Worst decision by far this year." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kass 7 Report post Posted January 29, 2007 The NHL should schedule the All-Star game on either the saturday or sunday between the NFC and AFC Championships and Super Bowl in the NFL. The rights extension was a brilliant move by Comcast (destroyers of such great things as Tech TV) and will help Versus get on more networks in the states, it was not a smart move by the league though. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
evilmrt 636 Report post Posted January 29, 2007 The ratings culprit is not the channel. Well, I would have to disagree with you...probably because my point of view is a little different. "Versus" isn't even available in this area. So this hockey fan didn't tune in this year, due to the channel alone. Don't start the BS about getting a dish. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wings_Rule_1010 4 Report post Posted January 29, 2007 "The NHL's decision to go up against ME with their cheesy all-star game was completely and utterly horrid. Worst decision by far this year." LMAO!!! :rotflmao: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernWingsFan 854 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 Bad news for those who want to see NHL on ESPN. Versus Nets NHL Right Extension Until 2011! *Sigh* C'est la vie I guess. I'll keep watching the NHL and hockey whatever station it comes on. I just hope Versus can somehow quiet a lot of the critics (including myself) out there right now and somehow get viewers' attention by going in a new direction right now broadcasting more mainstream sports. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chase 0 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 *Sigh* C'est la vie I guess. I'll keep watching the NHL and hockey whatever station it comes on. I just hope Versus can somehow quiet a lot of the critics (including myself) out there right now and somehow get viewers' attention by going in a new direction right now broadcasting more mainstream sports. I as well will keep watching hockey no matter what station in comes on. But for the other people, who are not the die hard fans such as here at LGW, if they dont have versus, or even know what versus is, they wont even bother with watching hockey. Thats why ESPN would help the ratings greatly. Almost everyone, who has a basic cable package, has ESPN. If they are flipping through the channels, they just might stop at the hockey game that is on. Half the people I talk to dont even know what the hell versus is. Put hockey on ESPN, and ratings will go up. But oh well, guess it wont happen for a while now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lou_Siffer 1 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 In all seriousness, putting your all-star game up against by far the #1 rated program in the country is completely assinine. Bettman is a fool. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icteria virens 11 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 I as well will keep watching hockey no matter what station in comes on. But for the other people, who are not the die hard fans such as here at LGW, if they dont have versus, or even know what versus is, they wont even bother with watching hockey. Thats why ESPN would help the ratings greatly. I'm sorry but ESPN did NOT grow the sport, when poker, hot dog eating, house remodeling on TLC, and Area Football (on NBC no less, you know, the same network that shows hockey after the football season is over) get better ratings then hockey on ESPN they did not grow the sport. They had their chance, counldn't do it, do you know why? because hockey is a niche sport in the US which nobody here wants to admit. Not sure why but hockey is not the 4th sport, hasn't been for a while now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lou_Siffer 1 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 (edited) I'm sorry but ESPN did NOT grow the sport, when poker, hot dog eating, house remodeling on TLC, and Area Football (on NBC no less, you know, the same network that shows hockey after the football season is over) get better ratings then hockey on ESPN they did not grow the sport. They had their chance, counldn't do it, do you know why? because hockey is a niche sport in the US which nobody here wants to admit. Not sure why but hockey is not the 4th sport, hasn't been for a while now. I bet the Nathan's hot dog eating contest could outdraw the NHL...seriously. Kobayashi probably eats more hotdogs than the NHL has viewers on Versus. Edited January 30, 2007 by Lou_Siffer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icteria virens 11 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 I bet the Nathan's hot dog eating contest could outdraw the NHL...seriously. yeah, that's my point , if it couldn't grow on ESPN perhaps it's just a niche sport, the American public has more pressing issues like hot dog eating and folding when flopping trips duece on the button. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lou_Siffer 1 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 yeah, that's my point , if it couldn't grow on ESPN perhaps it's just a niche sport, the American public has more pressing issues like hot dog eating and folding when flopping trips duece on the button. Yeah, i think that has probably alot to do with identifying with what you're watching. Most Americans just dont play hockey at all, while seeing someone jam down 70 hotdogs gets people talkin'! Same thing with poker, everyone plays it, although the poker fad has definitely been slowly dying off over the last year or so.( In another year, itll be dead) Its crazy to think how more people know who Phil Hellmuth and Kobayashi are than know who Crosby and Ovechkin are. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aflac9262 211 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 Bad news for those who want to see NHL on ESPN. Versus Nets NHL Right Extension Until 2011! What a joke. I'm at the point of giving up being an NHL fan. NHL, as usual. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
epps 0 Report post Posted January 30, 2007 (edited) The All Star game was watched by fewer people than some cable show about making cakes. What a joke. Putting the all star game on a Wednesday was just another idiotic decision by Bettman and company in a long list of bad ideas including over expansion, dumb scheduling, moving off of ESPN, etc... Edited January 30, 2007 by epps Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ultrapail 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2007 maybe if hockey equipment wasn't so expensive and ice time wasn't so expensive, there'd be more people willing to get their kids involved. Example: Soccer is probably the most widely played sport by kids in this country. (baseball and basketball too) These three sports are fairly cheap to compete, shoes, cleats, glove, bat and ball. Most people wanna get their kids involved in sports for the exercise. Minimize the cost for hockey players and I guarantee the exposure grows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lou_Siffer 1 Report post Posted February 1, 2007 maybe if hockey equipment wasn't so expensive and ice time wasn't so expensive, there'd be more people willing to get their kids involved. Example: Soccer is probably the most widely played sport by kids in this country. (baseball and basketball too) These three sports are fairly cheap to compete, shoes, cleats, glove, bat and ball. Most people wanna get their kids involved in sports for the exercise. Minimize the cost for hockey players and I guarantee the exposure grows. I dont know what neighborhood you live in or grew up in, ...but hell no it aint! Soccer isnt even close to being the most played sport by kids in the U.S. Basketball and football are leaps and bounds ahead of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlakChamber 8 Report post Posted February 1, 2007 maybe if hockey equipment wasn't so expensive and ice time wasn't so expensive, there'd be more people willing to get their kids involved. Example: Soccer is probably the most widely played sport by kids in this country. (baseball and basketball too) These three sports are fairly cheap to compete, shoes, cleats, glove, bat and ball. Most people wanna get their kids involved in sports for the exercise. Minimize the cost for hockey players and I guarantee the exposure grows. Do you live in another country? They've been saying soccer is the next big thing in the US since I was a kid. Hasn't happened yet. Probably isn't going to happen. Short of having a school/league/USA Hockey/the NHL subsidize youth hockey, there really isn't much of a way around the fact that it's an expensive sport. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lou_Siffer 1 Report post Posted February 1, 2007 I know where i come from, kids arent calling each other up for a good ol' game of soccer! Seriously i think played soccer twice as a kid in gym class and thats it. And even then, all of us revolted against it so we could play kickball instead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlakChamber 8 Report post Posted February 1, 2007 I played soccer in youth leagues when I was a kid, and we'd occasionally play in the backyard. But only if we decided we wanted a break from baseball, football, and basketball. And kickball >>>>>> soccer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haroldsnepsts 4,826 Report post Posted February 1, 2007 I think soccer is a popular game for a lot of kids in the U.S. growing up. There seems to be soccer leagues everywhere. But as we've seen, that doesn't translate into the sport being popular to watch. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auxlepli 17 Report post Posted February 4, 2007 On Jim Rome's radio show Friday he interviewed somebody from ESPN. Rome asked what can be done for the NHL. The guy, sorry I can't remember his name, said, "the NHL needs to come home to ESPN." I still disagree. ESPN treated the NHL like crap IMO. Versus needs to show more games. Saturate the market. I can't remember when the NHL went to ESPN, but it wasn't alway on ESPN. It was on USA at one time IIRC. Also I remember that my buddy had to order the 91 or 92 Stanley Cup finals. So the NHL wouldn't necessarily be "coming home." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kp-Wings 3 Report post Posted February 4, 2007 (edited) One problem with Vs. is the fact they only do games on Monday and Tuesdays. This is even worse then you might think, because Monday in particuler is a good TV for shows other then hockey (24!). There is a pretty extensive list of popular shows that are on Monday and Tuesday, and the NHL really doesn't stand much of a chance. Edited February 4, 2007 by Kp-Wings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
auxlepli 17 Report post Posted February 4, 2007 One problem with Vs. is the fact they only do games on Monday and Tuesdays. This is even worse then you might think, because Monday in particuler is a good TV for shows other then hockey (24!). There is a pretty extensive list of popular shows that are on Monday and Tuesday, and the NHL really doesn't stand much of a chance. Exaclty! They need to show games like every night!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WingMachine91 0 Report post Posted February 4, 2007 what is preventing versus from showing games all the time? is it the cost, because since they have rights to nhl, they can show all the games they want right? im sure they can put every other worthless show on that channel on hold, because some of the stuff they show there is jsut soo stupid Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
