NBC Leaves NHL out in the cold

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versus_(TV_channel)#Hockey

4 = http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?i...TC-DT9705204233

ESPN evangelists should blame Bodenheimer.

Or you can believe Bettman (in my sig).

[auxlepli 17]

Or you can believe Bettman (in my sig).

What would that be? I have signatures turned off.

More NHL exposure on ESPN is at best a pipe dream and more likely a fallacy. Hockey fans would never see a game on the four-letter network because NHL games would be subordinate to stock car racing, women's softball, baseball, basketball, American football, football, bowling, darts, and poker. To think otherwise is wrong based on the NHL's previous experience on ESPN.

As for taking an ESPN discount vis-a-vis exposure ... ask the players and owners if they're ready to take a pay cut the next time negotiations are up so the League can theoretically gain more exposure. I'm willing to bet the owners and players say no.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

What would that be? I have signatures turned off.

More NHL exposure on ESPN is at best a pipe dream and more likely a fallacy. Hockey fans would never see a game on the four-letter network because NHL games would be subordinate to stock car racing, women's softball, baseball, basketball, American football, football, bowling, darts, and poker. To think otherwise is wrong based on the NHL's previous experience on ESPN.

As for taking an ESPN discount vis-a-vis exposure ... ask the players and owners if they're ready to take a pay cut the next time negotiations are up so the League can theoretically gain more exposure. I'm willing to bet the owners and players say no.

"...doing the traditional mode, going back to ESPN, where they have everything, wasn’t going to help us bring the game back as strong." "We felt we needed to be in a place where the network would grow with us, they'd make us their most important priority, and give us special treatment. And Versus has done that." -Gary Bettman

It was on the radio in Chicago earlier this season, and posted on several websites. I have a link somewhere but am being lazy.

Edit to respond to the rest of your post:

I agree the NHL has no place on ESPN. What I don't get is Bettman allowing the networks to run all over him in the one market that they can actually profit in (internet). In turn you see an overpriced semi-reliable feed when games aren't blacked out (which is often, thx TV), and a battle against those streaming their feeds.

Edited February 24, 2010 by CaliWingsNut

[lets go pavel 2]

Two thoughts ...

Does anyone know what kind of ratings/viewership NBC got on the other channels for the other stuff they were showing? Seems like a pretty important detail if you're going to argue that they should have been showing hockey instead of the other stuff based on potential ratings.

I have no problem with Cowlishaw griping about the NBC coverage, but jumping from there to the conclusion that the NHL shouldn't participate next time is a pretty big leap. Is viewership and exposure really the only reason for participation? I gues maybe so from Bettman's perspective, but it's a bit disappointing to hear Cowlishaw adopting that viewpoint rather than that of, say, Ovechkin, who could give two s***s about the exposure but wants to participate to represent his country.