NHL to OLN

[fatbastard]

> The thought is that ice hockey originally started outdoors
> on frozen ponds.

Outdoor Hockey Network.

> I'm sure there will be an eventual name change..my question
> is, will the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay
> Lightning make an appearance? or will OLN go the way of
> ESPN and only air games from Detroit/Chicago/Colorado/New
> York/Boston and Philly?
>

NBC has already said its 7 Saturdays will focus on traditional NHL hotbeds - Philly/Detroit/Boston/NY/Colorado/St.Louis. Same things as ESPN did. Can't blame
them for ignoring Tampa Bay - one Stanley Cup champion all the fans of the sport want to quickly forget.

 

[Nate Wesley]

The NFL rights will change everything.

> OLN has already snatched what used to be the marquee events
> from ESPN (mainly the america's Cup..and from what I
> understand COULD be in the running to maybe go to Aussie
> Football
>

If Comcast does manage to snag rights to the NFL's Thursday/Saturday package, then that's going to change everything. Part of me doubts Joe's thinking on the NFL giving that package to itself (through the NFL Network)--I'm thinking there'd be more profit and revenue having someone else foot the bill. Besides, not having actual games hasn't hurt the channel yet, and I bet it already makes a decent profit. <P ID="signature">______________
There's nothing to see here.</P>

 

[fatbastard]

> One note about NBC: Don't be surprised if the NBC/NHL deal
> is amended so that weekend games of the Stanley Cup Finals
> (except possibly for game 7) get moved to the afternoon, so
> NBC would only have three nights of prime-time coverage of
> the Finals (assuming they air games 3-onward), and thus,
> minimizing ratings damage.
>

NBC has already moved up start times of its Saturday games to 2pm(from 3pm
on ABC) so it doesn't hurt its local news lead-ins. And no Canadian-based teams.
Smart!

Saturday, Jan. 14
Dallas at Boston, 2 p.m.
Colorado at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
N.Y. Rangers at Detroit, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 21
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.
Detroit at Colorado, 2 p.m

Saturday, Jan. 28
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Detroit at Dallas, 2 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 4
N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Dallas at St. Louis, 2 p.m.
Chicago at Nashville, 2 p.m.
Detroit at Colorado, 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 1
New Jersey at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 8
N.Y. Rangers at Boston, 2 p.m.
St. Louis at Colorado, 2 p.m.

Saturday, April 15
N.Y. Rangers at Philadelphia, 2 p.m.
Detroit at St. Louis, 2 p.m.
Minnesota at Dallas, 2 p.m.

 

[Calgaryperson]

> > > Plus, Comcast already believes in the product being the
> > > Flyers' owner and all. COmcast is in the hockey
> business.
> >
> > Can you say conflict of interest?
> > I knew you could!
> >
>
> Yes, but that's allowed and very encouraged by NBA, NHL and
> MLB, but strictly prohibitted by the NFL, primarily because
> they don't allow big corporations to own franchises, only
> individuals.
>
> NewsCorp owned the Dodgers and had the rights to MLB on Fox,
> plus other Fox RSN's at one time. Disney owned part of NHL
> Ducks and NHL rights on ESPN/ABC. Turner owned the Hawks and
> TNT/TBS package at one time. Big media=big money.
>
Well, Rogers owns the Toronto Blue Jays and also own Rogers Sportsnet (which own MLB rights in Canada-as do TSN to an extent). Let's take it one step further, 'Rogers Blues Jays Baseball' comes direct from the 'Rogers Centre' in Toronto.

Of course, TSN also airs Blue Jays games, also called 'Rogers Blues Jays Baseball'.<P ID="signature">______________

Canada TV and College Radio</P>

 

[Calgaryperson]

> > The thought is that ice hockey originally started outdoors
>
> > on frozen ponds.
>
> Outdoor Hockey Network.
>
> > I'm sure there will be an eventual name change..my
> question
> > is, will the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay
> > Lightning make an appearance? or will OLN go the way of
> > ESPN and only air games from Detroit/Chicago/Colorado/New
> > York/Boston and Philly?
> >
>
> NBC has already said its 7 Saturdays will focus on
> traditional NHL hotbeds -
> Philly/Detroit/Boston/NY/Colorado/St.Louis. Same things as
> ESPN did. Can't blame
> them for ignoring Tampa Bay - one Stanley Cup champion all
> the fans of the sport want to quickly forget.
>
Especially Calgary Flames fans...

hint hint... <P ID="signature">______________

Canada TV and College Radio</P>

 

[MCarney]

There's no way NESN would ever agree to a blackout of a Bruins game for any reason. There's too much revenue at stake, and everyone up here knows that Jeremy Jacobs isn't giving away a dime if possible!

The NBA had Thursdays as an exclusive night for TNT last year. They simply scheduled the 1 or 2 games that TNT was willing to pick up for that night. Since this was signed so late I don't see that happening with the NHL.

 

[studiotwenty]

NBC has already said its 7 Saturdays will focus on
> traditional NHL hotbeds -
> Philly/Detroit/Boston/NY/Colorado/St.Louis. Same things as
> ESPN did. Can't blame
> them for ignoring Tampa Bay - one Stanley Cup champion all
> the fans of the sport want to quickly forget.
>

Look, son, if you're going to make rash comments about a team and a sport, you might want to learn a little about both before you make an ignorant post, making a fool out of yourself..

The Lightning at one time were the worst of all the major sports franchises. No organizational skills, no players, no minor league system.

In just over four years, the team was built from the ground up with a great mix of veterans, young players, and a coach who knows the game and can communicate with his team. The ownership is solid, they didn't overpay for anyone (*cough* New York Rangers) and they beat everyone they faced in the playoffs. Even the Canadians and the CBC, people who know the sport (unlike yourself) praised the Lightning for its quick and effecient rise to the top, even if the Northeastern US Bias of the smarmy network ESPN and ABC refused to acknowledge this.

The reasons the league failed stemmed straight out of New York City, with its high priced policies (again, the overpaid Rangers...just ask their fans)...and the network that insisted on ignoring the best story in Pro Hockey in the past decade.

If you're too ignorant to see that, then it indeed is sad to be you.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: NHL On NBC

RandySimon posted the regular-season schedule of the NHL on NBC.

I am a little surprised that there would be weekly games from Janaury 14th through February 4th. I fully expected all the regular-season games to be scheduled over the last seven weekends of the regular season (after the Winter Olympics end) so NBC could have possibly benefitted from heavy promotion during Olympic coverage, especially hockey games.

I also was surprised that Tampa Bay will have just one regular-season game included in the NBC package. I expected that they would have been on a couple of additional regional telecasts, perhaps against the cross-state rival Florida Panthers, which would have been broadcast within the state of Florida.

What I was really stunned at was that Pittsburgh will make only one regular-season appearance (January 21st, hosting Philadelphia). With Sidney Crosby, supposedely the most-hyped rookie-to-be in any of the "big-four" professional team sports since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (and the most-hyped NHL rookie-to-be since Bobby Orr), I expected the Pens would have had two or three NBC appearances, against large-market teams.

In a way, I could understand no Canadian-based team being included since the U.S. television ratings don't count Canadian viewers. But on the other hand, I feel Calgary, as a 2004 finalist, perhaps should have been included once, against a big-market U.S. team (or, if Calgary is to meet Tampa Bay during the season, televise that game on NBC as it would be an '04 Finals rematch).

My hometown Boston Bruins appear twice (January 14th vs. Dallas and April 8th against the New York Rangers). Philadelphia has six games in the NBC package, the most of any team (but then again, the Flyers are expected to be legitimate 2005 Stanley Cup contendors).

According to the schedule posted by RandySimon, only one game (New Jersey at Philadelphia) has been scheduled for NBC broadcast on April 1st. Perhaps two or three other regional telecasts will be added for that date later on in the season, featuring teams not currenrly expected to contend, but who end up being contending teams by the time the regular season hits it's home stretch. Such games would be moved from their currently-scheduled evening game times to accomodate a 2:05 P.M. ET faceoff and NBC coverage.

 

[radiolives]

> OLN has already snatched what used to be the marquee events
> from ESPN (mainly the america's Cup..and from what I
> understand COULD be in the running to maybe go to Aussie
> Football
>
Hockey on OLN, now that seems a little weriod as they are called the Outdoor Life Network. Which shows hunting, fishing, biking, etc. But I guess the NHL on OLN could work. Glad FOX didn't want hockey and start their FSN Sports Network to compete with the networks of ESPN.