What local broadcast group is likely to pick up the rights to the new NHL team?

[CTListener]

It's hard to fathom a time where live sports broadcasting is relegated to online streaming services. The vast majority of the audience of a sports broadcast on terrestrial radio are people in their vehicles.

Hard to imagine that being true. Most sports broadcasts take place at night, when the bulk of the population is at home, not driving.

 

[davideduardo]

It's hard to fathom a time where live sports broadcasting is relegated to online streaming services. The vast majority of the audience of a sports broadcast on terrestrial radio are people in their vehicles.

Actually, it is the opposite. A game... any game... takes longer than the average commute. Even longer than a long commute, in fact.

The principal in-vehicle sports listeners would be those who are in the vehicle for a long time, like truckers, delivery persons, food trucks, etc.

And CTListener is very correct. Most games are at night and not during commute times.

 

[TheBigA]

Most games are at night and not during commute times.

Depends on what coast you're on. An 8PM ET start means 5PM PT. Where are we here? Yep.

 

[fordranger797]

It isn't always true that most games happen at night. Many games, especially NFL games, occur in the middle of the day. Additionally, a 7pm start time on the east coast equates to a 4pm start time on the west coast, which means that an away game could land right at the peak of an afternoon commute. With that being said, it is very true that most listeners will finish their commute long before the game ends. I find it a little hard to believe that listeners will go through the trouble to stream the audio of a sports broadcast from home when watching it on TV/video streaming is available.

On the other side of the argument, I'm sure there were plenty of Mariners fans who preferred the voice of Dave Niehaus over the television broadcast.

 

[davideduardo]

Depends on what coast you're on. An 8PM ET start means 5PM PT. Where are we here? Yep.

Good point. As I've never listened to or watched a full football, basketball or baseball game, I miss some details.

But in any case, the average commute even in LA was just around 30 minutes, so either the game gets finished at home on another radio or the fan picks it up on TV.

I guess the main point is that games are much, much longer than a commute.

 

[davideduardo]

It isn't always true that most games happen at night. Many games, especially NFL games, occur in the middle of the day. Additionally, a 7pm start time on the east coast equates to a 4pm start time on the west coast, which means that an away game could land right at the peak of an afternoon commute. With that being said, it is very true that most listeners will finish their commute long before the game ends. I find it a little hard to believe that listeners will go through the trouble to stream the audio of a sports broadcast from home when watching it on TV/video streaming is available.

On the other side of the argument, I'm sure there were plenty of Mariners fans who preferred the voice of Dave Niehaus over the television broadcast.

Weekend games, of course, happen when most people are not commuting. Yes, there are industrial workers and retail workers but the point is still that most game listening does not occur in a car.

 

[CTListener]

It isn't always true that most games happen at night. Many games, especially NFL games, occur in the middle of the day. Additionally, a 7pm start time on the east coast equates to a 4pm start time on the west coast, which means that an away game could land right at the peak of an afternoon commute.

Of course, that will not happen during this MLB mini-season, during which teams will be penned up in their own (or adjacent) time zones to limit time spent quivering in fear of the virus on airliners. And if you're a fan of a West Coast team, living in its home market, about half of your team's games are normally going to he in Pacific or Mountain time, so again, this is not listening that will tip the balance of total listening into "overwhelmingly in the car."

Anyway, all NFL midday Eastern starts are on weekends, when few are working/commuting, and the NBA and NHL limit their midday starts to weekends and holidays, and even on those occasions it's only a few of the games on the schedule, with the others in their usual nighttime slots.

 

[seatownmedia]

I enjoy radio broadcasts of sports, especially MLB, but also NFL. But as someone mentioned above, many are on the road for great parts of the day. I also know many who prefer to turn off their tv audio and turn on their local radio for broadcasts. But I think the biggest segments for local radio would those who take a trip down to the nearest Safeway and want to keep an ear to the game. The last would be the fans in the stadium wearing headphones to hear the action as they see it, and I think it would surprise how many do this.

 

[Kelly A]

The last would be the fans in the stadium wearing headphones to hear the action as they see it, and I think it would surprise how many do this.

Many stations these days, especially if FM running HD, or the few remaining AM HD stations, delay their analog signals to match the HD-1 digital version. Essentially they're always in a perpetual 8 second delay. Some N/T stations just leave their profanity delays always running, delaying their to-air signal by 6.8 seconds.

The purpose of wearing headphones at games would be lost, if everything reached your ears 6-8 seconds later.

 

[bobdavcav]

This is precisely the issue I had the one time I went to the Sounders game and why I am opposed to sports going exclusively to streaming platforms. The 6-8 second delay for the Sounders was barely tolerable, but my dad and I were at a Volcanoes game a few years ago and I shut the stream off after about an inning because it was about 30 seconds behind. I've never had that issue with the Mariners or any other Northwest League team, but if I ever get to an Aquasox game again I'll have to experiment with that. The nice thing about them though is they have a 107.1 signal for in-park listening.

 

[seatownmedia]

Many stations these days, especially if FM running HD, or the few remaining AM HD stations, delay their analog signals to match the HD-1 digital version. Essentially they're always in a perpetual 8 second delay. Some N/T stations just leave their profanity delays always running, delaying their to-air signal by 6.8 seconds.

The purpose of wearing headphones at games would be lost, if everything reached your ears 6-8 seconds later.

Yes, obviously. But years ago I thought I read KIRO had found a way to synchronize everything at Hawk games.

 

[fordranger797]

Bob is right. Many arenas use low power FM transmitters for the exact purpose of having fans in the stands wanting to listen along with the game. While completely synchronization may not always be possible, live sports broadcasts still draw many listeners. Brown Sugar Bourbon seems to advertise every single commercial break during a Mariners game. I would find it hard to believe that they would bother spending that much on advertising if everybody was watching Root Sports exclusively while these games are being held at 7pm.

 

[Kelly A]

Bob is right. Many arenas use low power FM transmitters for the exact purpose of having fans in the stands wanting to listen along with the game. While completely synchronization may not always be possible, live sports broadcasts still draw many listeners. Brown Sugar Bourbon seems to advertise every single commercial break during a Mariners game. I would find it hard to believe that they would bother spending that much on advertising if everybody was watching Root Sports exclusively while these games are being held at 7pm.

Some arenas are using local miniature transmitters for the handful of ticket holders who are also listening to a radio. In this age of phones doing everything, I seriously doubt people in great numbers are still carrying 'transistor radios' or their Sony Walkman to listen while at games.

Granted it was a few years ago now, but Fisher used to have a suite at the stadium. From sitting there watching games, I never saw even one attendee listening to the game wearing headphones. They used to play the radio coverage in the concourses, but that was the extent on radio listening at the stadium.

 

[seatownmedia]

Some arenas are using local miniature transmitters for the handful of ticket holders who are also listening to a radio. In this age of phones doing everything, I seriously doubt people in great numbers are still carrying 'transistor radios' or their Sony Walkman to listen while at games.

Granted it was a few years ago now, but Fisher used to have a suite at the stadium. From sitting there watching games, I never saw even one attendee listening to the game wearing headphones. They used to play the radio coverage in the concourses, but that was the extent on radio listening at the stadium.

I tend to live in the 80's, Kelly. Pete Gross was great!

 

[TheBigA]

Just announced that the new NHL team will be named the Seattle Kraken:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29520108/how-seattle-nhl-team-became-kraken

 

[ksradiogeek]

The flagship of the “Amazon” (speculating) Kraken Radio Network...likely going to be KJR. They need a new pro PBP deal after the Sonics bailed.

 

[seatownmedia]

Not my first choice for a name, but don't mind it. Sure beats the Washington Redskins new name..."The Washington Football Team". How pathetic.

I think the NHL will do extremely well in Seattle. I am also optimistic that Seattle will have the NBA back within 2 years, mainly due to the economic slowdown among some NBA towns. (Yes, I hate for it to happen that way, but it happened to us...)

 

[CTListener]

Not my first choice for a name, but don't mind it. Sure beats the Washington Redskins new name..."The Washington Football Team".

It's a placeholder. There's no intention of marketing the team under that name. The team and the league are working on possible new names, vetting them for any possible offensiveness, and -- this is no small matter -- dealing with a trademark/domain squatter who has been registering attractive alternative names for the Redskins for some time now and will be demanding a high price for his property.

 

[seatownmedia]

It's a placeholder. There's no intention of marketing the team under that name. The team and the league are working on possible new names, vetting them for any possible offensiveness, and -- this is no small matter -- dealing with a trademark/domain squatter who has been registering attractive alternative names for the Redskins for some time now and will be demanding a high price for his property.[/QUOTE

I disagree. This franchise has poor leadership and a complete lack of a business plan.

 

[fordranger797]

The name "Kraken" isn't my first choice either, but at least the new uniforms look sharp. Contrary to what some people may believe, the NHL will do extremely well in Seattle. The excitement has been building over the past few years, and now with the release of the new name, that excitement is continuing to escalate. On the topic of the NBA, I too think that it is only a matter of time before we see a team in Seattle. While I'm sure that no basketball fan in Seattle wants to take a team away from another city, it seems like relocation is more likely than expansion right now. With a brand new arena at the former site of the KeyArena, there will be no reason for the NBA not to be licking their chops.