NHL & NBC Announce Record Setting 10 Yr Broadcast Deal

[SoCalcaniac]

Huge news on the broadcast deal front. ESPN & Turner Sports were in the mix at one point, but it's NBC/VERSUS (Versus will have a new name BTW) who come up with this deal that goes thru the 2020-2021 season & is worth $2 Billion. Amazing turn of events after the deal the NHL had signed after the lockout:


Official NHL Broadcast Deal Announcement NBC/Versus (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=560238)


Sports Business Journal NHL Deal Details (http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2011/04/19/Media/NHL-Turner.aspx)

[Guyute]

Wow, monstrous deal. The downside, as we all know, is the Versus exclusivity issue we've continously dealt with. They get their 1 Tuesday night (or whatever) game, but nobody is allowed to show any of the other games that they don't pick. That does nothing but hurt the league and fandom.

Very curious if it's a status quo deal in that regard, or if Bettman made sure they were really going to provide more viewing opportunities to fans.

[Deke]

I never thought I would say this back in 2005-06 but I'm so glad it's staying on Versus and not going "back" to ESPN.

[Guyute]

I have pure hatred for ESPN now. I have since the "hockey drop", but every now and then they reaffirm it.
Last night the Phillies went to extra innings. It was the game they were covering, it was the bottom of the 11th, so a walkoff was possible. What do they do?
They switch coverage to the Giants game because Lincecum is in the 7th with a no-hitter going. It's the 7th inning, not the 9th. Who cares? Give me back the game you were covering that is in the 11th! idjits!
sorry. :)

[SoCalcaniac]

Deke, Completely agree with you- Bettman knew what he was doing, even if he was "winging it" at the time , which I think he was.

I am so anti ESPN it's not even funny, so I was hopeful that this deal would go to Versus simply because ESPN now "wants a piece" because the NHL became compelling. This sideways talking they're doing now after NBC inked--- I say noise from you ESPN, get lost.

Guy- I was listening to XM204 and they piped in a good bulk of the presser with Dick Ebersol the big cheese at NBC w/Gary- He spoke to a bunch of different changes to the way they would put games on, and a little to the exclusivity. So- the net that I took away from this: since NBC brand covers USA Network, Universal, etc. We could see games on the "brand channels" The name change for Versus and what I thought he said "additional" Versus channels (exclusive to hockey) would probably eliminate some of our exclusive issues. The Versus name change is to happen in 90 days, I'm gonna guess we'll see more about the channels coming up here in early summer.

On the other side, now that this is a revenue generating deal, the teams will benefit from those NBC/Versus dollars. That'll be for PK and all his owner friends.

[Guyute]

If Versus adds another channel, and/or NBC uses one of their many partners for coverage, it could be possible that we get a lot more hockey. Which of course would be awesome.
But, the Center Ice contract may have something to say about all that too. lol

[nccanes]

Doesn't MLB and NBA have multiple broacast channels?

Seems like Center Ice gets the leftovers of all the "real" National broadcast partners. They don't have any production expense for the telecasts themselves so I presume it's just a little money maker for the service providers (cable, satellite) and the league.

[SoCalcaniac]

E, Yes- MLB & NBA have a couple of broadcast partners So NBA I believe it's ABC, TNT & they show games on NBA network, and MLB isn't it FOX and ESPN? I think with this NBC deal we'll get this all spread across NBC's very large brand of networks. Just like the Olympics.

The biggest takeaway I forgot to mention that they spoke about in that presser, the NBC part of the deal kicks in on American Thanksgiving, so that Friday after Thanksgiving, there will be an NHL on NBC game, and we will have games every weekend starting then, instead of the dreaded late January dealio.

I'm also pleased that the deal includes building a new studio for NHL Network right here in the US (Stamford, CT.)

[Guyute]

Yeah, I think everyone has multiple broadcast channels for their sports now. And you're right, CI is just re-feeding local broadcasts, so there aren't production expenses. But still, it's a huge money maker, and if the NHL is promising lots more national coverage of games, people may be less likely to buy CI.
I loved CI, but we're now 2 years without it. The savings is nice. I'd love more NBC/VS coverage. :)

[nccanes]

I loved CI, but we're now 2 years without it. The savings is nice. I'd love more NBC/VS coverage. :)

Same here. This is year 2 (or maybe 3?) of no CI for us. I found the higher Cable bill obnoxious and realize it was a HUGE time killer. I can remember several years ago during a mid season CI free preview and my Canes fan neighbor was sure to tell me about it. But since we were subscribers it didn't matter, but I DO recall thinking I'd NEVER go w/o Center Ice :lol:

With the NHL Network and the number of games VS picks up here and there, I really haven't minded. Yeah, we've missed a few Canes games on TV....and lived to tell about it! And actually, I miss a number of broadcasts anyway because of conflicts....

[SoCalcaniac]

I think the big picture part of this regarding CI- is yeah, you're gonna have the diehard types who'll pay the obsence amount of $$ to have CI (stilling raising hand) but if you're trying to expand the NHL brand, it's the games on "free TV" and more of them that gets this thing going even further.

They've made inroads on all of that with the current NBC deal, I think it goes further now that we're talking about a weekly situation starting in November, and these multiple channels, and lets not forget the merge between NBC & Comcast which only makes that even more of a broad reach. They'll leverage all of that with this new deal.

[Guyute]

I do love that they're talking about the NBC weekly Saturday (or Sunday) game starting much earlier in the season, that's great news. I've always hated that they didn't just do that all season honestly.

[puck_it]

I do love that they're talking about the NBC weekly Saturday (or Sunday) game starting much earlier in the season, that's great news. I've always hated that they didn't just do that all season honestly.

yup

[kermelbar]

If the NFL lock-out becomes real, I dream that the NHL can really pounce on the opportunity and make great use of it.

[caveman]

On local digital broadcast 17.2 (I think?) "NBC Universal" shows odd sports quite often. Skiing, beach volleyball, track and field events, etc.

[livinthedream]

Didn't NBC Universal also show some of the IIHF World Championships last summer?

[superdave]

I'm actually hoping for an NFL lockout to continue for a while into hockey season. Maybe then, some people will tune in to see a superior sport.

[caniac97]

I am a little more curious about the details. The current deal with NBC is more of a profit sharing deal, NHL and NBC split cost and split profits. IMO a true tv deal would require VS and NBC to pony up money up front.

[SoCalcaniac]

NBC/Universal sports shows the World Championships every year since the lockout. Locally, it's only on TWC, (don't know the channel but they're always advertising it on local NBC17) but I've live streamed games from their website. Very good online quality.

Kermie - SD you make good points. The NFL with their looming lockout could really be a chance for the NHL to make headway with gaining casual fans.

This deal is a 200 million per & isn't the current deal = profit/sharing etc. NBC Sports Group is paying for the rights to broadcast, i.e. the traditional "broadcast deal" for the next 10 years for a total of 2 billion. It's pretty straight forward IMO.

In the AP piece in today's paper (http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/20/1141484/nhl-makes-new-deal-with-nbc-versus.html), Decock contributed a bit on what this deal means for the Canes.


The league's windfall is good news for the Carolina Hurricanes. This season, the Hurricanes received about $6 million from the league's national TV rights in the United States and Canada. The new deal will boost the league's national TV revenues from $200 million per season to approximately $340 million, which should bump the Hurricanes' cut to more than $9 million. That's $3 million in additional revenue for the Hurricanes.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I have pure hatred for ESPN now. I have since the "hockey drop", but every now and then they reaffirm it.
Last night the Phillies went to extra innings. It was the game they were covering, it was the bottom of the 11th, so a walkoff was possible. What do they do?
They switch coverage to the Giants game because Lincecum is in the 7th with a no-hitter going. It's the 7th inning, not the 9th. Who cares? Give me back the game you were covering that is in the 11th! idjits!
sorry. :)

They play baseball in April?



:evil:;)