04/25/24
August 09, 2005
Move over fishes and bulls, : there's a new sport in town. The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that cable TV giant Comcast has made a two-year bid in excess of $100 million for the cable rights to NHL games. They would air two games a week on their Outdoor Life Network, which is also available in Canadaland. After the contract is finalized, the NHL will have to forward it to ESPN so they can match it or let it go. If ESPN doesn't match it, will they get compensatory draft picks? (link login: markpeterson@bugmenot.com / d0ntbugme)
And Canadaland never wants for hockey coverage... Oh, I know that. I was pointing out a further option for you guys there.
posted by NoMich at 08:25 AM on August 09, 2005
Another reason to love OLN! The Tour, fishing shows, and now hockey (I know, I'm a complex dude). The big question is what will this due to next year's cap? Sounds like solid revenues to me.
posted by 86 at 08:56 AM on August 09, 2005
Finally a reason to watch OLN! (since I don't watch The Tour or fishing shows that often)
posted by insomnyuk at 08:57 AM on August 09, 2005
Yeah, it's nice that Comcast is trying to keep U.S. NHL coverage going. Luckily I am a border type, that grew up on H.N.I.C. and Export. It doesn't get any better than that!
posted by RedStrike at 09:10 AM on August 09, 2005
The big question is what will this due to next year's cap? About $100 million over two years is not going to give that much money to each team. $50 million a year split between the teams gives them each a shade over a million, but I guess the NHL's front office needs to dip their nose in it first. I see it covering each GM's salary and that's about it. Or if somebody in the know can ejimicate me on how TV revenues work, I would appreciate it. I'm sure others would as well.
posted by NoMich at 09:38 AM on August 09, 2005
So does this mean no more "this program has been blacked out in your area"? I don't think Wirtz is going to go for this.
posted by volfire at 10:20 AM on August 09, 2005
I watch the Tour pretty much constantly when it's on, and the Running of the Bulls, and some of the travel shows. OLN's a fine network, and this will help them raise their profile even further. As far as the Wirtz thing, maybe the Hawks won't get play on the network as part of the deal? I don't know. If not, and those games accidentally get on semi-public TV in Chicago & nationally, I will laugh and laugh. That old dinosaur has been keeping the cause of hockey in Chicago down for decades, and anything that subverts his squirrelling-away of that team is a good thing.
posted by chicobangs at 10:49 AM on August 09, 2005
Last season ended years of Cub games on Fox Sports. Who has them now? Comcast sports. Not really much of a big difference at all. The biggest problem would be their sound quality, which isn't very good for a big time player such as they. As far as black outs, Wirtz better make his concessions for the fans. No matter who carries hockey, the owners, management and the players have quite a bit of work ahead of them. Isn't OLN the channel where Lance finished his riding career?
posted by melcarek69 at 10:53 AM on August 09, 2005
That's an odd fit, though I'm happy for anyone to pick up the NHL. How does indoor hockey fit the theme of the Outdoor Life Network?
posted by rcade at 11:01 AM on August 09, 2005
I was thinking that when I read it too rcade...
posted by melcarek69 at 11:04 AM on August 09, 2005
Just some random thoughts to ponder: 1: What is the status of HDTV in Comcast's business plan? I know ESPN is pretty aggreisive with its HDTV boadcasts. Will Comcast be able to match that? I know the NHL is very, very high on HDTV, for all the obvious reasons. 2: I wonder if this is a prelude to Comcast setting up a 24 hour network (OLN maybe?) to compete with ESPN. After all, didn't Comcast try to take over Disney, ESPN's parent corporation?
posted by NoMich at 12:05 PM on August 09, 2005
OLN was broadcasting some show about shopping for discount shoes the other day. Granted, I mostly wear shoes when I go outside, but this seemed like a tiny bit of a stretch.
posted by fabulon7 at 12:35 PM on August 09, 2005
This is great. I can look forward to another baseless increase to my cable bill! Remember the good old days when there weren't any commercials on cable? Don't you just love to pay for your monthly cable and in return you get a slew of infommercials during the weekends and late night programming? As someone who is a casual fan of hockey, I don't want to see an increase in my bill for the sake of the sport. Is there some irony that OLN has bidded to televise basically an indoor sport?
posted by panteeze at 04:36 PM on August 09, 2005
Oops, Michigan did play Michigan State outdoors a few years back, sorry, lol.
posted by panteeze at 04:38 PM on August 09, 2005
Well, drop cable and get the friggin' Dish instead. Or whatever satellite company carries OLN.
posted by NoMich at 04:42 PM on August 09, 2005
And don't forget the Heritage Classic.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 05:59 PM on August 09, 2005
of course OLN will get the bid since i have cablevision, which doesn't carry the network. and i can't get the dish or anything like that in my apartment complex. i'm always getting screwed (and not in a good way.)
posted by goddam at 12:48 AM on August 10, 2005
Me too, goddam. And the only people I know with Center Ice are moving at the end of this month. Come on, ESPN, do the right thing.
posted by Samsonov14 at 05:15 PM on August 10, 2005
Good. A thousand times better than the nothing they had just a few days ago. And Canadaland never wants for hockey coverage - between TSN, Sportsnet, CBC and OLN - not to mention Centre Ice, LeafsTV and the NHL Network for cable, it'll be a struggle to see a damn NBA game.