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The NHL needs to distance themselves from NBC

Lets be honest, NBC is bad for hockey. The way they handle the sport is a travesty. Complete lack of promotion from a network whos ratings sit somewhere around the CW. I understand that ABC dropped the NHL during the lockout, but lets be honest, that was 6 years ago. ABC is clearly the best of the cable networks when it comes to sports coverage. They own all 27 ESPN networks, and ABC itself often shows high profile sports events to the masses. There is no better way to get a sport to the masses than ESPN. Look at what has happened to college football since they have gotten the attention of ABC. It is now the second biggest sport in the US behind the NFL. Thus, whenever the current deal with NBC expires, the NHL really needs to make a move to join back with ABC. NBC seems to have the NHL and the sport of hockey in like 8th place on its priority list. I remember a few years back when a game went into overtime and eventually a shootout, but NBC felt the need to cut the broadcast in order to show a horse racing pre race show. And tonights USA Canada game. It was on the extremely covered network of MSNBC, while NBC showed ice dancing. Really?? This sport is basically shoved aside by NBC. And the only partner of NBC that the NHL is shown on is versus. Who watches versus, lets be honest. If you strike a deal with ABC, you have the potential to show games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN classic, MTV and a bunch of other disney run networks.

All in all, thanks for being the only network to pick us up after the lockout, but it is time to move on to bigger and better things...


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I know Hartford will get a team back before this happens, but I always thought that Fox was actually the best place for the NHL to be. A good package could include a slate of weekend games and a few primetime games on FX or the like. The number of NHL teams with FSN affiliations would also make for a ton of crossover promotion. Puck The Media did a analysis last season and found that Fox was actually the best TV partner the league has had. If only Bettman and the owners could set aside their egos and short-term thinking we might be back to that.

And before you ask, yes, I liked the glow puck and LOVED the transforming robots. Granted, I was only 9 or 10 at that time, but in the Gate of Heaven schoolyard nothing was cooler than the NHL on Fox back then.

by Arenacale on Feb 22, 2010 7:37 AM EST reply actions  

fox was pretty sweet. i dont know about the glowing puck, it seemed a little cheesy to me, but the transforming robots that would kill each other after a goal… best thing ever

by BlueNGoldBomber on Feb 22, 2010 8:20 AM EST up reply actions  

Nobody wanted to touch the NHL after the lockout. ESPN wanted no part of the NHL. The NBC deal is actually an ad revenue split between the NHL and NBC, not a TV rights deal (which is unheard of for a major sports league). The NHL was desperate to get their product on the air somehow. It’s all about ratings. If NBC can get better ratings from something that they have actually invested in, then they will air that. Besides the jumping of channels, I have had no problem with the way that NBC has handled Olympic hockey. As long as you don’t have basic cable, you were able to see every game.

by Stanley Cup of Chowder on Feb 22, 2010 9:34 AM EST up reply actions  

stary away from nbc??

i dont think so they should stray away from versus, cuz versus sux, nbc is actually decent, great commentators and better cameras. i wish we still had a contract with espn that would be nice

by BostonNation on Mar 4, 2010 10:15 PM EST reply actions  

On the other hand versus has shown more NHL games this week than NBC has all year, I think.

Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure! (or Twitter.) GO BRUINS! (and Wild!)

by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Mar 5, 2010 12:11 PM EST up reply actions  

The thing that annoys me about NBC is that they only show about 4 teams: Red Wings, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Caps. With ABC, you could see most teams with ESPN and ESPN2

Haven't been able to watch the Devils on TV since 2008

by Josh Weinstein on Mar 12, 2010 5:38 PM EST reply actions  

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