Changing stations: NHL finds new TV partner

[greasywheels121]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2137098

 

ESPN decides not to match Comcast's offer

By Darren Rovell

ESPN.com

The NHL will have a new television home next fall.

 

ESPN, which has had a stake in NHL broadcasts since the 1992-93 season, informed the league on Wednesday that it would not match the offer put forth by Comcast.

 

"Tonight, we informed the NHL that we did not accept their final contract offer," ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said in a statement. "We worked very hard to build and sustain our relationship with the league and would have liked to continue. However, given the prolonged work stoppage and the league's TV ratings history, no financial model even remotely supports the contract terms offered."

 

In the 2003-04 season, NHL games on ESPN drew an audience in 416,000 homes and games on ESPN2 were watched in 209,000 homes.

 

In May, ESPN informed the league that it would not pick up the $60 million option it had to broadcast the league's games for another season. After the league and the players' association settled on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement in mid-July, Comcast, the nation's largest cable television provider, became the most interested in picking up the NHL's broadcasts. Comcast offered a three-year deal worth more than $200 million, and ESPN officials were brought back to the table. They had until Wednesday to once again decide if it was in the network's best interest.

 

Comcast, which owns four regional sports networks as well as a majority share in the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers, is expected to put its NHL games on OLN. An OLN spokesperson did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

 

Over the past year, the channel has endured a major shift. The network's name is now what was once its acronym. The Outdoor Life Network is no longer and its motto is now, "We've Got A New Attitude." The hunting and fishing the network was founded on a decade ago is now mostly replaced with events ranging from the Tour de France and America's Cup to the All-Star BBQ Showdown. One of OLN's greatest assets is the 10 seasons of "Survivor" re-runs it purchased from CBS for a reported $10 million.

 

The deal appears to be a winning proposition for all the parties involved.

 

Despite a season-long work stoppage, the NHL will still collect a good deal of money on the sale of its broadcast rights. That's an amazing achievement, given that the league agreed to a revenue-sharing deal with NBC before the lockout that came free of any rights fee.

 

Since NHL programming is going to be OLN's most important asset, Comcast officials could be willing to spend more money to capitalize on the relationship. For the networks that have had hockey, including Fox and ESPN, investing in growing the hockey audience simply didn't pay off when considering how much more they had invested in other sports programming.

 

Comcast might also have additional motivation to spend -- to prove to leagues that it is willing to be great partners if leagues should seek to use OLN to build a sports network from scratch. Last year, Comcast offered an unsolicited bid of $66 billion to buy the Walt Disney Co., which owns ESPN. The offer was rejected by the Disney board.

 

"It seems clear that OLN is setting itself up as a competitor to ESPN," said Bodenheimer. "We welcome it. It will make us better."

 

The potential audience is smaller. ESPN is in 90 million homes and ESPN2 is in 89 million homes. OLN is in 63 million households, a 75 percent increase from the number of households the network was in four years ago. That makes it easier for hockey fans to find the channel and, if they don't have it, they might be willing to pay for it.

 

"With the NHL deal, OLN is now further away from being that niche channel for serious sports recreation enthusiasts and moves closer to the sports fan who is enthusiastic about sitting on his couch watching the sport he loves," said David Carter, principal of The Sports Business Group, a sports consultancy firm.

 

A year without hockey proved to ESPN executives that picking up the option or matching Comcast's offer didn't make much financial sense, even at half the price it paid when the deal started in 1999. In the NHL's place, ESPN filled the air with original programming, like "Bowling Night" and "Stump The Schwab." Programs like these drew ratings that were at least comparable to the number of people watching NHL games.

[redandwhite]

This is cool. I support Comcast in its attempt to dismantle ESPN. Go Comcast!!!

[IlliniKrush]

Can't blame ESPN, at all.

 

At least games will be somewhere on the tube for me to view.

[WSNS-TV44]

Can't blame ESPN, at all.

 

At least games will be somewhere on the tube for me to view.

That's a new way of looking at it.I hope the NHL and Comcast will be successful,nd i'm looking forward to NBC's take on the NHL.Can you say,"Peter Puck"?

 

PS:ESPN don't want hockey,but yet they can rerun the "World Series of Poker" over and over again?It's ESPN,I hope it's their beginning thier downfall.

[Ozzie Montana]

That's a new way of looking at it.I hope the NHL and Comcast will be successful,nd i'm looking forward to NBC's take on the NHL.Can you say,"Peter Puck"?

 

PS:ESPN don't want hockey,but yet they can rerun the "World Series of Poker" over and over again?It's ESPN,I hope it's their beginning thier downfall.

I hope the NHL succeeds with its new partnership with Comcast and I hope the Blackhawks return to something significantin Chicago to talk about. I think they were showing the World Series of Poker because I it was getting beter ratings than the NHL.

[WSNS-TV44]

I hope the NHL succeeds with its new partnership with Comcast and I hope the Blackhawks return to something significantin Chicago to talk about.  I think they were showing the World Series of Poker because I it was getting beter ratings than the NHL.

Yeah,gambling.Better than hockey.Yeah,right!!!

[The Critic]

Yeah,gambling.Better than hockey.Yeah,right!!!

It WAS getting better ratings than hockey telecasts. That doesn't mean that the WSOP is BETTER than hockey ( I find the poker shows interesting, but I'd watch a hockey game before that any day of the week ), but ratings = legitimacy as far as the networks are concerned.

 

I don't even know if I have the Outdoor Life Network on my cable package. I'd guess that I do, but I've never tuned in once to that channel.

[WSNS-TV44]

It WAS getting better ratings than hockey telecasts. That doesn't mean that the WSOP is BETTER than hockey ( I find the poker shows interesting, but I'd watch a hockey game before that any day of the week ), but ratings = legitimacy as far as the networks are concerned.

 

I don't even know if I have the Outdoor Life Network on my cable package. I'd guess that I do, but I've never tuned in once to that channel.

I know what you're saying.But as a moral example to younger viewers it was I was saying.

 

You know how worry-sick parents wouldn't let kids watch hockey because it's violent.I was being sarcastic when they perfer to kids watch how to bet their money,house,car,and life away from poker.Didn't they learn from Krusty The Clown about the evil of gambling!?

[The Critic]

I know what you're saying.But as a moral example to younger viewers it was I was saying.

 

You know how worry-sick parents wouldn't let kids watch hockey because it's violent.I was being sarcastic when they prefer to kids watch how to bet their money,house,car,and life away from poker.Didn't they learn from Krusty The Clown about the evil of gambling!?  

...but then we wouldn't have baseball either.....DAMN YOU, PETE ROSE!!!!

[Kogs35]

i really hope this oln steals baseball from espn when there contract is up after next season. espn wants exclusive games on wed, and mlb wont give it. i really hope oln takes out espn

[greasywheels121]

i really hope this oln steals baseball from espn when there contract is up after next season. espn wants exclusive games on wed, and mlb wont give it. i really hope oln takes out espn

 

I wish CBS would put out a 24/7 sports network. I like their presentation better, and their website is definitely a great option to ESPN's.

[Benchwarmerjim]

Can't blame ESPN, at all.

 

At least games will be somewhere on the tube for me to view.

 

agreed.

[Mplssoxfan]

No offense intended to any of you die-hard puckheads, but OLN? You guys will watch hockey wherever and whenever it is on, but (a) most households do not get OLN, (B) many of those that do do not know what channel it's on, and, most importantly, © no one but you die-hards care about the NHL.

 

It's going to be a long, hard road for the NHL to climb back into the minds of the casual sports fan in the US. I played hockey from the age of five until the age of thirteen, but, since the Wild has been here, I have been to two games. One in a suite and one in the Club Level. Parking passes both times, and I spent about $20 on beer the time in the Club.

 

These guys are not going to have dime one of my money for at least five years. I may go to a game, but only if I'm given a spot in a suite.

 

I work in a bar and that is the only reason I'll watch hockey next season.

[AirScott]

It WAS getting better ratings than hockey telecasts. That doesn't mean that the WSOP is BETTER than hockey ( I find the poker shows interesting, but I'd watch a hockey game before that any day of the week ), but ratings = legitimacy as far as the networks are concerned.

 

I don't even know if I have the Outdoor Life Network on my cable package. I'd guess that I do, but I've never tuned in once to that channel.

I didn't know that OLN has progamming when the Tour de France isn't going on. then again, I didn't know there was an OLN until 2 years ago.

[Ozzie Montana]

No offense intended to any of you die-hard puckheads, but OLN?  You guys will watch hockey wherever and whenever it is on, but (a) most households do not get OLN, (B) many of those that do do not know what channel it's on, and, most importantly, © no one but you die-hards care about the NHL.

 

It's going to be a long, hard road for the NHL to climb back into the minds of the casual sports fan in the US.  I played hockey from the age of five until the age of thirteen, but, since the Wild has been here, I have been to two games.  One in a suite and one in the Club Level.  Parking passes both times, and I spent about $20 on beer the time in the Club. 

 

These guys are not going to have dime one of my money for at least five years.  I may go to a game, but only if I'm given a spot in a suite.

 

I work in a bar and that is the only reason I'll watch hockey next season.

none taken. Im a die-hard fan and always will be. I know where my OLN is, channel 404 . Anyways they've got new things that will try to real in the casual fan. The Blackhawks themselves have lowered ticket prices and concessions. I dont know the exact prices but they are doing allot of things to bring the casual fans back. This year will definately tell how the NHL will do.

[WSNS-TV44]

Hey,let's be glad the NHL is NOT on the Oxygen Network!

[Benchwarmerjim]

none taken.  Im a die-hard fan and always will be.  I know where my OLN is,  channel 404

 

 

haha. I know where my OLN is. Channel 35. one click down from the Food Network

[WSNS-TV44]

haha. I know where my OLN is. Channel 35. one click down from the Food Network

One minute it's hockey,and next door to it,Rachel Ray eating on $40 a Day.

[kapkomet]

One minute it's hockey,and next door to it,Rachel Ray eating on $40 a Day.

Not going to a hockey game on $40 a day.

[Buehrle>Wood]

ESPN picked ups something like 30 additional College BAsketball games because of the lock-out last year. I like hockey, but I aint complaing when college basketball is on 6 times a week.

[WSNS-TV44]

Not going to a hockey game on $40 a day.

That's just the price of beer at a Hawks game!

[kev211]

ESPN picked ups something like 30 additional College BAsketball games because of the lock-out last year. I like hockey, but I aint complaing when college basketball is on 6 times a week.

^^^