Do you miss watching hockey on ESPN?? Do you enjoy having your favorite sport on Versus?? The recent extension of the NHL’s TV deal with NBC means the league will need new American TV contracts for the 2011-12 season. There are pros and cons for both networks to carry NHL hockey.
Let’s start with Versus. The network has come a long way since the OLN days. I remember watching games in that first season after the lockout, and thinking the network was kind of a joke. You couldn’t blame the NHL… OLN was the only network willing to carry hockey. Even though their coverage is still a work in progress, I think they’ve done a great job for the most part. Also, the NHL has turned into priority #1 for Versus… something they’d definitely lack in a switch to ESPN. A problem the network has tried to fix is the viewership through out the country. Versus is in approximately 75 million homes, compared to ESPN’s 98 mil. And the fact that the network is also the home of the Tour de France and bull riding probably steers away some average fans. Versus will never win a battle with the big boys, and that could be a minus for the league in the long run.
Jumping over to the worldwide leader in sports… it almost seems inevitable that a return to ESPN could occur in 2 years. But would it be the right choice?? The league has never been better, star power wise. Since the lockout, the league has added superstars such as Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, and so on. I don’t think the network would have any problem growing interest of the average fan by showcasing the league’s stars. And the league has had two great Stanley Cup Finals in the last 2 years between Pittsburgh and Detroit. Would they opt to only broadcast games involving the Pens and Caps?? Would ESPN make hockey a priority, and bring back a nightly show like NHL 2Nite?? Would they be able to have a schedule involving 2 games on the main network or the deuce on a weekly basis?? Since the lockout, you've been lucky to find highlights on SportsCenter during the regular season... and their playoff coverage is limited to short analysis from Barry Melrose or Matthew Barnaby.
Or… could the league split the cable TV rights, like the other 3 major sports do?? The NFL is with ESPN and NFL Network, the MLB is on ESPN and TBS, and the NBA has a split deal with ESPN and TNT. I would be a fan of the NHL splitting the rights between ESPN/ABC and Versus. Maybe 2 games a week on Versus, and 1 on ESPN?? I think splitting it up could create even more coverage for the first 2 rounds of the playoffs.
But I don’t know if I’d be too thrilled if the NHL went back to ESPN 100%. The league would be buried underneath the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and basketball. They’d probably sit alongside NASCAR as far as network dedication and coverage. Versus does everything they can to keep hockey fans happy, especially during the playoffs.
So I pose this question to you… should the NHL stick with Versus, go to ESPN, or try to split up the rights?? I vote for the latter, if possible! If not, stay with the dedicated network instead of switching to the country's powerful cable TV channel.
Let’s start with Versus. The network has come a long way since the OLN days. I remember watching games in that first season after the lockout, and thinking the network was kind of a joke. You couldn’t blame the NHL… OLN was the only network willing to carry hockey. Even though their coverage is still a work in progress, I think they’ve done a great job for the most part. Also, the NHL has turned into priority #1 for Versus… something they’d definitely lack in a switch to ESPN. A problem the network has tried to fix is the viewership through out the country. Versus is in approximately 75 million homes, compared to ESPN’s 98 mil. And the fact that the network is also the home of the Tour de France and bull riding probably steers away some average fans. Versus will never win a battle with the big boys, and that could be a minus for the league in the long run.
Jumping over to the worldwide leader in sports… it almost seems inevitable that a return to ESPN could occur in 2 years. But would it be the right choice?? The league has never been better, star power wise. Since the lockout, the league has added superstars such as Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, and so on. I don’t think the network would have any problem growing interest of the average fan by showcasing the league’s stars. And the league has had two great Stanley Cup Finals in the last 2 years between Pittsburgh and Detroit. Would they opt to only broadcast games involving the Pens and Caps?? Would ESPN make hockey a priority, and bring back a nightly show like NHL 2Nite?? Would they be able to have a schedule involving 2 games on the main network or the deuce on a weekly basis?? Since the lockout, you've been lucky to find highlights on SportsCenter during the regular season... and their playoff coverage is limited to short analysis from Barry Melrose or Matthew Barnaby.
Or… could the league split the cable TV rights, like the other 3 major sports do?? The NFL is with ESPN and NFL Network, the MLB is on ESPN and TBS, and the NBA has a split deal with ESPN and TNT. I would be a fan of the NHL splitting the rights between ESPN/ABC and Versus. Maybe 2 games a week on Versus, and 1 on ESPN?? I think splitting it up could create even more coverage for the first 2 rounds of the playoffs.
But I don’t know if I’d be too thrilled if the NHL went back to ESPN 100%. The league would be buried underneath the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and basketball. They’d probably sit alongside NASCAR as far as network dedication and coverage. Versus does everything they can to keep hockey fans happy, especially during the playoffs.
So I pose this question to you… should the NHL stick with Versus, go to ESPN, or try to split up the rights?? I vote for the latter, if possible! If not, stay with the dedicated network instead of switching to the country's powerful cable TV channel.
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