[Drew_N]

Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/sp...tml?ref=sports


So much for the ESPN rumors.

 

[bgall]

ugh

 

[lokar]

Bad for the league, but good for me since I hate ESPN and now I can go on not watching them. I'm just afraid they will get NBC's games next season.

 

[blitzen102]



Quote:
Through 29 games, Versus's 0.3 rating is modest, but it is 50 percent higher than the 0.2 average at the same time last season. In that period, viewership swelled to an average of 261,760 a game from an average of 195,666 a game last season.

From the link.

 

[kevincburns]

and my hope of watching more hockey has just evaporated...


guess I'll have to stick to Yahoo!'s webcasts and one game a week on NBC and an occasional Stars game on FSNSW...

 

[steverobertson]

What a dope Bettman is.

 

[hunter65]



Quote:
Originally Posted by steverobertson /forum/post/12908121


What a dope Bettman is.

why does he love versus so much?

 

[ccotenj]

and the nhl sinks further into irrelevancy...

don't they realize that even if they allowed espn to telecast their games for FREE that it would be so much better for them???? just due to all the ancillary coverage, if nothing else?


geez. i thought that maybe once the bill wirtz's of the world were gone, that some modern thinking might come into being. i thought wrong. fools.


wow. it swelled 70,000 whole viewers... whoopie... that's cause for celebration....

 

[MrBostn]

Must be the cutting edge name of the network he likes.."Versus"


I remember the "NHL on USA" a long time ago. They probably had more viewers then.


I hear they're adding two more games to the regular season..UGH What a bad decision. They should subtract 20 games. and have the playoffs setup like the NFL.

 

[ieko]

Ugh as well, I don't even watch the games on Vs because Verizon doesn't carry it in HD and I never look at the SD sports channels in the guide so I never see if there's a game on. Not to mention it'd look terrible anyway.

 

[CNiles3806]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ieko /forum/post/12908362


Ugh as well, I don't even watch the games on Vs because Verizon doesn't carry it in HD and I never look at the SD sports channels in the guide so I never see if there's a game on. Not to mention it'd look terrible anyway.

The HD games on Versus looks terrible, well on my Cablevision compressed signal system anyway. Its like watching Tetris at times with all the blocky artifacts. The NHL is losing me as a fan, doesn't help my Rangers stink, but VS only makes it worse to watch the league.

 

[blitzen102]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Drew_N /forum/post/12907046


Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/sp...tml?ref=sports


So much for the ESPN rumors.

I thought the rumors were that ESPN would take over the NBC part of the broadcast agreements.

 

[RemyM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj /forum/post/12908226


don't they realize that even if they allowed espn to telecast their games for FREE that it would be so much better for them????

I'm sure the players association doesn't agree with you since that would lower the salary cap.

 

[dcowboy7]

0.3....lol good 1:


1) as kelly bundy said, "i didnt even think that number exists".

2) roger goodells side must hurt from laughing when he sees that number.

 

[Ken H]

It's a win win for me. On Comcast, Versus HD looks very good, coverage is OK, two or more HD games a week, and now ESPN HD will add more HD for other sports.

 

[ccotenj]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RemyM /forum/post/12908719


I'm sure the players association doesn't agree with you since that would lower the salary cap.

by the time the league takes their cut and it gets divvied up between all the teams, it would hardly make much of an impact on the salary cap. whereas greater exposure would result in greater marketing sales which would increase the cap... it's only $70 some odd million dollars... we aren't talking a tremendous amount of money per team here...

 

[NorthJersey]



Quote:
Originally Posted by hunter65 /forum/post/12908153


why does he love versus so much?

because Comcast, who owns the Flyers (Ed Snider as Chairman), runs the Versus network. Now if ESPN can get it's hands on an NHL team, then maybe we'll see hockey on that channel again.

 

[RemyM]



Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthJersey /forum/post/12909588


because Comcast, who owns the Flyers (Ed Snider as Chairman), runs the Versus network. Now if ESPN can get it's hands on an NHL team, then maybe we'll see hockey on that channel again.

ESPN sold their team. Disney, which owns ESPN, used to own the Anaheim Ducks, but sold them a few years ago.

 

[cj1999y2j]

I disagree with this whole Versus situation. The NHL's ego is the issue. They thought they were worth more than ESPN was offering. What they forgot is the lockout reduced the sport to nothing in the minds of mainstream America (which lowered the NHL's TV value in the short-term), and exposure was needed to get the sport back on par.


If the NHL would have taken the ESPN deal, sure, it would have been at less money, but they'd have brought the viewers back to the sport. THEN they could go back to the table and discuss money because the league would have had that leverage.


Instead, they jump to a network not everyone gets and act like it was the greatest move since sliced bread.


Great move, Bettman! Great move! (Cue sarcastic slow clap.)

 

[Lodef]

I agree with Ken, PQ is very good, Commentators are top notch and I get to see 2 HD games a week. Nothing to complain about here!