Comcast continues to butt heads...

[Mel]

EchoStar pulls OLN after failing to show NHL games

this time with the Dish Network (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2199274)

I really hope ESPN picks the NHL back up in 3 years. They really provided some good national U.S. coverage IMO. I was reminded of that watching NHL highlights on ESPN sports center.

I'd like to see the NHL aired because it deserves to be aired, not because some cable Giant wants to bully all the other providers into carrying a premium channel on the low tier.

This is just plain bad for the NHL. Coverage needs to be as mainstream as possible.

DENVER -- The owner of The Dish Network said Thursday it pulled the Outdoor Life Network from its system after the cable channel failed to provide NHL games to the nation's second-largest satellite television provider.

EchoStar Communications Corp. spokesman Marc Lumpkin said the network did not show games on Oct. 10-11 and on Monday and Tuesday as advertised. "We were not given advance notice that they would not show the programming," he said.

Although best known for broadcasting the Tour de France and cyclist Lance Armstrong, OLN this fall took over broadcasting National Hockey League games on cable from ESPN.

The contract dispute between EchoStar and OLN revolves around OLN's placement in a higher-priced channel package by Dish Network, which is distributed to fewer viewers.

OLN, owned by cable giant Comcast Corp., set a requirement that the channel must be seen by 40 percent of a cable or satellite TV system's viewers in order for it to broadcast the NHL games. It said the Dish Network has failed to meet that requirement.

"Hockey is a major sport that deserves to be seen as other major sports are on a broadly distributed tier," OLN spokeswoman Amy Phillips said.

Lumpkin declined to comment on the specifics of the dispute.

EchoStar would have to move the channel from its top package to a lower-cost package that may have fewer channels but more viewers.

That would raise the fees Dish Network viewers pay.

"We work hard to provide choice for customers and to keep prices low," Eric Sahl, an EchoStar senior vice president, said in a statement. "Most of our customers have made the decision they do not want to pay the additional cost of watching the channel."

EchoStar hasn't been afraid to take on networks before. In March 2004, it pulled Viacom Inc. programming -- including MTV, the Comedy Channel and Nickelodeon -- from the Dish Network for two days until an agreement was struck on a long-term contract.

Based in suburban Englewood, Colo., EchoStar's Dish Network has about 11.4 million customers.

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

When does NBC start to show weekend games?

[TimmyTabasco]

Last week I saw ComCast coverage of the Hawks/Canucks game.

I was very surprised. The coverage/shots was decent, and not biased

[Mel]

When does NBC start to show weekend games?

Not till late in the season I think.

[Leafs_Fa_Life]

Lame. If the NHL was serious about coming back strong in the States then they would've pushed for a national game every week on NBC.

[Mel]

Lame. If the NHL was serious about coming back strong in the States then they would've pushed for a national game every week on NBC.

From everything I've been able to gather, the NHL was in no position to push for anything with this NBC deal. NBC did not pay anything for the broadcast rights. Meaning, the NHL literally signed a TV deal for ZERO dollars. :rolleyes:

The NHL will get paid based on what net revenue NBC can manage to pull in. But it's like a profit sharing situation. They will make money, but they aren't guaranteed anything. That's a far cry from a network paying X dollars for the broadcast rights up front, like they do for the NFL and other major sports.

I hope to God the NHL can draw ESPN back into the mix. Major networks are not really the answer. The NHL and hockey in general is regional in the states. ESPN is the ideal US network for the NHL - at least for now.

Comcast/OLN is horrible. I can't say it enough times. The NHL took it because nobody else was willing to pay up front for broadcast rights.

The key for hockey to "rejuvinate" in the states is the major market teams making some noise and going deep in the playoffs... in no particular order - NY Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, LA Kings, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars. Those are 5 large money markets, 4 of which have not seen deep playoff success in a long time. If they do... the major networks will become interested. It's all about ratings and eyeballs glued to the screen. The metro areas of NY, LA and Chicago combined alone is over 50 million people. A Chicago / Boston final would do wonders for the league (original 6 matchup would be nice also). Ditto for a NYR / LA final. It's just a numbers game.

[leaferfan87]

Lame. If the NHL was serious about coming back strong in the States then they would've pushed for a national game every week on NBC.

I think Mel is right, the NHL was just lucky to get this deal with NBC and was in no real position to be dictating terms. It's too bad that's it has dropped to that level.