ESPN declines option on NHL TV rights

[Madferret]

ESPN declines option on NHL TV rights
TSN.ca Staff

The National Hockey League's pocket book has taken another hit. Sources tell TSN that American cable sports giant ESPN will decline their option to retain their NHL broadcast rights for next season. The option to retain their national cable rights was for $60 million US. ESPN has declined to comment on the matter, but the decision is expected to be officially announced next week.

The league is now free to negotiate with any other US cable network, including ESPN who may try to negotiate a new deal at a lesser cost. The NHL announced its cable agreement with ESPN last May, worth half the $120 million US a season it made under the five-year, $600-million deal that expired with ABC/ESPN after the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. Both sides reached a one-year agreement with options for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons in May 2004.

While ESPN and ESPN2 covered a plethora of games during its previous contract, the new deal called for ESPN2 to air just 40 regular-season contests. The cable sports network also held exclusive rights to the conference finals and the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

The league also signed a two-year deal with NBC last year, which had the same type of revenue-sharing agreement the network has with the Arena Football League. Under the agreement, NBC would take the first portion of income from advertising to cover production expenses, while the NHL takes the next portion and the two split additional revenue equally. The regular-season ratings on ABC have declined 21 per cent since the 2001-02 season while last year's Stanley Cup final ratings were down 21 per cent from 1999-2000.

[Amoroq]

In the grand scheme of things 60 mil / 30 teams isn't all that much. The bigger issue in my opionon is there will now be a big lack of exposure for the NHL unless a deal can be had before the new season starts. If and this is still a mighty big if, the NHL can fix the game, make it more exciting to watch for the borderline fan, then the TV reveue will return. IMO its about getting the league the exposure it needs. Its about marketing. The NBA is at times, at least during the regular season, boring. But there is no dispute that they market a great game. The NBA, NFL, and MLB is more about the hype then it is about the game and the ratings are very good because of it.

[PDO]

In the grand scheme of things 60 mil / 30 teams isn't all that much. The bigger issue in my opionon is there will now be a big lack of exposure for the NHL unless a deal can be had before the new season starts. If and this is still a mighty big if, the NHL can fix the game, make it more exciting to watch for the borderline fan, then the TV reveue will return. IMO its about getting the league the exposure it needs. Its about marketing. The NBA is at times, at least during the regular season, boring. But there is no dispute that they market a great game. The NBA, NFL, and MLB is more about the hype then it is about the game and the ratings are very good because of it.

Fully agree. Everyone knows Lebron James. Hell, I hate basketball, but I love the guy.

Having said that.. this is going to have a huge effect on the CBA I think. That's just another $60,000,000 that won't be for the NHL when thigns resume.. the pie is only getting smaller, and hopefully Goodenow realizes that..

[Madferret]

Has anyone actually seen Goodenow in the media anywhere lately?
I see Gary, I no see Bob...

:conspire:

[Mel]

I swear, I was watching sports center on ESPN tonight. They were hyping the Yanks/ red sox game because they were airing it nationally I think. (but it was on YES here in NY, the local channel).

Anyhoo... they ran a commercial for a children's SPELLING BEE... coming soon!!! I kid you not. They showed live clips of kids shouting out letters. :rolleyes:

Was it a joke? I don't think so. it seemed real and why would ESPN waste 30 or 60 seconds of ad time on a joke :confused:

somebody shoot me, please.

[J.R.]

ESPN declines option on NHL TV rights Deservingly so. Until the NHL can create a product that will appeal to more Americans than it does now (which is very few), United States television networks aren't going to show it. Cancelling an entire season obviously doesn't help either. The NHL must have a problem when some exhibition poker game out draws Stanley Cup final games.

[nhldave]

Now just suppose you're a player in the NHL and lately you've heard your union head offer a cap deal, something he said he would never do, a huge well respected organization offer a couple of billion dollars to take over your livlihood and turn you into a much less well paid employee, the only major TV contract and 60 million bucks disappear and the hint that unless a deal is done by June 16 major sponsors will pull out and the league will announce that next season is cancelled as well.

That means if you're in your mid thirties you can kiss your career goodbye and the millions that would have been yours as well. Even if you're not looking at an end to your career it still means that when you do get back typical player salaries are going to be substantially less, it also means that due to teams folding that many fewer jobs will be available, one of those lost jobs might well be yours.

If you were a player would you be demanding a deal...now!!!!

I sure would be.

[Mel]

Now just suppose you're a player in the NHL and lately you've heard your union head offer a cap deal, something he said he would never do, a huge well respected organization offer a couple of billion dollars to take over your livlihood and turn you into a much less well paid employee, the only major TV contract and 60 million bucks disappear and the hint that unless a deal is done by June 16 major sponsors will pull out and the league will announce that next season is cancelled as well.

That means if you're in your mid thirties you can kiss your career goodbye and the millions that would have been yours as well. Even if you're not looking at an end to your career it still means that when you do get back typical player salaries are going to be substantially less, it also means that due to teams folding that many fewer jobs will be available, one of those lost jobs might well be yours.

If you were a player would you be demanding a deal...now!!!!

I sure would be.

I believe they are. Just not publically. There were some rumblings about this when the PA cancelled their last meeting.

The fact that they are now debating the team revenue definitions and financial reporting issues, shows a very dramatic change of approach from the PA. It wasn't that long ago that Goodenow and company would not even entertain such discussions.

It seems that the PA is now willing to settle for a pre-determined piece of the pie.

Dave's right, no matter how much a few players might mouth off... I guarantee that 90% of them never saw this coming and will insist to be back at work in time for camp in September, whatever it takes.

[KB in Kelowna]

My new career ambition is to get into a position of authority where no matter how badly I mess up, I don't get fired I get more money and more power. My insipiration is Gary Bettman. He has lead an organization from being a major sports and entertainment entity to the point where people would rather televise and view Poker tournaments, dog shows and spelling bees. A game that was once speed skill and athleticism, is now considered so boring that radical rule and equipement changes have to be seriously considered in order to save it. A league where greed and the lure of money has so poisoned and diluted both the talent pool and the fan interest that the golden goose is not only cooked, it now faces extinction.

Oh I forgot all of this was the Goodenow and the PA's fault :doh:

[nhldave]

Oh I forgot all of this was the Goodenow and the PA's fault :doh:

Absolutely correct KB :D

[The Insider]

That treadmill to obscurity comparision is becoming more and more of a reality everyday. As hockey fans, it's gotten to the point where we have to realize that the game is dying and the people who are responsible for keeping it healthy have completely dropped the ball. ESPN the biggest sports network anywhere has now dropped all NHL hockey from it's scheduling and now the NHL is left with really one American broadcast network(NBC) and the sad thing is that they have the same deal that the(I shudder while I say it) Arena Football League has. The American networks have abandoned the sport and it is losing support all over N.A. as people are starting to move on and find other things to pass the time. If I can ask the NHL owners and players one thing it would be was all this bickering and fighting over dollars and cents worth destroying a league cause that's what they have effectively done and if they lose another year they mightaswell just pack it in because I don't even think the die hard fans of any team are going to wait around for ever for this league to get itself together again. I know I am losing interest, even though I love watching and playing the game this whole negotiation has completely soured me on all pro hockey players and I don't know if I will coming running back to the league when it returns.

[Gambit]

I completely agree with everything you said Insider.

I consider myself a die-hard NHL fan, and week by week that goes by, I lost interest in today's game.

At the same time, I've grown closer to the game of yesterday, researching and learning about the great players/teams of yesteday.

I'm going to be more worried when the NHL does come back, which it definitely will one day, in one form or another....I worry because once the league is back up and running again, how many of the fans are going to come back? How many fans have been alienated to the point where they don't even care?

In cities like Atlanta, Carolina, Nashville, Phoenix and Washington, this clubs had a hard time selling tickets when there was an NHL, and now that there has been a lockout, are these clubs going to be able to sell any tickets? Time will tell.

I believe the league is going to have to contract teams at some point. 5-6 of the 30 NHL clubs are history. It looked that way before the lockout, but could it become more than 5-6....could as many as 10 teams be exiting the NHL if nobody comes to the games in those cities? It's a possibilty.

The NHL better hire alot of very intelligent people to help get people back into the seats. I'll be there, but that isn't going to be enough.


My new career ambition is to get into a position of authority where no matter how badly I mess up, I don't get fired I get more money and more power. My insipiration is Gary Bettman. He has lead an organization from being a major sports and entertainment entity to the point where people would rather televise and view Poker tournaments, dog shows and spelling bees. A game that was once speed skill and athleticism, is now considered so boring that radical rule and equipement changes have to be seriously considered in order to save it. A league where greed and the lure of money has so poisoned and diluted both the talent pool and the fan interest that the golden goose is not only cooked, it now faces extinction.

Oh I forgot all of this was the Goodenow and the PA's fault

good points, KB.

[nhldave]

I've posted this stuff before and it shows attendance is not that bad.
Source:http://www.hockeyresearch.com/mfoster/business/nhl_attn.html

As for when the NHL returns I'm quite sure they won't have nearly as hard a time getting the fans back. For example while I hate what the players have done that's not going to stop me watching their on ice talent playing this great game. All they've proved to me is that they are a bunch of stupid and greedy businessmen. Welcome to the human race. But it's not as those they have done anything evil or bad, just stupid. They are still the greatest hockey players on the planet and when they get back on the ice I'll be there to watch. I'm sure many others will be too, even in Florida and Pittsburgh.

They'll be rocking the house in the new Phoenix and New Jersey arenas too.

AVERAGE ATTENDANCE 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08
National Hockey League 16549 16486 16591
Montreal Canadiens 20105 18990 20672
Detroit Red Wings 19995 20058 20058
Philadelphia Flyers 19576 19569 19325
St. Louis Blues 19518 18485 18570
Toronto Maple Leafs 19255 18338 19240
Minnesota Wild 18328 18015 18500
New York Rangers 18200 18039 18148
Colorado Avalanche 18007 18007 18007
Buffalo Sabres 17840 16765 13776
Ottawa Senators 17793 16919 17198
San Jose Sharks 17468 16994 17350
Columbus Blue Jackets 17457 18136 17744
Vancouver Canucks 17017 17713 18396
Dallas Stars 17001 17628 18532
Calgary Flames 16623 15719 16239
Pittsburgh Penguins 16336 14895 14749
Nashville Predators 15824 14789 13228
Los Angeles Kings 15813 16314 17569
New Jersey Devils 15642 15926 14858
Edmonton Oilers 15612 16539 16657
Washington Capitals 15534 16493 15787
Boston Bruins 15433 15404 15029
Atlanta Thrashers 15263 13368 13476
Chicago Black Hawks 14997 15569 14749
Tampa Bay Lightning 14907 15366 16545
Florida Panthers 14679 16084 15428
Phoenix Coyotes 14224 13161 13229
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 13512 11646 13988
Carolina Hurricanes 13346 15052 15682
New York Islanders 11332 14549 14930

[Iced Tea]

Now that ESPN will no longer show hockey, hopefully we won't see anymore Saturday morning games. Watching a game at 11 AM Pacific time on a Saturday is just wrong.

I say screw ESPN, the NHL needs to fix its internal problems before dealing with the external ones. If or when the NHL ever comes close to its former glory, ESPN will be begging to show NHL hockey. Then the NHL can set the price.

[nhldave]

There are many who think hockey has done long term damage to itself. After all it took baseball something like ten years to finally recover the attendance level it had reached when the last strike occurred.

I'm more optimistic about Canadian hockey but I'm glad to see the end of afternoon hockey even if it means no more ESPN. If hockey is going to survive it has to do it based on at game attendance. Even the CBC loses money on hockey broadcasts through the season and nobody in the NHL is getting rich on TV contracts.

[a4l]

I don't think that the Canadian teams will suffer as much as some of the American teams will. I rarely watched hockey on ESPN so it is no big loss to me.