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Entries with the tag: nbc
More NBC Numbers
by Paul on 03/01/10 at 03:11 PM ET
Comments (8)
Vancouver - March 1, 2010 - Sunday afternoon’s USA vs. Canada gold medal hockey game, that NBC’s Bob Costas called, “One of the greatest sports events I have ever seen,” was the most-watched hockey game in 30 years. Canada’s epic 3-2 overtime victory (3:20-6:13 p.m. ET) drew an average viewership of 27.6 million, the most watched hockey broadcast of any kind since the USA vs. Finland 1980 gold medal game in Lake Placid on Feb. 24, 1980 (32.8 million). For historical comparison, the “Miracle on Ice” USA-Russia semifinal game that aired on tape delay on Feb 22, 1980 from the Lake Placid Games drew 34.2 million average viewers.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a front-row seat to observe a nation of fans that appreciates winter sports, is proud of their winter sport heritage and celebrates success - no matter which country wins - so it was only fitting yesterday when Sidney Crosby scored the goal to give Canadians the gold that meant so much to this country,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “‘O Canada’ will never be the same.”
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
NBC Sees Big Numbers For Gold Medal Game
by Paul on 03/01/10 at 09:44 AM ET
Comments (19)
via a John Buccigross tweet,
NBC earned a 17.6 overnight Nielsen rating for Sunday’s Canada-U.S. Gold Medal men’s hockey game.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
Breaking Down The Golden Broadcast
by Paul on 02/28/10 at 08:21 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star,
NBC’s Al Michaels after Don Cherry, a vision in red velvet, expounded on how the game would go, including his opinions on that ``Lalongo” guy: ``I never knew that Feb. 28 was Halloween in Canada.” ... NBC’s Mike Milbury heading into the game: ``There are two, maybe three guys on the U.S. team who could make Team Canada.” ... The beauty of having a guy between the benches. McGuire reported early in the first period that Canada coach Mike Babcock was telling his players to get more pucks on net and cease with the fancy stuff. You don’t get that kind of stuff in the broadcast booth. ... Watching the game on CTV, the sound mix made me feel as if I were in the stands. On NBC, I felt like I was in the parking lot.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
Enough Of The Talk, Let’s Play The Games
by Paul on 02/24/10 at 02:15 PM ET
Comments (5)
What else is their to say that hasn’t been mentioned regarding the Mens Hockey Quarter-Final Games at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
It is just about time to sit back and catch all the great action today.
Now the real talk begins, the players will speak with their play on the ice.
Consider this an open post for the USA/Switzerland game which begins at 3:00pm ET on NBC & SNET.
Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun of ESPN provide you with five reasons each team will win.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Team+Switzerland, Team+USA, Winter+Olympics,
NBC- Hockey Fans Need Some Clarification
by Paul on 02/23/10 at 11:48 PM ET
Comments (18)
Team USA is scheduled to face Team Switzerland at 3:00pm ET Wednesday on NBC, but the NBC TV schedule only has a only a two hour time frame for the game.
What hockey fans need to know from NBC is this- Will you carry the game until conclusion on NBC or when the clock strikes 5:00pm ET, will you be shifting the game to one of the other NBC stations?
You see, people need to set their DVR before they go to work in the morning and would like an answer they can trust. I’ve received over 50 emails today on this topic and would appreciate an answer.
If any KK member or guest has heard anything, please leave a comment below.
I would think it would be safe to assume NBC would carry the game in full, but....
update 2/24/10 at 9:22am, via Puck the Media,
A representative from NBC told Puck the Media last night that the game will be aired in it’s entirety. I worded the question specifically to include potential overtime and shootouts. So our long, national nightmare is over.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Team+Switzerland, Team+USA, Winter+Olympics,
Watching NBC & MSNBC
by Paul on 02/22/10 at 05:07 PM ET
Comments (0)
VANCOUVER – February 22, 2010 – NBCU’s Sunday Olympic broadcasts were seen by 87 million total viewers, the most viewers for any day so far for the Vancouver Games, 16 million more and 22 percent higher than the comparable Sunday from the 2006 Games (72 million), according to data available today from The Nielsen Company.
The primetime coverage on NBC and MSNBC that included figure skating’s original dance and alpine skiing’s men’s super combined on NBC and the USA-Canada hockey game on MSNBC had 69 million total viewers, the best viewership for the comparable Sunday night since the *tabloid-fueled Lillehammer Games (79 million).
*Fueled by the tabloid coverage of the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding scandal.
8.2 MILLION AVERAGE VIEWERSHIP FOR WATCH USA-CANADA HOCKEY GAME ON MSNBC: An average audience of 8.22 million watched the USA hockey team defeat Canada, 5-3, nearly matching the best average viewership for a program on MSNBC. (Election Night Coverage, 8.23 million on Nov. 4, 2008).
★ The hockey game on MSNBC received a national household rating of 4.3, the third highest-rated program in MSNBC’s history behind the Democratic Presidential debate (2/26/08, 4.9 rating) and the analysis following the debate (4.4 rating).
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
NBC Sends The NHL A Message
by Paul on 02/22/10 at 11:51 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Steve Rosenbloom of RosenBlog at the Chicago Tribune,
First, the NHL in the Olympics mirrors the silliness of the parallel universe that is the whole warped fantasy sports experience, where Blackhawks fans are rooting for Duncan Keith to turn over the puck in the slot.
Then there’s the whole stupid notion of shutting down the league for two weeks. What business does that? What business with good business sense, I mean.
And wise up, the argument ended Sunday when NBC decided the NHL is not good for Olympic coverage, at least not on its big-boy channel, no matter that it was the greatest possible rivalry the NHL could offer network TV.
Nope. Sorry. Ski cross gets the kids and pretty, shiny hobbies like that cockamamie pairs ice dancing get the women. U.S.-Canada hockey, you be good kids and run down to a cable channel without high-def, OK?
Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
Stop Complaining
by Paul on 02/21/10 at 07:38 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Hockey is not being disrespected by NBC. Viewers who happened to be home during the day and would have enjoyed watching Lindsey Vonn go for it live in the downhill, they were disrespected. Sports and competition are being disrespected by NBC, but hockey does not measure among the victims.
I have never quite understood why people who love hockey are so consumed with validation from the masses who simply do not appreciate the sport. Of course NBC isn’t devoting three hours of a preliminary-round hockey game between the U.S. and Canada on its prime commercial network.
To expect otherwise is lunacy, and to protest the network’s decision by playing the lack-of-respect card is counter-productive.
Yes, it is unfortunate that the enticing matchup will notbe available in HD while it is televised on MSNBC, presumably from start to finish. Anyone who wants to watch—maybe not DirecTV people, actually, which would be unfortunately commonplace for them, given the ongoing dispute that has kept Versus dark all season—can watch, just as every single game in the tournament has been and will be televised.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
NBC Corrects Matt Lauer Mistake
by Paul on 02/19/10 at 03:14 PM ET
Comments (4)
via Helene Elliott of the LA Times,
Sorry, hockey fans. Matt Lauer, host of NBC’s “Today” show, misspoke Friday morning when he said Sunday’s preliminary-round hockey showdown between the U.S. and Canada will be shown on NBC.
A spokesman for NBC Universal confirmed that the game will be aired on MSNBC, as planned, and that Lauer was mistaken in saying the game would be broadcast on NBC.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
It Is All About The Ratings For NBC
by Paul on 02/19/10 at 08:54 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Neil Best at the GazetteXtra,
Like it or not, my fellow journalists and avid sports fans, the Olympics are a sports TV creature unlike any other, and NBC doesn’t care how often we rail against that reality.
Deal with it: Even in an era of easy access to real-time information, many of the non-typical sports fans who enjoy the Games—including the ones in my house—like a neatly packaged, conveniently timed show to digest after dinner.
NBC mostly has delivered on its promise to present marquee events such as snowboarding and figure skating live—or close to it—thanks to the favorable time difference with Vancouver. Americans Shani Davis and Shaun White won their golds live Wednesday before and after the Vonn Show.
But consider this: In the West, where everything is on delay, outraging many fans and journalists, the Games are doing even better than in the East.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
If You Know It NBC, Why Don’t You Do It?
by Paul on 02/18/10 at 09:17 PM ET
Comments (13)
from Seth Livingstone of USA TODAY,
Hockey fans looking to watch the USA-Canada game Sunday will need to view it like the rest of NBC’s pre-gold medal hockey package —on NBC’s cable partner MSNBC.
With an Olympic audience that skews heavily female, NBC will opt to show figure skating’s original dance programs live, rather than the hockey rivalry which will air at 7 p.m. ET.
Christopher McCloskey, vice president of communications at NBC Sports, says the three-hour time commitment makes for a difficult situation, in part because hockey fans want to see games in their entirety.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
Frustration Sets In
by Paul on 02/17/10 at 08:09 PM ET
Comments (30)
NBC, get your act together when it comes to broadcasting Olympic hockey.
Hockey fans in the USA deserve much better than what you are providing.
The latest example, Sweden/Germany game tonight. Had to switch to MSNBC (due to extended curling action_ to catch the game, then 8pm ET rolls around, Doc Emrick tells us switch to CNBC to continue watching the game, yet curling is on.
Four stations available to broadcast on and yet you can’t get the game on TV?
Again, hockey fans deserve better treatment than this!
Filed in: NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Strike Two NBC
by Paul on 02/17/10 at 01:41 PM ET
Comments (6)
from Greg Wyshynski of PuckDaddy,
You see, tt was important for CNBC to stay with women’s curling because they promoted the heck out of the event during the U.S. men’s ice hockey team game earlier in the day, with an interview featuring ... oh, wait, that was Sidney Crosby(notes) of the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, whose Team Canada game was being preempted by preliminary round women’s curling? Our mistake.
So the Canada game started late into the first period over on MSNBC, before it was moved back to CNBC around 8 p.m. EST, so the Peacock’s cable news outlet could fulfill its nightly obligations of progressive indignation and Sarah Palin outrage.
The least the NBC umbrella of channels could have done was run a crawler on the bottom of the screen or announce the channel changes, but they did not.
Filed in: NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
Is This The Type Of Content We Can Expect From NBC Regarding Olympic Hockey?
by Paul on 02/10/10 at 11:01 PM ET
Comments (14)
via Mike Florio of Rinkside, an NBC Hockey blog for the Olympics,
Before a single puck can drop during the Olympic hockey competition, the games must officially be declared open. And before the games officially can be declared open, the oversized S’mores maker must be properly ignited.
And the guy who is believed to be the leading candidate to light the fire is the same guy who lit the lamp for many years in the NHL.
According to the Toronto Sun, Wayne Gretzky is the most likely candidate to do the honors.
Surprisingly, Gretzky’s wife has bet $100 dollars (Canadian) on Mario Lemieux.
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Winter+Olympics,
Roenick Adds ‘Life’ To NBC Broadcast
by Paul on 01/22/10 at 07:23 PM ET
Comments (1)
from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail,
Jeremy Roenick’s been waiting 40 years for his close-up. Now that he’s finally in the tight focus of Mr. DeMille - okay, NBC TV - the garrulous Roenick is saying, “I am big. It’s hockey that’s gotten small.” It promises to be a bumptious ride.
Roenick fills the former-player quotient on NBC’s Sunday afternoon NHL hockey intermissions. Along with Mike Milbury and Pierre McGuire, it’s promising to be the liveliest network TV panel around this season. Canadians know Milbury and McGuire, of course. Milbury is the highly entertaining spokesman for hockey’s antediluvian element, Don Cherry without the pandering. McGuire is the sport’s Beeker, a hockey technocrat prone to loud bursts of enthusiasm between team benches.
But Roenick promises to be the agitator, the rabble rouser, the shift disturber on the panel.
Filed in: NHL Talk, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jeremy+Roenick, NBC,
Morning Line
by Paul on 01/18/10 at 09:56 AM ET
Comments (14)
Obviously NBC has a bit of contempt for hockey fans. It would never condescend to explain to casual football fans how the NFL’s overtime works. Nor would it interview Rex Ryan in the middle of a quarter as Pierre McGuire did with Mike Babcock in the second period. Nor would it miss a touchdown because it was running promos for next week’s game, as it did with Patrick Eaves’ game-tying goal in the third period.
-Ryan Lambert of PuckDaddy. More from Ryan on the NBC broadcast yesterday.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
NHL Back On NBC On Sunday Plus Flex Schedule
by Paul on 01/11/10 at 06:04 PM ET
Comments (1)
NEW YORK - Jan. 11, 2010 - The Chicago Blackhawks, who lead the NHL in points with 66 and are in search of their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals at Joe Louis Arena in the 2010 debut of the NHL Game of the Week, this Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports.
Mike “Doc” Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (inside-the-glass reporter) call the action. McGuire will pull double duty, hosting NBC’s studio show alongside analyst Mike Milbury on site at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. NBC’s NHL coverage is produced by Sam Flood, the son of a hockey coach and former captain of the Williams College hockey team.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
What About That Comcast/NBC Deal?
by Paul on 12/04/09 at 02:00 PM ET
Comments (1)
Adam Proteau of The Hockey News answers some emails…
Adam, I’ve noticed the hockey world has been largely mum about Comcast’s decision to purchase NBC/Universal. I believe this is not a good thing for hockey fans or the world at large.
How does this relate to hockey particularly? Consider Comcast’s ownership of the Philadelphia Flyers. Comcast owns both the Flyers and also the “Versus” network. Versus is the primary cable broadcast outlet for NHL hockey games. The Flyers are on Versus an awful lot due to this, and now Comcast will own the only other national outlet for the NHL in the U.S.: NBC.
The downside of the continued consolidation of media is something I could write about for days, but this isn’t the proper forum for that topic.
But clearly, any business decision resulting in fewer bargaining alternatives for the NHL is indeed a bad one – for the players, for the owners and definitely for the fans. Remember that as the network and/or league tries to spin the news to their benefit.
more Q & A from Adam plus Hippy Dave, our KK fantasy expert, chimed in on the Comcast deal at the KK Members Blog.
Filed in: NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Comcast, NBC,
The ESPN Debate
by Paul on 07/18/09 at 11:21 AM ET
Comments (17)
from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,
But the league struck only a two-year deal with NBC for one very important reason. Its cable deal with Versus expires in two years and the league is hoping that by having both its over-the-air and cable contracts up for renewal at the same time it will have more options when it comes to its next television contracts.
“It was the right deal at the right time,” said one industry insider.
Could that mean the league is poised to return to ESPN in two years? After all, ESPN is owned by ABC, so the league could package both its over-the-air and cable packages in one deal.
A new deal with ESPN would be a welcome relief for those who don’t have access to Versus and are essentially shut out of NHL games. The league left ESPN after the lockout in favor of Versus after ESPN publicly questioned the value of hockey on its network.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ESPN, NBC,
NBC/NHL Announce Extension
by Paul on 07/15/09 at 02:15 PM ET
Comments (18)
NEW YORK – July 15, 2009 – The National Hockey League and NBC Sports today announced an extension through the 2010-11 season of their successful revenue-sharing partnership—one that has achieved viewership milestones, programming and production innovations, awards and critical acclaim. The joint announcement was made by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Ken Schanzer, President, NBC Sports.
“The NHL/NBC partnership has been terrific. Our association has led to such technical innovations as the ‘Inside the Glass’ reporting and to such programming advancements as the extremely popular Winter Classic,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final was broadcast television’s most-watched hockey game in 36 years, which makes clear the NHL and NBC are building an audience, are building momentum and are perfectly positioned to continue growing the game.”
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Game 7 SCF Most Watched NHL Game In 36 Years
by Paul on 06/15/09 at 06:24 PM ET
Comments (11)
NEW YORK – June 15, 2009 – Friday night’s deciding Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on NBC Sports was the most-watched NHL game in 36 years with an average of 8 million viewers (5/10/73, Stanley Cup Final Game 6 on NBC, Montreal-Chicago, 9.4 million). Overall, the series averaged 5.6 million viewers for the five games on NBC, the best since 2002 on ABC (three telecasts, Detroit-Carolina, 5.8 million).
Friday’s Game 7 earned a 4.3 rating and an 8 share, the best for a series-ending game in six years (6/9/03, Game 7, Anaheim-New Jersey, 4.6/8).
NBC Sports’ Game 7 broadcast finished No. 1 for the night in every category including viewership and household ratings.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Hope You Watched
by Paul on 06/15/09 at 02:17 PM ET
Comments (8)
from Jason Gay of the Wall Street Journal,
If you missed this contest, choosing to spend quality time with family, all we can say is, big mistake. It was a turbulent, fast-paced, anxiety-producing evening. Yes, that’s exactly like a Friday night with family, but still, you missed a classic.
No matter which side you were on, you spent the last five minutes of this game yelling at the TV. Hockey gets a bad rap as a TV sport—whiners moan they can’t see the puck, and critics complain its ratings place somewhere between “Last Call with Carson Daly” and a board of assessors’ meeting on public access. But NBC’s coverage was enthusiastic (we’ve grown to love sideline—sideice?—reporter Pierre McGuire) and its camerawork was spectacular.
The behind-the-net video of Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury flopping around, holding off a furious last-minute Detroit charge made us feel like we were right there on the ice.
more & thanks to a KK member for the pointer…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Watching Game 7 On NBC
by Paul on 06/13/09 at 01:40 PM ET
Comments (2)
from Puck The Media,
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on NBC drew a terrific 7.51 Million Viewers on Friday night, with a 3.0/11 among Adults 18-49. It made NBC easily the top draw on Friday night, and is likely the highest-rated hockey game in many, many years, and may be the most-watched hockey game of the decade…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
NBC Talks Game 7
by Paul on 06/11/09 at 01:24 PM ET
Comments (15)
DECIDING GAME 7 OF STANLEY CUP FINAL TOMORROW, 8PM ET ON NBC SPORTS
“It is the ultimate in professional sports.” – NBC’s Olczyk on a Stanley Cup Final Game 7
“The Penguins have more mood swings than a teenage girl.” – NBC’s Milbury
”In practical terms, a Stanley Cup Final can’t erase what this city is going through, but as a means to help them feel pride in their city, to help provide some relief and some excitement, it’s important to Detroit.” – NBC’s Olczyk on Detroit
”For the NHL and NBC, it’s ideal. There couldn’t be a better script. A classic Game 7 will make this one of the all-time great series in Final history.” – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Watching NBC
by Paul on 06/10/09 at 12:05 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life,
It was the NBA and NHL finals out ahead of the other networks last night, as the Orlando Magic earned their first win of the series and the Pittsburgh Penguins ensured that the Stanley Cup finals will go seven games.
ABC’s basketball coverage led the night with a 3.9 adults 18-49 rating and 11 share, according to Nielsen overnights, followed by NBC’s hockey coverage in second at 2.2/6.
As a reminder, ratings for live sporting events are approximate as fast nationals measure timeslot and not actual program data. They also do not include accurate West Coast viewing or post-primetime viewing in the East. Final numbers will be out later today.
added 12:08pm, More numbers at Puck The Media.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
No JoeVision Tuesday Night
by Paul on 06/08/09 at 03:21 PM ET
Comments (23)
from Bill Shea of Crain’s Detroit Business,
Don’t look for Joe Vision this year.
The Detroit Red Wings say they couldn’t reach a deal to air Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals for fans gathered at Joe Louis Arena, as the team has done in the past during road playoff games.
“We will not hold ‘Joe Vision’ for Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final as we were unable to secure the broadcast rights to show this game in the arena,” said Karen Cullen in an e-mail to Crain’s today. She’s the vice president of corporate communications for Ilitch Holdings Inc., the central business entity of team owners Mike and Marian Ilitch.
Here is my question, the Wings started promoting JoeVision yesterday on local radio, did someone mess up somewhere?
added 3:28pm, via Terry Foster of the Detroit News,
NBC representative Brian Walker did not immediately return a phone message for comment, but NHL media relations vice president Frank Brown confirmed the situation while expressing sympathy to Red Wings fans.
“We are very much in tune and very sensitive to the great experience that fans have by coming to a great venue and watching a great hockey game,” Brown said. “That said we need to be sensitive to the business end of things and that business is ratings driven.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Watching NBC & CBC
by Paul on 06/08/09 at 08:39 AM ET
Comments (6)
from Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star,
Even though hockey still beats out everything on the sports dial here, the fact is twice as many Americans are watching the final than Canadians. It could be a fascination with Darren Pang, or maybe it’s the lack of gripping poker tournaments.
One might assume from this odd trend that NBC is doing a great job of presenting hockey and CBC not so much. But the fact is they both do pretty much the same job.
For example, announcers of both networks still manage to talk right through key plays. On Saturday night, CBC play-by-play man Jim Hughson was rambling on about Detroit’s penalty-killing woes and neglected to tell viewers that a strange carom off the boards almost resulted in a shorthanded goal for the Red Wings.
Over on NBC, Pierre McGuire was making a comment about Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk being able to “stickhandle in a phone booth without being interrupted” at the same time Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood was making a long pass that resulted in a goal.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
NBC Leads In Viewing Last Night
by Paul on 06/07/09 at 02:31 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Robert Seidman of TV by the Numbers,
Another boring Saturday night of broadcast television. Unless you are a Detroit Red Wings fan! Last night’s game five of the Stanley Cup Finals led all broadcast viewing, both in adults 18-49 (1.6) and total viewers (4.28 million).
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
NHL/NBC Extension Coming
by Paul on 06/04/09 at 10:49 PM ET
Comments (3)
from Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail,
It’s been a dream playoffs, so far, for the NHL on TV.
Its greatest stars – Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Pavel Datsyuk – have advanced as far as the Stanley Cup final. After years in the doldrums, some of its best U.S. television markets – Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh – pushed deep into the playoffs. And the skilled on-ice product has been rewarded with some modest bumps in U.S. ratings on NBC and Versus.
Now, NBC and the NHL are set to announce an extension to their relationship for another two years, past the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and Stanley Cup playoffs.
It will likely be a continuation of the no-money-down/split-revenues-after-costs arrangement that has existed since the two sides fell into each other’s arms after the NHL lockout in 2004-05.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Watching NBC- Game 2 SCF
by Paul on 06/01/09 at 11:52 AM ET
Comments (10)
from Puck The Media,
Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals drew a 3.5/6 overnight rating, 5.3 Million viewers, and a 2.2 in the key demo of Adults 18-49. These are all positive gains from Game 1, which drew a 2.6/5 overnight, 4.5 Million viewers and a 1.7 in the 18-49 demo.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Watching NBC - Game 1 SCF Ratings
by Paul on 05/31/09 at 02:11 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Puck The Media,
The game drew an average of 4.5 million viewers, and a 1.7 in the all-important Adults 18-49 demo, winning the night for NBC.
The game won it’s time period from 8-10 PM (finished 2nd from 10-11) in total viewers and won all three hours of primetime in Adults 18-49.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
TV Networks Need To Do More
by Paul on 05/26/09 at 10:53 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal,
NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Paul Kelly is calling for league TV partners Versus and NBC to do more to promote the NHL and NHL players, citing players’ growing frustration over hockey coverage.
“We have to push our two partners to do a better job of covering our sport … or we have to go in a different direction when that contract comes to an end,” Kelly told the Sports Lawyers Association on May 16. Kelly has called in the past for the NHL to return to ESPN.
Kelly said the fact that people in the U.S. could not watch most of the Boston-Carolina playoff Game 7 earlier this month because Versus was airing Anaheim-Detroit Game 7 “is a source of great frustration” to NHL players as well as the union.
continued & thanks to SBJ for releasing the normally paid subscription link…
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS, NHLPA | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, Paul+Kelly,
Ebersol Talks Hockey
by Paul on 05/24/09 at 09:46 AM ET
Comments (4)
from Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune,
“What’s going on in Chicago is fantastic,” said Dick Ebersol, sports chairman of a network that had a profitable fling during Jordan’s reign. “The Winter Classic at Wrigley Field was the highest-rated regular season game in 34 years. Game 1 of this series was the highest-rated game on U.S. TV, not counting finals or the winter classics, in five years. There is an uptick in hockey, especially in Chicago.”
NBC’s contract is up at year’s end, but in a feeble economy, Ebersol hopes the network and league can continue to partner by sharing risk and reward. Ever the contrarian, he touts Versus as the solution, not the problem. From America’s most powerful TV executive, this is not the stuff of fluff.
“Versus treats hockey the right way, not second fiddle as it was on ESPN,” said Ebersol. “Versus is in 20 million fewer homes, but the holes are tightening. And don’t forget, Versus is owned by Comcast. I like that strength. I also liked Bill Wirtz. The new people in Chicago have done a great job, but Bill was a character, and he cared about the sport.”
more on the Blackhawks…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, VERSUS | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
NHL On NBC Game 1 WCF
by Paul on 05/18/09 at 12:49 PM ET
Comments (8)
via Puck The Media,
NBC’s coverage of Game 1 of the Detroit/Chicago series drew a 2.0/5 on Sunday. That rating marks the best ever rating for an NHL On NBC broadcast, excluding obviously the Stanley Cup Finals and Winter Classic.
Steve at PTM hopes to have local numbers later today, so check back for those.
added 1:18pm, The local numbers are in for Chicago and Detroit. People were watching in Detroit and Chicago. See the numbers by clicking the above link.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Greater TV Exposure Needed
by Paul on 05/03/09 at 08:06 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
Slap Shots has learned that NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly and director of business affairs Glenn Healy met with ESPN executives earlier this year, with Bettman’s knowledge and authorization. We’re told ESPN, which did in fact treat the NHL like an unwanted stepchild while it was the league’s cable rights-holder, showed substantial interest in bringing the sport back to the network.
But that interest, which included an offer of a rights fee that was reported to the commissioner, has not been seriously returned from the league, at least not yet. Versus would have to relinquish its national cable exclusivity in order to strike a deal with ESPN. From what we’re told, NBC opposes a deal with ESPN because of ABC’s parentage of the cable network.
From what we’re told, Bettman places a fair amount of stock into what NBC thinks, though we cannot imagine why.
According to sources, the NHL made approximately $3 million last year out of its profit-sharing arrangement with NBC. That’s $3 million, total, or $100,000 per team. Not even Phoenix needs that, not when the NHL’s signature series is all but shut out by the NBC, not when there’s no ESPN to showcase it.
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Tags: ESPN, NBC,
What If Saturday’s Game Goes Deep Into OT
by Paul on 04/29/09 at 03:02 PM ET
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via Neil Best of Watchdog at Newsday,
What if Saturday’s Penguins-Capitals game on NBC runs late, what with the Kentucky Derby scheduled for early evening on the network?
If the game goes to one overtime, it will remain on NBC.
If it goes beyond one OT, it will switch to Versus, except in Pittsburgh and Washington.
Two years ago, NBC famously sent a game in the Eastern Conference finals over to Versus to switch to Preakness pre-race coverage.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Watching NBC
by Paul on 04/27/09 at 12:57 PM ET
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via Puck The Media,
After a weekend which saw the best opening round Stanley Cup Playoff ratings in awhile, the NHL came back down to earth this weekend. According to Sports Business Daily the network’s telecast of Game 6 - Penguins vs. Flyers drew an overnight rating of 1.2/3, down from both the 1.7 overnight for Game 3 of the series, but also down from 1.3 overnight from last year’s comparable telecast (4/19/08 - Flyers vs. Capitals).
There was more bad news on Sunday. NBC’s broadcast of Game 6 - Capitals vs. Rangers drew a 1.0/2 overnight rating, down big-time from last year’s comparable telecast (4/20/08 - Red Wings vs. Predators) but the same overnight as last week’s Game 2 telecast.
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Tags: NBC,
Watching Penguins/Flyers
by Paul on 04/20/09 at 02:49 PM ET
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from Puck The Media,
So this is an interesting one. According to SportsBusinessDaily (reg. required), NBC’s coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoffs had a mixed weekend. While the network’s Saturday coverage of Rangers/Capitals Game 2 drew a mere 1.0/3, flat with last year’s comparable Predators-Red Wings game, Sunday’s telecast of the Penguins-Flyers Game 3, drew a huge (for hockey) 1.7/4, NBC’s highest hockey ratings since the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, and likely tied for the highest non-Finals/Winter Classic rating on NBC in the network’s history.
continue with some local numbers…
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Tags: NBC,
NBC/NHL In Wait Mode
by Paul on 04/13/09 at 09:19 AM ET
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from Tripp Mickle and John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal,
Though the NHL and NBC are expected to step up negotiations on a new TV deal over the next few weeks as the NHL playoffs get under way, nobody is suggesting that an agreement is close.
The two sides have to work through several advertising and scheduling issues, sources said, which includes picking the site for the next Winter Classic. The top two markets under consideration for the annual outdoor game are Boston and New York.
NBC and the NHL also want to wait and see what final advertising sales results are for the 2008-09 season and analyze prospects for advertising sales in 2009-10.
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Tags: NBC,
Rangers/Bruins On NBC Ratings
by Paul on 03/09/09 at 12:56 PM ET
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from Puck the Media,
NBC must be super excited about having another Ranger game to air next week. The network’s telecast of New York’s victory over Boston drew a 1.0/3 in the 12:30 timeslot, according to Sports Business Daily. It’s about even with the comparable Pens-Capitals telecast from last year, and should equal or beat the final 0.8 rating Pittsburgh-Washington drew a year ago.
a bit more…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Versus/NBC Make Changes To SCF Broadcasting Schedule
by Paul on 03/06/09 at 09:18 AM ET
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from Puck the Media,
NBC released it’s PR for the Bruins-Rangers game yesterday, which is what they usually do for the NBC Game of the Week. We took a quick look at it to see if there was anything interesting, and moved on. We went back to it, quite by accident, by clicking on the wrong link. So we decided to read it again, and in this PR, it listed something we hadn’t seen before:
NBC will also broadcast weekend games throughout the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and up to five Stanley Cup Final games (Games 1, 2, 5, 6 & 7).
That certainly captured my attention. We immediately E-Mailed Brian Walker of NBC Universal’s crack PR team, who confirmed the situation.
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Tags: NBC,
Pens/Caps Ratings
by Paul on 02/23/09 at 01:03 PM ET
Comments (2)
from Puck The Media,
According to Sports Business Journal, NBC’s telecast of the Penguins/Capitals game on Sunday drew a 1.1/3 overnight rating. It ties Rangers/Penguins (1/18/08) and Red Wings/Penguins (2/8/08) for the highest indoor rating NBC’s drawn this season. The only comparable game from last year is the March 2nd Rangers/Flyers broadcast, which also drew a 1.1 rating.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Wings/Pens Ratings On NBC
by Paul on 02/09/09 at 04:12 PM ET
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from Puck the Media,
According to Sports Business Daily (reg. required), NBC’s telecast of the Red Wings/Penguins game on Sunday drew a 1.1/3 overnight rating. This is the same rating NBC drew for last week’s Rangers/Penguins game, which finished with a 1.0/3 final rating. It is, however well up from last year’s Ducks/Red Wings telecast (2/10/08, 0.9 overnight rating).
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Game of the Week Contest
by Alanah McGinley on 02/08/09 at 10:43 AM ET
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NHL.com has launched a contest to Get Out of the Cold: a trip for 4 to the Universal Orlando resort in Florida. You need to enter before the end of the first period of the Detroit Red Wings/Pittsburgh Penguins game on Sunday, and the winner will be announced by the third period.
Additionally—as Forechecker highlighted the other day—Twittering about this weekend’s game could earn you a subscription to NHL Game Center Live for the rest of the season. Just use the hashtag #NHLonNBC in your tweets, and you’ll be automatically entered.
*post originally dated Feb.6, 11:07am ET. Today’s game preview at NHL.com
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Tags: game+of+the+week, nbc, twitter,
NBC Ratings On The Rise
by Paul on 01/23/09 at 07:36 PM ET
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via Puck The Media,
We’ll this is unexpected. Check out this news from SBD via Sports Media Watch:
Rangers/Penguins, NBC’s first Sunday afternoon NHL telecast of the season, drew a 1.0/2 final rating, up 25% from a 0.8/2 for the comparable Bruins/Rangers game last year. Excluding the two Winter Classics, the 1.0 is the highest rating for a regular season NHL telecast on NBC since regional coverage drew a 1.2 in March 2007.
Last season, none of NBC’s post-Winter Classic NHL telecasts drew a 1.0 rating.
So far this season, NBC is averaging a 1.8 rating for two NHL telecasts, up 20% from a 1.5 through two games last year.
Good news for NBC, who will likely see another ratings jump from Detroit-Pittsburgh in a couple weeks, which will blow Rangers-Montreal from last year out of the water. The NHL keeps trending up on TV.
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NHL On NBC Ratings
by Paul on 01/20/09 at 04:17 PM ET
Comments (2)
from Puck The Media,
The NHL On NBC’s regular “Game of the Week” timeslot debut was even with last year’s. The Rangers/Penguins game scored a 1.1/3 overnight, #2 in non-football programming that week (behind college hoops on ABC).
The matching game from last year, Rangers/Bruins on 1/18/08, also drew a 1.1. This likely means the final rating will drop below a 1.0.
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Tags: NBC,
McGuire vs. Milbury
by Paul on 01/18/09 at 08:41 PM ET
Comments (6)
from William Houston of the Globe and Mail,
Given the coverage the issue has received, it seemed fitting that NBC’s first Sunday of the NHL regular season would feature a fight.
The battle in this case, however, wasn’t on the ice.
It was in the studio where commentators Pierre McGuire and Mike Milbury traded verbal blows over the pros and cons of fisticuffs, with Milbury ending it by giving McGuire a sharp slap to the chest.
“Keep your head up,” he said.
“I always keep my head up,” replied McGuire.
It was heated, but for the Canadian audience, there wasn’t much new presented in the debate,…
continued and not just for the Canadian audience Mr. Houston, hockey fans world wide have been following the fighting debate…
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Tags: NBC,
Talking Pens-Rangers With Mike Milbury
by Paul on 01/16/09 at 09:23 AM ET
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I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Milbury this morning to discuss the NHL on NBC game this Sunday at 12:30pm ET.
We talked about the upcoming game and a few other hockey topics. Also note, I got my Pierre’s messed up, referring to McGuire as LeBrun in the interview. Hey, it is Friday morning and -16 right now. That is my excuse!
If you wish, you can download the interview in mp3 format here.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC,
Winter Classic - Tune-In
by Paul on 12/01/08 at 09:33 AM ET
Comments (2)
added 11:48am, Thanks to a heads-up from a KK member, you can now watch the video here.
I happened to catch the video last night and was very impressed with it, hopefully it will draw some attention to the game on 1/1/09! I did try to find it on the web, but no luck so far.
NEW YORK (December 1, 2008) – The National Hockey League (NHL), in collaboration with NBC, CBC and RDS, has released a new tune-in marketing campaign to promote the upcoming NHL Winter Classic™ 2009 game on New Year’s Day at Wrigley Field. The TV spot, backed by the singing of the late, legendary baseball broadcaster Harry Caray and his iconic version of “Take Me Out To the Ball Game,” debuted Sunday in the U.S. on the “NBC Sunday Night Football Game” between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. NBC’s Bob Costas narrates the U.S. version. This marks the first time that the League and its rights-holders have worked together to create a universal campaign for a single event.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: NBC, RDS,
Is NBC Beating CBC in Hockey Coverage?
by Alanah McGinley on 06/04/08 at 11:29 AM ET
Comments (10)
From James Deacon at AOL Sports Canada,
The unthinkable has happened.
Hockey Night in Canada, the absolute gold standard in hockey broadcasting for generations, is being matched - and in some aspects beaten - in its coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals.
By NBC, no less. An American network.
It’s sacrilege to even suggest such a thing. Hockey fans expect HNIC to be the best because, well, it always has been.
Filed in: NHL Media, Hockey Broadcasting, CBC HNIC | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: cbc, hnic, media, nbc,
