Versus closing in on deal for College Hockey

[trwi7]

Major development in NCAA Hockey right now! Hearing from sources that Versus/NBC is close to a deal with College Hockey to air games soon.

Versus would air a game of the week on Friday night and each conference would be featured twice (minimum), which includes the AHA. Big News!

I’d expect that the WHL/OHL/QMJHL get more games on the NHL Network next season. Might see a similar deal in major junior w/ Versus/NBC

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2011/ ... to-follow/

They're not **** around. I, for one am happy that I'll hopefully get to see more Badger games since the douche bags at FSN basically cut the coverage down from 10-15 games a year to maybe 3 if we're lucky.

[WEFFPIM]

Smart to do this now during the early stages of the hockey super conferences forming. College hockey has a following but no real outlet for it nationally. This makes sense.

Not sure if junior hockey would work since it's pretty minor in the US and so much bigger in Canada, but college hockey certainly has room to grow.

[Nolan]

This makes a ton sense for Versus. Like WEFFPIM said college hockey has a following in the US but it doesn't exactly get much TV time.

[trwi7]

But Versus is intending to reach agreement with all five current Division I leagues to air games on Friday or Saturday nights. Some of those deals have already been finalized. Versus is expected to make an announcement of its broadcast package once all of the deals have been completed.

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2 ... levise.php

[ajaX82]

Versus/NBC Sports doing work. I'm kinda excited

[WEFFPIM]

MLS will move to NBC Sports AND stay on ESPN. What a deal.

NEW YORK — Major League Soccer games will be televised by NBC's networks starting next season, doubling the number of homes that dozens of games will be available in.

The package currently on Fox Soccer Channel will move mainly to the NBC Sports Network, Versus' new name beginning Jan. 2. The cable channel will air 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. men's national team matches each year.

NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two national team appearances under the three-year contract announced Wednesday.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/so ... 3834.story

[trwi7]

That's good. Not a huge fan of soccer but that gives them some summer programming.

[trwi7]

Versus isn't **** around.

They're adding an hour long NFL roundup show hosted by Mike Florio, a sports business show hosted by Darren Rovell, a sports roundup and another NFL show called "NFL Turning Point" that will air every Thursday night with analysis from the previous week's games.

http://puckthemedia.wordpress.com/2011/ ... this-fall/

[WEFFPIM]

I was wondering if NBC would put some NFL programming on Versus. May check it out, certainly sick of the ESPN talking heads. Loooooove Darren Rovell and the stuff he brings, and sports business in general. We definitely check that out.

[ajaX82]

I'm pretty excited for what NBC Sports can do. The hockey will be excellent, and with college hockey added and even some football chat...I'm sold.

I also cannot stand ESPN football analysis. I hope NBC brings something good

[WEFFPIM]

Florio is pretty good, although he can get a bit strange with some of this thoughts, like that the NFL needed to get back to work for September 11th or it'd be a disservice to America. But most of the time he's good.