RealGM

Quite simple, you sell ESPN the NBC package.

ABC: Winter Classic (Replacing the Capital One Bowl, being placed in the time-slot between the Tournament of Roses and the Rose Bowl Game. Great exposure for the game.)

ESPN: Stanley Cup Finals (All 7 Games on the Top-Tier ESPN channel, they won't get ABC since they're the ones who show the NBA Finals.)

ESPN2: Sunday Game of the Week, NHL 2Night, Playoffs & one Conference Finals series.

Versus: Monday & Tuesday Night Hockey, Hockey Central, Playoffs & one Conference Finals series.

Quite simple, no? Just run the playoffs how ESPN/TNT run the NBA playoffs with them each getting a Conference Finals series and rotating them back-and-forth each year. I think that would be the best way to solve this situation. Versus has been good to the NHL but we have to be realistic and know that ESPN will only help promote the game more.

Thoughts?

I think ESPN will eventually get the NHL back. They were all over the Caps-Pens series and I think they see that has potential to make them big dollars. I would live to see NHL2Nite back on. I loved watching that. But I now have the NHL Network so I might not watch that as much.

I would like it, the way to make me love it would be to make Gary Thorne the guy who calls the games.

ESPN will get the NHL back eventually, but I don't see why the NHL's relationship with NBC would need to end. ESPN shows baseball on various nights of the week yet TBS and FOX still have contracts with MLB. NBA is on ESPN and ABC, but also TNT.

If the NHL could somehow scale down the contract they have now with Versus and NBC and get an ESPN deal that'd be the best of both worlds. Give Versus one night a week, NBC the Sunday games and ESPN a weeknight or two.

WEFFPIM wrote:ESPN will get the NHL back eventually, but I don't see why the NHL's relationship with NBC would need to end. ESPN shows baseball on various nights of the week yet TBS and FOX still have contracts with MLB. NBA is on ESPN and ABC, but also TNT.

If the NHL could somehow scale down the contract they have now with Versus and NBC and get an ESPN deal that'd be the best of both worlds. Give Versus one night a week, NBC the Sunday games and ESPN a weeknight or two.

I want the NHL to get rid of NBC. If they get on ESPN and ABC, the NHL no longer needs NBC. NBC has been dictating when the cup finals are to be played since they've been with NBC. Having back to back games for the cup finals is a joke and that is all on NBC.

The most important thing is to simply get NHL back on ESPN. Not just for big game, or even game exposure for that matter, but for highlights. ESPN has been very clear they are not going to run that many highlights for a product they cannot make money off. You dont need ESPN to have THE contract, but you have to get games on if only to get highlights, and then interest brewing amoung casual fans.

Interestingly enough, ESPN.com is starting to really come around with a lot more hockey articles on the main page, as opposed to burried in the NHL section behind golf, Nascar. . . .

timd1218 wrote:

WEFFPIM wrote:ESPN will get the NHL back eventually, but I don't see why the NHL's relationship with NBC would need to end. ESPN shows baseball on various nights of the week yet TBS and FOX still have contracts with MLB. NBA is on ESPN and ABC, but also TNT.

If the NHL could somehow scale down the contract they have now with Versus and NBC and get an ESPN deal that'd be the best of both worlds. Give Versus one night a week, NBC the Sunday games and ESPN a weeknight or two.

I want the NHL to get rid of NBC. If they get on ESPN and ABC, the NHL no longer needs NBC. NBC has been dictating when the cup finals are to be played since they've been with NBC. Having back to back games for the cup finals is a joke and that is all on NBC.

If the NHL goes the ABC they won't air the SC Finals games more than likely because they have the NBA Finals. That's why I'm saying they should have a deal like what baseball has with ESPN, TBS and FOX. Replace TBS with Versus and FOX with NBC and you have a good deal for the NHL and all involved. Versus still gets a game a week, NBC gets the Sunday games (which wouldn't exist with ABC) and ESPN gets weeknight games. It works great for MLB, it would work with the NHL.

NHL should say piss off to ESPN. ESPN left them when the sport wasn't as popular, during the lockout when there weren't many marketable young stars. Now the weather is good and ESPN wants back in? I'm sure they could do a better job than VS or NBC, but are they reliable and dedicated?

The national networks don't give a s**t about the NHL; this year is a perfect example. I'd like to see the NHL go to anyone other than the national networks.

NHL on ESPN would be fantastic but I don't think NBC is ready to give it up because of all the young stars coming into the league and the popularity of the NHL growing in the states. Makes no difference here in Canada though, good old CBC and TSN!!