NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

[JDUBBS1280]

I imagine you're addressing this to me. Where did I say this TV deal is going to propel Notre Dame to some elite status above anyone? In fact I said even with Notre Dame, few would likely be watching. But if you're going to get any kind of a ratings draw you need names that resonate in all corners. Minnesota has zero national cache among college sports fans. Zero. And since college hockey has about a tenth of the followers of college basketball and perhaps 1/1000th that of football, where do you think that leaves Gopher hockey in California, Pennsylvania, Indiana, or anywhere else? As for LOCAL ratings, yes, no college hockey will outdraw Minnesota games on FOX Sports North IN MINNESOTA. But once you get outside of your team's home region, NOONE is watching you.

WRONG! Minnesota has HUGE national cache in hockey. I cannot tell you how many unaffiliated fans I bump into at Mariucci each and every year. Or how many fans from other states and countries we have posting on GopherPuckLive. They have a HUGE national following for hockey.

You've been listening to the talking heads far too much. People in non-traditional hockey markets aren't going to watch hockey often, especially college hockey (even if a widely recognized program like Notre Dame is playing). And when they do, a big portion will be tuning into the BTN or FSN (which many cable providers outside MN carry to watch the highly recognized hockey schools.

Simple fact remains - The ratings the BTN gets will be VASTLY greater than what NBC gets, and that will never change.

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Wait, you think the Versus ratings will be higher than the BTN ratings? That's an absolute joke. Markets like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan might be smaller markets in the grand scheme of things (less so Michigan), but they are HUGE markets where hockey is concerned. The Gophers at times have higher ratings than the Wild or T-Wolves do.

If you think this TV deal is going to propel Notre Dame to some elite status above the Big Ten schools, you are dreaming big guy. Absolutely dreaming.

Where did I say this TV deal is going to propel Notre Dame to some elite status above anyone? In fact I said even with Notre Dame, few would likely be watching. But if you're going to get any kind of a ratings draw you need names that resonate in all corners. Minnesota has zero national cache among college sports fans. Zero. And since college hockey has about a tenth of the followers of college basketball and perhaps 1/1000th that of football, where do you think that leaves Gopher hockey in California, Pennsylvania, Indiana, or anywhere else? As for LOCAL ratings, yes, no college hockey will outdraw Minnesota games on FOX Sports North IN MINNESOTA. But once you get outside of your team's home region, NOONE is watching you.

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

BTW - I hope your move to Hockey East helps your recruiting efforts out there, because I can assure you it will cool your recruiting efforts in the Midwest. You just got Mario Lucia, but he is a legacy (and I heard even he wasn't thrilled with the move to HE). Say goodbye to getting as many Anders Lee's, Steven Fogarty's, ect... from Minnesota.

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

WeAreNDHockey -

Wait, you think the Versus ratings will be higher than the BTN ratings? That's an absolute joke. Markets like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan might be smaller markets in the grand scheme of things (less so Michigan), but they are HUGE markets where hockey is concerned. The Gophers at times have higher ratings than the Wild or T-Wolves do. Not to mention, they have the largest national hockey fan bases.

If you think this TV deal is going to propel Notre Dame to some elite status above the Big Ten schools, you are dreaming big guy. Absolutely dreaming. That will NEVER happen.

[MUhawks628]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

This really (for the most part) has nothing to do with Notre Dame being Notre Dame. It's just an excuse for the NCHC posters to push back after all the shenningans that have been going on here the last few months.

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

This (the Versus/NBC Sports comments) is two week old news.

What isn't old is that almost nobody watches college hockey. Really, literally almost nobody. The Frozen Four games on ESPN2 and ESPN are in the IRL range (often pulling a rating under a 1), and that's for the 3 most important games of the season.

The fans who do tune in are tuning in to channels that have regional footprints, like NESN, FOX Sports Detroit, or FOX Sports North (MN). Outside of their home region the ratings are unmeasurable and they generate little advertising revenue even within their localities.

Versus is a channel that is in every Comcast cable subscriber's home (the #1 multichannel service provider by some 4 million subs over DirecTV and dwarfing anyone else) and is available to virtually anyone who subscribes to ANY cable TV, direct broadcast satellite provider, or FiOS and U-Verse. Most also carry the channel in a package that most of their subscribers elect to pay for. Outside of ESPN and ESPN2, Versus is in as many homes as any other sports channel, including SPEED TV and the Golf Channel, and substantially more than most. If college hockey is ever going to be seen as anything but the nichiest of niche sports, it will have to be carried by a channel available everywhere, and like it or not, a national name needs to be featured. Those who follow B1G sports are fooling themselves if they think the footprint of their teams extends substantially beyond the midwestern homes of 11 of their 12 teams. College HOCKEY fans know that North Dakota is arguably the standard bearing program in the history of the sport. And there are certainly any number of teams that have a history and traditions that far outstrip what Notre Dame has been able to accomplish. None of that is what Versus is looking for.

Look at the barbs directed at Notre Dame and their hockey program in just the last 3 or 4 seasons on forums like this. Before Jeff Jackson set up shop in South Bend, this team was hardly ever mentioned in college hockey circles, and in the initial season or two of his tenure most were happy that a school with the drawing power of Notre Dame appeared to finally care about hockey. Now there is enough jealousy directed this way to make one believe this team HAS accomplished far more than they actually have. It stands to reason that if a national network, any national network, is going to showcase college hockey, they'd do so with a brand that is recognizable to any college sports fan, whether or not they are a fan of Notre Dame.

Look, most Notre Dame HOCKEY fans know our team has a long way to go to be in the class of the truly established college hockey programs. But no one can deny that it appears they are on their way to moving in that direction. College hockey fans on this board and others have long pined for the time when the sport was more widely circulated and that TV paid it some of the attention we think it is due. Now that it appears that a little of that may be happening, don't shoot the messenger, so to speak.

Besides, it doesn't really matter. Notre Dame or not, there will still be hardly anyone tuning in to any college hockey on Versus, or anywhere else. The fact is the appeal of this sport will remain fairly limited. But look at the bright side anyway. You all hate Notre Dame so much and this will at least give you a chance to tune in and root against them on a regular basis. It sounds like a win/win for everyone.

[JDUBBS1280]

Anyway, does VS/NBC Sports have a link to the games that are currently scheduled to be broadcasted?

LINK

[J.D.]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Anyway, does VS/NBC Sports have a link to the games that are currently scheduled to be broadcasted?

[J.D.]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

F Notre Dame.

That is all.

[JDUBBS1280]

No one is playing second fiddle. As he explained in a subsequent sentence, when he says "when the opportunity arises" means "when we have a contract finalized". But I understand the need to spin this as a loss for Hockey East since the LTHC failed to land Notre Dame.

It's not a loss for Hockey East, but people are foolish if they think Hockey East or Notre Dame will have more national exposure than the B1G.

[MUhawks628]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

No one is playing second fiddle. As he explained in a subsequent sentence, when he says "when the opportunity arises" means "when we have a contract finalized". But I understand the need to spin this as a loss for Hockey East since the LTHC failed to land Notre Dame.

Son of a b****. I was just going to write a "que Priceless in 3....2..." post when someone distracted me, and you got the post off

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

playing second fiddle to ND... sounds like a great deal for HE

No one is playing second fiddle. As he explained in a subsequent sentence, when he says "when the opportunity arises" means "when we have a contract finalized". But I understand the need to spin this as a loss for Hockey East since the LTHC failed to land Notre Dame.

[du78]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Just the beginning for Notre Dame...wonder how long HE will enjoy their new league member.


http://paranoidpuck.wordpress.com/20...ortsnetcitytv/

And therein lies the reason the NCHC and ND couldn't come to an agreement. It was always about the TV contract and cutting up the pie.

[willythekid]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Just the beginning for Notre Dame...wonder how long HE will enjoy their new league member.


http://paranoidpuck.wordpress.com/20...ortsnetcitytv/

playing second fiddle to ND... sounds like a great deal for HE

[miker]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Just the beginning for Notre Dame...wonder how long HE will enjoy their new league member.

JOHN MILLER: I think the question is how much hockey, how much Notre Dame? The exciting thing is we’re working with Tom Nevala and the Notre Dame team as we lay that out starting the year after next.

Our hope is to get a very robust schedule on our air of Notre Dame games, and, obviously, when the opportunity arises, Hockey East games as well.

http://paranoidpuck.wordpress.com/20...ortsnetcitytv/