NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

[aparch]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

How are all conferences going to be covered twice if Versus/NBCSports isn't starting their hockey coverage until January?

That leaves you just eight to nine weeks of regular season play and three or two (respectively) weeks of playoffs. Maybe it's my "small school" math skills, but five (conferences) doesn't divide nicely into eight or nine. Sounds like it's going to be made up of mostly non-conference play.

And I doubt NBC is going to pay to broadcast on both Friday AND Saturday night. Too much setup/teardown for equipment for such a gamble. I expect one game a week ala the NHL package.

[claver2010]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

While I like the potential for exposure I wouldn't get your hopes up unless you're a fan of a big team in each conference.

IMHO the games most likely to get the broadcasts:
HE: BU vs BC
AHA:Air Force vs Army (People will have somewhat of an interest in seeing military academies)
CCHA: Mich vs MchSt
WCHA: UMin vs Wisc or UND.
ECAC: Cornell vs Yale?

Other schools that might get a game in would be Notre Dame, UNH, Denver, and maybe Ohio State just because they are Ohio State and have that TV brand in other sports. Outside that I'm not sure which schools will get nationwide games.

The question will be that since NESN or CBS-College Sports have broadcasted all the BC/BU games recently what will be the pecking order for choosing the "Game of the Week". It wouldn't make sense to have two networks covering the same game when there are such limited tv opportunities.

[cross cheque]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

I would also be interested to see if they will try and purchase rights to the Beanpot.

Now that would be a great idea, I hate watching it on the B2 network or whatever the hell internet site is trying to stream live.

[Bronzebacks]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Yeah! And the Friday after that can be UAA v Mankato!

Ohh, that's too bad Cross Cheque....here you thought the NCHC was going to have Versus all to yourselves.

[CHFAN222]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

I would also be interested to see if they will try and purchase rights to the Beanpot.

[cross cheque]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

ECAC needs Clarkson-SLU to be featured for one of the matchups.

Yeah! And the Friday after that can be UAA v Mankato!

[pinch]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

AIC vs Sacred Heart?

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

ECAC needs Clarkson-SLU to be featured for one of the matchups.

Have them do, as a doubleheader, the games in Lake Placid!

[The Sicatoka]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Hockey is perceived as not telegenic. The advent of HD television has helped to change that.

[CHFAN222]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Yes, but. Yes, but, it opens dates within current contracts for other games... if they're broadcasting BU/BC the same week that UNH and Maine (or an undercard, say UML/UMA) then both will get exposure, albeit at different levels.

Now, that may shift contracts down the road... but for now this would just increase exposure. It'll be interesting to see where this goes because my impression was that things like North Texas basketball tended to out-viewer NCAA Hockey... maybe that's a wrong impression. It could also be that VS wants to boost its hockey branding and that this is done w/ cooperation with the NHL.

I think the higher basketball ratings are do to the fact that basketball has always been marketed more by tv networks. The networks could see college hockey as a risk as opposed to broadcasting a mid major bball game especially when you consider that bball is more of a tv advertising friendly sport as opposed to hockey.

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

ECAC needs Clarkson-SLU to be featured for one of the matchups.

[Patman]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

While I like the potential for exposure I wouldn't get your hopes up unless you're a fan of a big team in each conference.

IMHO the games most likely to get the broadcasts:
HE: BU vs BC
AHA:Air Force vs Army (People will have somewhat of an interest in seeing military academies)
CCHA: Mich vs MchSt
WCHA: UMin vs Wisc or UND.
ECAC: Cornell vs Yale?

Other schools that might get a game in would be Notre Dame, UNH, Denver, and maybe Ohio State just because they are Ohio State and have that TV brand in other sports. Outside that I'm not sure which schools will get nationwide games.

Yes, but. Yes, but, it opens dates within current contracts for other games... if they're broadcasting BU/BC the same week that UNH and Maine (or an undercard, say UML/UMA) then both will get exposure, albeit at different levels.

Now, that may shift contracts down the road... but for now this would just increase exposure. It'll be interesting to see where this goes because my impression was that things like North Texas basketball tended to out-viewer NCAA Hockey... maybe that's a wrong impression. It could also be that VS wants to boost its hockey branding and that this is done w/ cooperation with the NHL.

[CHFAN222]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

While I like the potential for exposure I wouldn't get your hopes up unless you're a fan of a big team in each conference.

IMHO the games most likely to get the broadcasts:
HE: BU vs BC
AHA:Air Force vs Army (People will have somewhat of an interest in seeing military academies)
CCHA: Mich vs MchSt
WCHA: UMin vs Wisc or UND.
ECAC: Cornell vs Yale?

Other schools that might get a game in would be Notre Dame, UNH, Denver, and maybe Ohio State just because they are Ohio State and have that TV brand in other sports. Outside that I'm not sure which schools will get nationwide games.

[Rover]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

My thoughts are I like it, but I'm real curious to hear from the same people who always say nobody watches college hockey and we'll never get to see it on TV (even though you can generally see several games on TV each weekend during the season). If true I think this just blew up the paradigm for certain posters.

[mar7967]

@SkipBerryHockey on twitter ( www.twitter.com/skipberryhockey ) is reporting that NBC/Versus are close to announcing a deal which would feature a game of the week each Friday night, with each conference being featured a minimum of twice (Including AHA). I think this would be great for the expanding interest in the sport (even more if they put the games on NBC, but I guess small steps are a good start). What are your thoughts?