NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

[quiddlet]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

This may be a dumb question, but is there any good reason why Versus/NBC can't broadcast regionally like ESPN/ABC does?

Heck, ESPN/ABC can show 4 different game on 2 channels by sending a different feed to basic and the HD channels (let alone ESPN2).

If they can regionalize their broadcast, there's a really easy way to put on regionally relevant games.....

Not sure if this is part of the answer but... Versus/NBC probably doesn't want to hire FOUR crews to cover college hockey on any given night.

 

[MountieBoyOz]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

They do... they just don't think anything D-I north of Syracuse exists. They did do a few SUNY Potsdam games.

Usually they show Oswego pounding the tar out of Potsdam.

I'd love to see SLU-Clarkson on TWCS, but they'd rather kiss Cornell/Colgate/RPIs backsides.

 

[Rhett]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

The only way this has a snowball's chance in a hot place to work is if they show recognizable teams to semi casual fans, meaning the team has a D1 BB or FB team.

AHA - Army, AF
CCHA - UND, UM, M ST, OSU, maybe Miami
WCHA - UW, UM
ECAC - Princeton, Harvard, Yale, maybe Cornell
HE - BC, BU, maybe Providence

But they're basically tying it into their NHL coverage, right? Something they don't have to pay the NHL extra for, but can hold the eyes of hockey fans for an extra night while plugging their next NHL broadcast? I think, with that audience in mind, they are targetting an audience that already accepts schools like Maine and Duluth as powers. If we, as hockey fans, accept a program as a major program then so will this audience.

The target for Versus won't be the college football fan, it will be the NHL fan. It will be the guy for whom Versus is starting to become the default channel, because he hopes there's a hockey game on. He'll check and see hockey, but it's Vermont-Providence or something. Someone will touch the puck, and the play-by-play guy will refer to him as "Colorado Avalanche draft pick John Doe". The whistle will blow and they'll fill the time by showing Tim Thomas in a Catamounts jersey and plug a segment they're running during intermission. During intermission, that clip will last 60 seconds, but the preview for tomorrow's NHL game and the preview of the intermission segments for that game will last 8 minutes. Versus's target audience guy will either watch a little more of the college game, maybe even decide he likes it, or he'll decide to change the channel and check some other game... but he will watch the NHL game tomorrow.

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Versus shows NHL hockey before January. Why would they wait until January to show college hockey?

It's important to keep in mind that NBC/Comcast/Versus are in the process of designing one of biggest sports media alternatives to ESPN in broadcast history. Why the January start? It's likely NBC Sports Group may need more time to develop and 1) implement nonlinear multi-platforms to computers and mobile devices (could be a Yahoo sports partnership sometime in the future here) for both the NHL and college hockey to expand their online footprint and 2) negotiate program scheduling with regional NBC affiliates. They currently have 10 regional sport TV networks in some of the most vibrant sports markets in the US. I wouldn't be surprised to see NBC Sports Network surpass ESPN's revenue potential over the next five years.

They can afford to take an unprecedented leap of faith into the college hockey market because they're basically married now to the NHL in both linear and nonlinear platforms. ESPN stymied the growth potential of the college hockey market. There's no doubt with some fancy marketing and program scheduling, NBC may do more to expand the interest in college hockey in the US than any other sports network in history including the BTN.

 

[DenverGoldJersey]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

as far as the wcha goes i could see the second cc-du game in the springs televised by versus as DU has a deal w/ fsn/root sports but cc never seems to have a consistent deal It would be a rivalry game with little to no tv conflicts to work out. wait are comcast and nbc/versus together. if that is the case i would almost guarantee the du-cc game on that network as that has recently been on one of comcast's overlap channels.

they may also be able to grab a couple aha and ecac tourney games as I'm not sure about those teams tv deals or lack thereof.

 

[bronconick]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

It's important to keep in mind that NBC/Comcast/Versus are in the process of designing one of biggest sports media alternatives to ESPN in broadcast history. Why the January start? It's likely NBC Sports Group may need more time to develop and 1) implement nonlinear multi-platforms to computers and mobile devices (could be a Yahoo sports partnership sometime in the future here) for both the NHL and college hockey to expand their online footprint and 2) negotiate program scheduling with regional NBC affiliates. They currently have 10 regional sport TV networks in some of the most vibrant sports markets in the US. I wouldn't be surprised to see NBC Sports Network surpass ESPN's revenue potential over the next five years.

They can afford to take an unprecedented leap of faith into the college hockey market because they're basically married now to the NHL in both linear and nonlinear platforms. ESPN stymied the growth potential of the college hockey market. There's no doubt with some fancy marketing and program scheduling, NBC may do more to expand the interest in college hockey in the US than any other sports network in history including the BTN.

Versus/New Name added 20+ games to their yearly lot of showing games. Not showing any games and having to show 90ish games between January 3rd (or whenever the WC is this year) and April 15th would mean games almost every night minus any doubleheaders. I'm sure it will be backloaded, but they'll still show the openers in Europe and probably some weekly monday/tuesday games like always before the name change in January.

 

[alfablue]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Not sure if this is part of the answer but... Versus/NBC probably doesn't want to hire FOUR crews to cover college hockey on any given night.

That's the thing- they do already- via Comcast local stuff.

Comcast = NBC = Versus.

 

[Jasma]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Usually they show Oswego pounding the tar out of Potsdam.

I'd love to see SLU-Clarkson on TWCS, but they'd rather kiss Cornell/Colgate/RPIs backsides.

Time Warner's production trucks and crews are located in Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, that's why you see most of the games coming from RIT, Cornell, Colgate, RPI and Union; even though the "rustic" facilities at Colgate and Union are awful places to do TV.

It costs more for the crews to travel to the North Country and that is probably a major factor. Having said that, Clarkson and SLU should be a game they show at least every 2 or 3 years. The Lake Placid game in December would be a perfect one to shoot.

 

[mar7967]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Time Warner's production trucks and crews are located in Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, that's why you see most of the games coming from RIT, Cornell, Colgate, RPI and Union; even though the "rustic" facilities at Colgate and Union are awful places to do TV.

It costs more for the crews to travel to the North Country and that is probably a major factor. Having said that, Clarkson and SLU should be a game they show at least every 2 or 3 years. The Lake Placid game in December would be a perfect one to shoot.

Like someone else mentioned (I think), the production truck at RIT was paid for, and is owned by RIT. The production crew is made up of mostly students.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Usually they show Oswego pounding the tar out of Potsdam.

I'd love to see SLU-Clarkson on TWCS, but they'd rather kiss Cornell/Colgate/RPIs backsides.

They've been starting to kiss Union more than RPI, but I think that has to do with our fan base. Heck, CBS College Sports has refused to come back to HFH since Freakout 05.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

I'd love to see the crew go up to Lake Placid, but I think another possible thing is: Are there TW affiliates up there now? Last I remember Saranac Lake and Lake Placid were Adelphia (obviously they went belly up, and I don't know who replaced them), and Plattsburgh is Charter. I know Crown Point and Ti are TW, but they probably get more Glens Falls and Albany than they do Plattsburgh. I can't remember if Malone is TW or not.

 

[CapCWDT]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Schools PAY for TWC to come do their games.

Time Warner's production trucks and crews are located in Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, that's why you see most of the games coming from RIT, Cornell, Colgate, RPI and Union; even though the "rustic" facilities at Colgate and Union are awful places to do TV.

It costs more for the crews to travel to the North Country and that is probably a major factor. Having said that, Clarkson and SLU should be a game they show at least every 2 or 3 years. The Lake Placid game in December would be a perfect one to shoot.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

ladies and gents...I was beginning to have hope for more college hockey exposure through versus/nbc but since I'm an Indycar fan as well (also on versus) I've been reading some rather disconcerting news. namely that NBC wants football on that ex-versus channel.

*IF* that's true we can forget about any meaningful time given to NCAA hockey, and I'm sure they'll schedule NCAA football over the NHL too if it came down to a head-to-head one night

check out the first q and a here

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2011/08/03/aug-3-on-danica-vuky-versus-and-helio/

 

[HarleyMC]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

ladies and gents...I was beginning to have hope for more college hockey exposure through versus/nbc but since I'm an Indycar fan as well (also on versus) I've been reading some rather disconcerting news. namely that NBC wants football on that ex-versus channel.

*IF* that's true we can forget about any meaningful time given to NCAA hockey, and I'm sure they'll schedule NCAA football over the NHL too if it came down to a head-to-head one night

check out the first q and a here

http://blogs.indystar.com/racingexpert/2011/08/03/aug-3-on-danica-vuky-versus-and-helio/

You're jumping the gun here. There will definitely be more NHL games on NBC/Versus/Comcast, that's contractually guaranteed. As far as college hockey is concerned, wait a couple months and see how this is all hammered out.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

You're jumping the gun here. There will definitely be more NHL games on NBC/Versus/Comcast, that's contractually guaranteed. As far as college hockey is concerned, wait a couple months and see how this is all hammered out.

me? jump the gun! (gasp, that's a surprise!)

you're right we need to kick back and see what transpires I just don't like the idea of NBC wanting football on that channel as football trumps everything. it makes me apprehensive as to their real plans for college hockey

 

[rdurk86]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Doesn't Versus already show some college football games? I think I remember some Pac 10 games on there on Saturdays.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

me? jump the gun! (gasp, that's a surprise!)

you're right we need to kick back and see what transpires I just don't like the idea of NBC wanting football on that channel as football trumps everything. it makes me apprehensive as to their real plans for college hockey

That would certainly explain why they'd be waiting until January to start showing college hockey.

 

[du78]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

The DU website has an article from yesterday announcing the formal hiring The Goldwater Group and Stafford Sports as consultants for the NCHC. Their objective is stated as: "The consultant team has simultaneously commenced work on a national search for the conference's first commissioner; a research and assessment process of prospective, additional members with no specific, pre-determined limit on the final number of institutions; investigating the best-possible media platforms, including a broadcast package, to be in place before the conference's inaugural season in 2013-14; and identifying viable venues for a post-season championship game.

Link to full article

 

[dggoddard]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

That would certainly explain why they'd be waiting until January to start showing college hockey.

Friday nights during college football season would be open as well, but I agree with you that they would be focusing primarily after Jan. 1st.

 

[redeagle]

Re: NBC/Versus deal with College Hockey

Miami grad and loyal alum (and he is really loyal) Jon Miller was named President of Programming of NBC Sports and Versus last Frebruary. He currently has a son at Miami and his older boy is a Miami grad.

Hmmmmm, coincidence?

By the way, Miller is the NBC guy who is credited with coming up with the idea for a New Year's Day outdoor NHL game (after the Calgary, or was it Edmonton, outdoor game). Many thought he was crazy because of bowl game competition, but the ratings have proven him correct.