NHL: Now on OLN... is this a slap or not?

[homeskillet]

NHL reaches cable deal with Comcast

August 18, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) -- NHL games will air on Outdoor Life Network for at least the next two seasons.

The league finalized a two-year deal with Comcast Corp. -- the owner of OLN -- late Wednesday night after ESPN declined to match the agreement that will pay the NHL $65 million this season and $70 million in 2006-07.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=ap-nhl-espn&prov=ap&type=lgns

[rangersjay99]

Does not look like a lot of games in HDTV for a while.....

[mwgiii]

INHD shows some of OLN's HD programming. I don't know if that will include the NHL.

OLN is supposed to launch OLN HD in October.

[chewey]

Anybody know if Fox Sports Net will still show local teams? Plus what about HDNet, will they still have coverage? I'm bummed out that ESPN didn't pick them up again. That means more poker and hot dog eating contests to look forward to.

[SamC]

This is the NATIONAL deal. The various FSN and other such regional sports networks will still have the local teams.

This is another mistake by the NHL. It has to be on ESPN, or some other major network like TNT, or USA. The hockey loyalists will find it on OLN, if they can get the network on their systems but the casual sports fan does not think of this (generally worthless, IMHO) filler channel.

[Nick]

Since pro hockey is played exclusively indoors, expect Outdoor Life Network to change its name to the "Indoor Life Networkl". :grin:

[Mark Holtz]

From Zap2it:

NHL Games Skate to OLN

Even back when the National Hockey League was still playing games, its TV ratings weren't exactly stratospheric. But telecasts on ESPN and ESPN2 could at least draw a million viewers, maybe 2 million on a good night during the playoffs.

If an NHL game pulls in 2 million people on OLN, the league's new cable home, it will be a record for the channel.

OLN grabbed its biggest audience ever -- 1.7 million viewers -- last month for the final stage of Lance Armstrong's record seventh Tour de France victory. The network, which is available in about 64 million homes, averages fewer than a half-million viewers in primetime.

FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|97022|1|,00.html)

[Msguy]

I think this whole deal is hilarious. OLN isn't a channel one would associate with hockey since it's played indoors on a rink :lol: The NHL Makes another Boo Boo :D

[Skates]

Just to add insult to injury, if I want to see it, I have to upgrade to the America's Top 180 package on E* (or whatever they're calling it now). :mad:

[chewey]

I'm sure the NHL wanted to get the best deal they could, but given the state of things for them I don't think the "best" deal was necessarily the one that paid the most. ESPN would have provided the kind of exposure they need, especially since the basic sat and cable packages include ESPN 1 and 2. Plus don't expect many NHL highlights on ESPN since they have no interest in promoting another network's sport. This was a bonehead move by the NHL.


This is the NATIONAL deal. The various FSN and other such regional sports networks will still have the local teams.

This is another mistake by the NHL. It has to be on ESPN, or some other major network like TNT, or USA. The hockey loyalists will find it on OLN, if they can get the network on their systems but the casual sports fan does not think of this (generally worthless, IMHO) filler channel.

[Steve Mehs]

Maybe OLN is hoping to pull on FX. After NASCAR went to FX, a little subscribed to spinoff channel went through the roof. The station that used to show Miami Vice and NYPD Blue reruns now has HBO caliber original series and miniseries.

[SamC]

Well, yes, BUT FX was a general interest rerun channel, which used NASCAR (which is WAY more popular than the NHL) to promote its solid line-up of shows out of the NEWS Corp rerun vault. OLN has poorly edited nature films and preachy environmental travelogues.

If ESPN was not to be, then getting the NHL would have worked for TNT, Spike, "i" (ex-PAX), FX, and such like. They have something to promote.

OLN does not. It can't even hold a candle to Outdoor Channel, which at least understands its demographic.

[rnbmusicfan]

This is another mistake by the NHL. It has to be on ESPN, or some other major network like TNT, or USA. .

But TNT, USA and the like don't want the NHL. They'd maintain better ratings putting any Kirsten Dunst movie than putting NHL on their schedule.

[cosmo61]

The NHL is just repeating the mistake made during the SportsChannel America fiasco two decades ago. If this league is to continue to be considered one of the "big 4" major league sports (if it is even still in that group) it needs broad exposure. During the days the NHL was on SportsChannel America the national exposure of the NHL ceased to exist. When the SportsChannel America contract ended the NHL ended up signing a deal for small money with ESPN just to get the league on the U.S. national sports radar again.

This is a huge marketing mistake for a league that cannot afford to make a mistake with a already displeased fan base. I have Dish and will purchase NHL Center Ice as I also do but my neighbors that have Mediacom Cable are irate because they cannot get NHL hockey on their cable system in Minnesota. Is it any wonder college hockey is so popular in this area (you can see that on cable.)

When the NHL makes moves like this, not learning from their past mistakes, I fully expect 5 years from now to hear the NHL commissioner cancel the 2010-2011 season due NHL/NHLPA labor impasse.

[Michael P]

Just to add insult to injury, if I want to see it, I have to upgrade to the America's Top 180 package on E* (or whatever they're calling it now). :mad:
Speed, OLN and ODC used to be their own mini pac, perhaps they still are (Speed has since been put in the Top-120). Try CSR roulette to order just OLN and see what happens.

[Steve Mehs]

The Action Pak was discontinued a few years ago.

http://www.dbstalk.com/ekb/173

OLN is not sold a la carte, Outdoor Channel is, but not OLN.