Recently the NHL signed a new 10 year contract with NBC and Versus (who is actually going to be renamed NBC Sports) which will pay the league $200 million a year. While the NHL negotiated with other broadcasters including ESPN, this they felt was their best offer and what was best for the sport. I tend to agree.
Yes, ESPN is the "sports leader" in broadcasting but I don't think they are really the best option for the NHL. They do have name recognition, and they are on nearly every TV everywhere, so the NHL does miss out a bit there. They are also considered one of the top sports stations available and likely have more viewers than any other sports network. So why do I think that the NHL did it right this time by NOT going with ESPN?
I think much of my opinion revolves around where the NHL would sit with ESPN. First off it would always play second fiddle to the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA football and basketball on ESPN. Heck, with poker and other "sports" that they show who knows just where the NHL would rank in broadcasting priorities. They would often likely get pushed off on the other networks such as ESPN2 in favor of the above events. Even jokes such as "The Decision" would probably take priority. So how much would you really see hockey on ESPN in the end anyway.
Versus on the other hand has shown regular hockey games and done so well. Combined with the NBC coverage they show more hockey games than ESPN ever did and better yet it is the largest sport for the station. With the new agreement Versus and NBC will be airing 100 regular season games, probably 3 or 4 times what ESPN would have agreed to even with all their stations. They will also continue to cover the Winter Classic, something that the NBC has done a very good job putting on and a decent job promoting (though more promotion leading up to it would be good), and every playoff game will be on one station or another.
Another thing that ESPN never really did was produce a NHL based show, even once a week, to recap the events of the league. Versus however regularly produces such a show and it is great for seeing what is happening in the league. They focus on hockey for the entire show where the best that ESPN ever did was a 5 minute recap during Sports Center, even during major events or the playoffs. Sure, the NHL Network is out there and it is great as well, but shouldn't the network that covers the sport and airs the game dedicate some time to it. Versus succeeds here, ESPN never did.
The money for the league will also be a good thing. While I don't know the numbers of the ESPN proposal, or any others for that matter, $200 million a year for the league is certainly a good deal. While it doesn't near the close to $4 billion dollars a year the NFL gets from TV contracts, it is a significant increase over the previous contract. This can only serve to help the NHL.
So in the end it may upset some that the NHL decided to sign with someone not the "sports leader in broadcasting", and that they signed a 10 year deal to boot. However you won't find me upset with this decision. It is a good one for the NHL and its fans. Many more games being aired, a dedicated show to hockey, and with Versus becoming NBC Sports it may become as commonplace as NBC before long, also a good thing. Keep up the good work NBC and NBC Sports!
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