[stampeder]

the league has announced a 10-year deal that will leave NBC as the exclusive network for the game in the United States. The agreement, widely reported to be worth around US$200-million a year for the NHL, also keeps the league on VERSUS, the U.S. cable channel. The league will have a game broadcast nationally on the Friday of U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, while NBC Sports Group will televise 100 regular season games.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/04/19/nhl-nbc-sign-announce-10-year-tv-deal/

the league and its current U.S. network/ cable partners have reached agreement on a new 10-year deal, the NHL is bidding sayonara to ESPN, the highly influential sports force in the U.S., and casting its lot in America with an upstart 24-hour sports property being formed between NBC and Comcast, the huge U.S. cable company. Estimates are that the league will make $2-billion over the course of the decade-long deal.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/nhl-announces-new-us-tv-deal/article1991065/

 

[markb]

I really hope NBC provides more local coverage like they did for their Hockey Day in America this year. The Game of the Week is pointless. It always features one of, if not two of, the same seven teams.

And please NHL, eliminate that Versus exclusive game of the week. It's sad when there is another game on that I want to watch but can't because of that clause.

 

[NB Josh]

The Versus game of the week isn't going anywhere. If a Canadian team is playing at that time, then the game is still broadcast. The really ideal thing would be for Sunbelt teams to stop playing games on Monday when they know they won't be able to broadcast the games.

I think this is a great deal for the NHL. IMO NBC's coverage is a lot better than ESPN's was. Versus will air 90 games a year, up from 50 under the previous contract. So instead of 2 games a week available exclusively on Versus, there will now be 3-4. I have to think that some of the regional broadcasters in the States won't be too happy about this. I also wonder if it will result in TSN or Sportsnet (whoever gets the next national Canadian contract) getting more than 10 games for the Senators and western teams.

NBC will air 10 broadcasts a year. The Winter Classic, a game on Black Friday and 8 Sunday afternoon broadcasts.

 

[Doppelganger399]

Its a great deal for the league.

 

[murrayb]

Not sure how great it is. Listening to the Fan on the way home and they said:

(a) taking into account inflation, it's about the same amount of dollars as the last ESPN contract and over the 10 years, they'll actually end up with less money than in the last ESPN contract;

(b) it takes away regional games, thereby reducing the money they get from the regional carriers; and

(c) they gave away their digital rights, which will likely become quite valuable over the course of the 10 year deal.

If they're correct, then it sure doesn't seem that it's a great deal.