May

28

Looking The NHL In The Mirror

May 28, 2007 | by Keith | Categories Television | Comments Off

The Stanley Cup Finals begin tonight.  Although the thought of an Anaheim/Ottawa final does not bring fans back to the glory days of the game, it is the championship match-up.  I wish I could see it.

I grew up watching hockey on television.  My winters consisted of following the Boston Bruins compete for championships in the 1970′s while trying to watch through the snowy signal of WSBK TV-38.  The games are no longer carried on the station, since moved to the cable outlet NESN.  In the early going NESN was a premium television channel.  That impacted the number of fans who could watch the game.  Now NESN is carried on most standard cable television packages in New England.

When the NHL lockout took place wiping out the 2004-2005 season, we knew the league would take a P.R. hit.  It did, yet fans did return to the rink.  The total attendance at NHL games in the 2003-2004 season (before the lockout) was 20,336,817.  The 2005-2006 season (the first after the lockout) the number was 20,854,299.  This year saw 20,857,288 people pile into NHL arenas.  A modest increase, but an increase nonetheless.

Even though the fans are back, they are not watching on television.  Ratings for the NHL on a national level are down dramatically, even during the playoffs.  I think the reason for this is that the NHL was still looking to make money off a television deal instead of working at regaining its credibility.

After the lockout ESPN opted out of its deal with the NHL.  This forced the league to place its games on the only national cable outlet that showed an interest, Versus (formerly OLN).  Versus has a potential three year deal with the NHL estimated at $200 million.  Versus is seen in approximately 75 million households across America.  ESPN, 92 million.  By the way, my house is one of those which does not have access to Versus.

Much is still being written about last week’s decision by NBC to opt out of the Buffalo/Ottawa playoff game to begin its telecast of the Preakness.  I don’t blame NBC, if the NHL had a more popular product, they would have stayed and told the trainers to keep the horses in the barn.  This falls back to the NHL.

Television sports ratings as a whole are down.  The NFL is the exception.  Even the NBA playoffs are seeing a downturn in the number of viewers. 

The NHL needs to begin the process now of saving its future.  It’s time for the league to swallow its pride, take a collective hit in the wallet, and try to regain respectability.  The deal with Versus expires after next season.  If the NHL can get out of the deal now (which there is some indication they can), they should.  They should then re-approach ESPN, throw the keys on the table, and give them the rights to the games for FREE for two years.  There would need to be parameters on coverage, etc, but ESPN would be allowed to make as much money as they could for two years.  Then the contract would be renegotiated.  The other component would be to move the network coverage to ABC and mandate that each game of the Finals be broadcast on free TV.

Sounds radical?  Not if you are perceived as a fledgling enterprise as is the case with the NHL.  ESPN would add instant credibility back to the NHL.  Coverage of the sport would make it to the first half hour of Sportscenter.  The chances of a recovery are better than they are now.

There is a chance that such a bold move will fail.  If so, then the NHL will know its position in the American sports landscape.  I think it’s a chance the NHL needs to take.  If not this could soon be in their future.


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