Hockey Night stays put on CBC

[DMadSport]

As reported on the Globe and Mail and CBC websites, CBC Televison and the NHL have reached a deal that will keep Hockey Night in Canada on the public broadcaster for 6 more years (2008-09 thru 2013-14). Thus officially ends the speculation that TSN/CTV would take all the Canadian English language TV rights away from CBC.

The financial terms were not disclosed. What was revealed is this:

*Saturday Doubleheaders and regional coverage will continue on HNIC.

*There will be fewer Toronto Maple Leafs games and more appearances by the other Canadian NHL teams. HNIC has always been criticised for focusing too much on the Leafs (they're literally on every Saturday night).

*CBC retains exclusive coverage of the All-Star game, Stanley Cup finals, and the end-of-season awards ceremony.

*CBC also retains the bulk of playoff coverage featuring Canadian teams. This is something TSN was hoping to acquire more of in their new deal, which is yet to be agreed upon.

*What's more, CBC retains "new media" rights to HNIC broadcasts, including live and on-demand streaming of HNIC games.

[NJTank]

Long Live Coach's Corner

[DMadSport]

*CBC also retains the bulk of playoff coverage featuring Canadian teams. This is something TSN was hoping to acquire more of in their new deal, which is yet to be agreed upon.

To clarify, the early round playoff coverage of Canadian teams will not be exclusive to CBC. TSN will still get the chance to air some playoff games with Canadian teams in their new deal, which is still being hammered out as originally noted.

[infrared41]

I can't imagine Hockey Night in Canada on anything other than CBC. I wish we could get CBC where I live now. HNIC was appointment viewing when I lived in Toledo.

[DMadSport]

I can't imagine Hockey Night in Canada on anything other than CBC. I wish we could get CBC where I live now. HNIC was appointment viewing when I lived in Toledo.

I couldn't imagine it either. They were noting the history CBC has with HNIC (they've been on CBC dating back to radio in the 1930s), and it would certainly be weird, if not unsettling, to see Saturday Night NHL hockey in Canada on some other channel. Whether or not Canadians would admit it, this is appointment viewing in all of Canada.

Reports this morning in the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail cite sources saying the CBC's deal with the NHL will cost about $90 U.S. per season. Also, G&M reports that the actual number of Leafs games on HNIC will decrease from 28 per season to 23. Also, the reports this morning are really emphasizing the internet/digital rights in this deal. Goes to show you how important digital rights have become in only a few short years (when before, they were only an afterthought or not considered at all, as quotes in the 2nd story below suggest).

Toronto Star: CBC Ponies Up $550 Million

Globe and Mail: Internet takes to the ice in new CBC-NHL TV deal

Globe and Mail: 'Hockey Night' lives to see another day

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Reports this morning in the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail cite sources saying the CBC's deal with the NHL will cost about $90 U.S. per season. Also, G&M reports that the actual number of Leafs games on HNIC will decrease from 28 per season to 23. Also, the reports this morning are really emphasizing the internet/digital rights in this deal. Goes to show you how important digital rights have become in only a few short years (when before, they were only an afterthought or not considered at all, as quotes in the 2nd story below suggest).

It's only $90 to air a year's worth of NHL games? Yeah, that sounds about right.

[cleckie]

Although I am happy to see HNIC stay on the CBC, they will have to do some work to improve. My big thing is the announcers... How is Jim Houston not the #1 play-by-play man. In my opinion the best in the business. There is too much of an "Old Boys Club" mentality with those who run HNIC, and I hope to see that change as they move forward.

[DEAD!]

Reports this morning in the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail cite sources saying the CBC's deal with the NHL will cost about $90 U.S. per season. Also, G&M reports that the actual number of Leafs games on HNIC will decrease from 28 per season to 23. Also, the reports this morning are really emphasizing the internet/digital rights in this deal. Goes to show you how important digital rights have become in only a few short years (when before, they were only an afterthought or not considered at all, as quotes in the 2nd story below suggest).

It's only $90 to air a year's worth of NHL games? Yeah, that sounds about right.

Remember that $90 U.S., which, of course, is $90 U.S. more than what NBC is paying

and cleckie, you meant Jim Hughson, right?

[BCBoy]

Bob Cole has got to go, the fact that he can only pronounce the Leafs players names bothers the heck out of me.

HNIC has to do a better job of getting more consistancy in the games which they broadcast. Of course Toronto is on every week, but there are games which are scheduled at 5 or 6 for the Canucks and they don't bother to pick them up, so they end up going onto PPV.

And when there's a meaningless game, or there's no way of either team coming back in the Toronto game, they have to learn to flip on the better game (if there is one going on).

Case in point: Ottawa vs Buffalo played Saturday, a couple days after the emotional game where Neil took out Drury and Emery took on a couple of Sabres yet HNIC shows the Toronto game in the west rather than show a game that once again came down to wire.

[Snazel]

I agree with the previous poster, Bob Cole has to go.

There will be fewer Toronto Maple Leafs games and more appearances by the other Canadian NHL teams. HNIC has always been criticised for focusing too much on the Leafs (they're literally on every Saturday night).

I am extremely skeptical of this. While I don't deny there was some verbage and hand shakes in this area, I am very skeptical CBC will abide to this with any alacrity.

CBC's main HQ is in Toronto, there whole corporation is anchored in Toronto. If you've worked for the CBC, you know this is extremely frustrating. There is a massive bureaucracy in the CBC, and its ripe with politics as well and most of this spearheads out of Toronto.

The Leaf's are an extension of the Toronto/CBC connection. They wash the country in "Leaf" talk, even in games when the Leafs aren't playing. Laughable really, because you could make an argument that the Leafs have been the worst Canadian team now for decades, and haven't been to the Stanley Cup finals in 40 years.

The Leafs are the center (or should I say centre?) of their universe. I think they'll make some weak attempts to spread the games around a little bit, but mostly they'll go back to their old habits. Indeed, I would even go so far to say that CBC's bias, helped lead to the demise of the Jets.

I hate the CBC, so I have my own bias. I find their reporting extremely skewed and politically motivated. I find the idea of a television corporation funded by the government (and the politics that go on in the CRTC as well for that matter) to be digusting, I find the judgment and ranking of art based on nationality to be abhorrent. I even think "As it Happens" is overrated.

Although I confess, I always had a bit of a crush on Wendy Mesley.

I would not have shed a tear if Hockey Night in Canada had moved on. The days of Danny Gallivan and Foster Hewitt are long gone. This is a show that fired their commentators the very next day after they critisized the Maple Leafs. It's always been biased, always been centered on Toronto, because the CBC itself has always been this way.

[jkrdevil]

I agree with the previous poster, Bob Cole has to go.

There will be fewer Toronto Maple Leafs games and more appearances by the other Canadian NHL teams. HNIC has always been criticised for focusing too much on the Leafs (they're literally on every Saturday night).

I am extremely skeptical of this. While I don't deny there was some verbage and hand shakes in this area, I am very skeptical CBC will abide to this with any alacrity.

They have no choice (well they did and agreed to less already). It's written in the contract that the maximum number of Toronto Maple Leaf games they can air is 23 instead of the 28 it was previously.

[CC97]

I agree with the previous poster, Bob Cole has to go.

There will be fewer Toronto Maple Leafs games and more appearances by the other Canadian NHL teams. HNIC has always been criticised for focusing too much on the Leafs (they're literally on every Saturday night).

I am extremely skeptical of this. While I don't deny there was some verbage and hand shakes in this area, I am very skeptical CBC will abide to this with any alacrity.

They have no choice (well they did and agreed to less already). It's written in the contract that the maximum number of Toronto Maple Leaf games they can air is 23 instead of the 28 it was previously.

As long as we're on HNIC locally every Saturday Night, I'm happy

[jkrdevil]

I agree with the previous poster, Bob Cole has to go.

There will be fewer Toronto Maple Leafs games and more appearances by the other Canadian NHL teams. HNIC has always been criticised for focusing too much on the Leafs (they're literally on every Saturday night).

I am extremely skeptical of this. While I don't deny there was some verbage and hand shakes in this area, I am very skeptical CBC will abide to this with any alacrity.

They have no choice (well they did and agreed to less already). It's written in the contract that the maximum number of Toronto Maple Leaf games they can air is 23 instead of the 28 it was previously.

As long as we're on HNIC locally every Saturday Night, I'm happy

I don't think the NHL will make the schedule to where there will be leaf games blacked out. The 5 games not covered next season will be moved to another night and will be probably aired by TSN if my understanding of the article is correct.

[Snazel]

I am pleased the Leafs restrictions are embedded in the contract and is not a "handshake" agreement. This should give Ottawa their due (never understood why much of the nation had to watch Leafs vs. Blue Jackets when Ottawa was playing Detroit).

Also hopefully, we'll get two west coast games on a single night, on rare occasions. This is also something I'd applaud. I get stuck with Canucks vs. Coyotes sometimes, when Edmonton is playing Boston.

Also I would not shed a tear if I happened to see the Flames more often.

Was there a clause to ban Al Strachan from all broadcasts? No? Damn. Can't have it all I guess.

Off-topic, but I also wish NBC wouldn't avoid games with a Canadian team in them. It is FARCICAL the games NBC decides I should get. They've basically decided any team on the California coast is my "home team".

And if a good American team happens to play a good Canadian team, NBC will not even show it. I refuse to believe this is such a ratings killer. NESN reports great ratings when the Bruins play Montreal, for example.

This year, when the Penguins were playing the Rangers...I got a Blues vs. Kings game instead (both games at the same time). Oh right - we people in Seattle, just *love* to root for teams in Los Angeles. What idiot thought that was a good idea?

Also if NBC is serious, they should stagger the start times of the games by 15 minutes, so they can flip non-local broadcasts to the most interesting game, and flip to a game during intermission. That does not seem logistically impossible to me.

[jkrdevil]

I am pleased the Leafs restrictions are embedded in the contract and is not a "handshake" agreement. This should give Ottawa their due (never understood why much of the nation had to watch Leafs vs. Blue Jackets when Ottawa was playing Detroit).

Also hopefully, we'll get two west coast games on a single night, on rare occasions. This is also something I'd applaud. I get stuck with Canucks vs. Coyotes sometimes, when Edmonton is playing Boston.

Also I would not shed a tear if I happened to see the Flames more often.

Was there a clause to ban Al Strachan from all broadcasts? No? Damn. Can't have it all I guess.

Off-topic, but I also wish NBC wouldn't avoid games with a Canadian team in them. It is FARCICAL the games NBC decides I should get. They've basically decided any team on the California coast is my "home team".

And if a good American team happens to play a good Canadian team, NBC will not even show it. I refuse to believe this is such a ratings killer. NESN reports great ratings when the Bruins play Montreal, for example.

This year, when the Penguins were playing the Rangers...I got a Blues vs. Kings game instead (both games at the same time). Oh right - we people in Seattle, just *love* to root for teams in Los Angeles. What idiot thought that was a good idea?

Also if NBC is serious, they should stagger the start times of the games by 15 minutes, so they can flip non-local broadcasts to the most interesting game, and flip to a game during intermission. That does not seem logistically impossible to me.

Canadian markets aren't factors in the ratings thus Canadian teams don't get on NBC. It's similar to how CBC tries to get as many all Canadian team match-ups as possible to maximize ratings. In the case of CBC it's hard to get all Candian matchups when there are only 6 Canadian teams. In NBC's case there are 24 US teams and the show less regular season games so it's easier to get all US matchups. Putting a Canadian team on eliminates one local market ratings wise and it's the local market that drives ratings. I know NBC is available in Canada but I believe (and you can correct me if I'm wrong) it's an affiliate out of a nearby US city. Again much like CBC in the US border cities. Since ratings and advertising is the only stream of revenue it isn't smart to drop a local market. Ratings aren't as big of a factor for say Versus (which has shown a few games involving the Leafs and Habs) because they are cable and thus also have subscriber fees.

As far as staggering the start times I agree with you but that won't matter come next season as there will only be 1 NBC game that is shown nationwide. Part of the new agreement is the flexible schedule like with football. They will get 3 games to choose from and two weeks prior one of them will be moved to the NBC time slot.

[Roger Clemente]

Yes, NBC's availability in Canada is dependent on an American affiliate being available on a Canadian cable or satellite provider. TSN here though will sometimes show the NBC or Versus feed of a game on Sunday afternoons if it's an all-American matchup (and often if TSN's Pierre Maguire or Chris Cuthbert are involved in the broadcast).

What CBC needs to look at is the ability to show the more interesting matchup nationwide. A month ago they had TOR/PHI and BUF/OTT on a Saturday night. So the game they show nationwide is the game between the two non-playoff teams and the BUF/OTT game airs only in Ottawa. I know CBC often releases their entire season schedule in the summer, but they should leave the options as to the nationwide broadcast available up to a week in advance.

Also any All-Canadian matchup in either timeslot, even if Toronto is not involved in either of them, should be aired nationwide. It's sad when an OTT/MTL matchup is only available in Quebec and Ottawa because a TOR/NYI matchup is considered more important.

I think the primary key towards the Leafs bias is the fact that they are the only NHL team that plays every single Saturday night during the regular season. The Canadiens almost take that honor, but they always have a handful of Saturday afternoon games in the season. They should get rid of this consistant scheduling quirk that favors this one team and let the league sort out everything.

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

[DMadSport]

Reports this morning in the Toronto Star and Globe and Mail cite sources saying the CBC's deal with the NHL will cost about $90 U.S. per season. Also, G&M reports that the actual number of Leafs games on HNIC will decrease from 28 per season to 23. Also, the reports this morning are really emphasizing the internet/digital rights in this deal. Goes to show you how important digital rights have become in only a few short years (when before, they were only an afterthought or not considered at all, as quotes in the 2nd story below suggest).

It's only $90 to air a year's worth of NHL games? Yeah, that sounds about right.

$90 Million U.S.