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Old 03-01-2010, 11:40 PM
  #16
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The results are in on the gold medal hockey between US and Canada: they're impressive but a bit below the number of viewers that watched the famous 1980 game between US and Soviet Union.

Other Sports | 27.6 million watch Olympic gold-medal game on NBC | Hockey | Seattle Times Newspaper

Quote:
NBC officials said Sunday's Olympic gold-medal showdown was the most-watched hockey game in 30 years, drawing an average viewership of 27.6 million and getting a 15.2 rating. Not since the final of the Americans' 1980 Miracle On Ice run — when the United States secured gold against Finland after shocking Russia in the semifinal round — had so many viewed a hockey game on American television (that game lured 32.8 million).
So what do you think of the announcing during the Olympic Games? I thought it was a bit too sentimental for my taste. Too many soft stories about certain athletes. However, they were definitely aiming for older women. I prefer watching every sporting event live, especially since it was held in North America. NBC comes off to me as old-school media in a new-media landscape.

Many people complained about the first US-Canada hockey game not on broadcast NBC, which showed ice dancing. That made a lot of joking headlines.

It will be interesting to see how hockey fares for the rest of the NHL season.

In other news, Fox Soccer Plus made its debut yesterday, replacing Setanta Sports USA, which went out of business because of falling revenues forcing the US branch of Setanta to be insolvent. The rights to the matches that Setanta Sports USA used to have went to Fox Soccer Plus, except for the French and Russian soccer leagues and the GAA. The rugby rights were retained, for the time being.



ETA: For now, it is only available for customers of Dish, DirecTV and FiOS for $14.99 a month. Alternatively, you could subscribe to foxsoccer.tv and watch the games live in case you can't get FS+. It might be worth it, depending on what you like.
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Old 03-02-2010, 02:32 AM
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I am an Australian-based Ice Hockey fan and we usually get 2 Versus games a week through Fox Sports Australia. I am not a fan of ESPN though (which we also get) because it is often all about the NBA and the NFL.
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Old 03-04-2010, 10:22 AM
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I thought some of the announcing during the Olympic Games were a bit much but overall, I don't have any major complaints about it.

I figured the hockey game would have really high numbers although I didn't watch it at all.

Thanks for the info.
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Old 05-28-2010, 06:03 AM
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For those who follow NCAA basketball, this might be of importance to you:

NCAA reaches 14-year deal with CBS/Turner for men's basketball tournament, which expands to 68 teams for now - Campus Rivalry: College Football & Basketball News, Recruiting, Game Picks, and More - USATODAY.com

Quote:
The new deal with CBS and Turner will spread NCAA tournament games across four networks -- CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV -- starting next March. CBS and Turner will share coverage of regional semifinals, and CBS will carry regional finals and Final Four games through 2015. All games will be available on live TV instead of CBS switching back and forth.
CBS and TNT say all NCAA tournament games will continue to be streamed live online.
Starting in 2016, CBS and Turner will share regional final coverage and alternate carrying the tournament semifinals and championship game (on CBS and Turner's TBS).
The NCAA is opting out of the final three years of a current 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS.
The new deal will pay $10.8 billion -- nearly $771 million a year -- for the men's basketball tournament, and additional payments for digital and other new media rights will push the total value past $11 billion. It is a 41% increase over CBS' average rights fee in its old NCAA TV deal.

We got the results for the Champions League final on FOX:


Champions League final seen by 1.6 million in US - USATODAY.com


Quote:
The Champions League final was seen by 1.6 million viewers on Fox, an increase from 1.4 million for last year's game on ESPN.
Inter Milan's 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich on Saturday was the first U.S. over-the-air network telecast of a European Champions League final.
The game received a 1.0 rating on Fox, Nielsen Media Research said Thursday. It was viewed in 1.098 million homes, up from 1.066 million for Barcelona's 2-0 win over Manchester United last year.
Fox Sports chairman David Hill said last week he hoped for a rating of 2.0 to 2.5.

Finally, what many people are waiting for, the announcement of the ESPN/ABC broadcasting team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2010:


ESPN and ESPN Radio Commentator Assignments for 2010 FIFA World Cup | ESPN MediaZone

Quote:
  • Legendary play-by-play commentator Martin Tyler, who has called every FIFA World Cup tournament since 1978, will pair with former Nigerian National Team player Efan Ekoku on the opening match – South Africa vs. Mexico – from Johannesburg Friday, June 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET (ESPN);
  • Tyler and former United States National Team captain John Harkes will call the England vs. U.S. match from Rustenburg Saturday, June 12 at 1:30 p.m. (ABC), one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament;
  • Harkes will serve as match analyst on all U.S. team matches, paired with different play-by-play commentators;
  • Tyler and former Scottish National Team player Ally McCoist will call Germany vs. Australia Sunday, June 13 at 2 p.m. (ABC) from Durban;
  • Ian Darke and Ekoku will call the first match for defending FIFA World Cup champion Italy vs. Paraguay Monday, June 14 at 2 p.m. (ESPN) from Cape Town;
  • Darke and Ekoku will call Ivory Coast vs. Portugal from Group G Tuesday, June 15 at 9:30 a.m. (ESPN);
  • Tyler and Ekoku will call Brazil vs. Ivory Coast, also from the “Group of Death,” Sunday, June 20, at 2 p.m. (ABC);
  • On ESPN Radio, the lead broadcast team of JP Dellacamera and Tommy Smyth will call the South Africa vs. Mexico opener, as well as all U.S. team matches, including the England match June 12;
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Old 06-18-2010, 09:46 PM
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The Rugby World Cup will be on US television for 2011 and 2015. Read on: Blog - | Universal Sports, NBC to broadcast Rugby World Cup | Universal Sports

Quote:
Universal Sports Network, NBC Sports, and the International Rugby Board (IRB) today announced a partnership that will bring to U.S. audiences unprecedented national television and digital media coverage of the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup tournaments. The announcement was made by Universal Sports CEO David Sternberg and Mike Miller, CEO and Secretary General, International Rugby Board.

Universal Sports, the preeminent destination for Olympic-related sports programming, and NBC Sports will provide full, multi-platform coverage of all 48 matches during the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand and the 2015 World Cup in England. Two matches in each tournament, including the Finals in 2011 and 2015, will air either live or on a same-day delay on NBC Sports. Live and delayed match video will also be accessible at Year-Round Coverage of Olympic Sports & Athletes | Universal Sports, and on Universal Sports' mobile platforms. Universal Sports' and NBC Sports' match coverage will feature a studio pre-game show, halftime and post-game shows, as well as several other production enhancements, and will be offered in high definition.
Btw, Universal Sports is in 63 million households. For comparison, Versus is in 73 million households, while ESPN/ESPN2 are in over 99 million households.

Meanwhile, ratings for the World Cup soccer coverage on ESPN has improved from 2006:

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/15...ece-more/54249
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/14...coverage/54127

Quote:
ESPN is off to a strong start through the opening weekend of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, highlighted by the United States-England match on ABC which was the most-watched FIFA World Cup first-round match among households and viewers, and the most-viewed United States Men’s National Team game since 1994.
Through eight matches, ESPN and ABC are averaging 3,000,000 households and 4,247,000 viewers – up 75% and 80%, respectively, versus the first eight games of the 2006 World Cup (1,718,000 households and 2,363,000 viewers in ’06).
The most-watched game from Sunday was ABC’s Germany-Australia matchup – a 2.8 household rating, 3,270,000 households, and 4,657,000 viewers, while Serbia-Ghana delivered a 2.3 household coverage rating, 2,248,000 households, and 3,002,000 viewers earlier in the day on ESPN, both based on fast nationals.
So how was the World Cup coverage where you are? I don't think I've ever seen this much detailed coverage of the sport where I am ever since I started following it. John Skipper of ESPN is said to be an avid fan of the sport. So that explains part of the increased coverage.
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General: Lord Rahl? Darken Rahl: You served me well in life, General. It is my hope that you would do the same for the Keeper, now that you are dead.
G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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Old 02-01-2011, 10:08 PM
  #21
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Wow! It's been months since I've posted in this thread. I don't know why people haven't posted stuff here, although I guess many don't have time to do this.

Anyway, NBC and Comcast have merged last week. Part of the merger is the combination of the sports assets each corporation has. News is just coming out on the reorganization of NBC Sports Group:

McCarley To Head Golf Channel, Davis Out At Versus In NBC Sports Group Reorg: Sources - 2011-02-02 00:03:41 | Multichannel News
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/...mie-Davis.aspx

There has been speculation that the new Comcast/NBC could become a serious competitor to ESPN should the merger pan out. Anything from NHL rights to even soccer coverage could be affected. The Globe & Mail has an interesting article on the TV rights issue for the U.S. in hockey: Corporate manoeuvres complicate NHL’s U.S. broadcast picture - The Globe and Mail

Speaking of soccer, ESPN has bought the rights to show Euro 2012 and Euro 2016 in the United States: ESPN acquires U.S. broadcast rights for 2012, 2016 European Championships - ESPN

Unfortunately, no Copa America on ESPN because they didn't get the rights for broadband/internet. But Univision will show the 2011 edition for Spanish-language audience. So brush up on your Spanish.

For Canadian audiences, TSN will become the national home for Major League Soccer, starting this season: TSN to be Canada’s national broadcaster for Major League Soccer

Ratings news

Ratings for the NHL All-Star Game much better than 2009: 2011 NHL All-Star Game brings in big numbers for Versus, CBC | ProHockeyTalk

In the NFL, the Pro Bowl was played on Sunday. The ratings for that game, from KHON: The ratings are in: Pro Bowl watched by 13.4 million | KHON2 Hawaii's News Leader
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General: Lord Rahl? Darken Rahl: You served me well in life, General. It is my hope that you would do the same for the Keeper, now that you are dead.
G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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Old 02-04-2011, 05:33 PM
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More on the reshuffling of Comcast and NBC Sports: New Boss TeesUp Changes At Golf Channel - 2011-02-04 19:58:48 | Broadcasting & Cable
Exclusive: Comcast, NBCU Net Affiliate Units Merging - 2011-02-04 19:47:46 | Multichannel News
Comcast Names Mark Lazarus President-NBC Sports Cable Group - Advertising Age - MediaWorks
NBC Sports veteran McCarley tabbed to head Golf Channel - Golf News - Golf News & Articles | Golf Channel
Comcast's Versus network will stay in Philadelphia - Philly.com
Ebersol Starts To Reshape Sports At Comcast - NYTimes.com
Cross-Promotion Activities In Play As Comcast Takes Control Of NBCU - 2011-01-30 12:29:04 | Multichannel News
Litner, McCarley Ascend In NBC Sports Group Restructuring - 2011-02-02 16:59:58 | Multichannel News

That's about it for articles on the development.

Now here's the situation: Versus has the NHL, but no MLB, no NFL (T.Ocho show doesn't count), no NBA (they show the D-League) and none of the emerging soccer programming. The Tour de France is their other major sports programming that they have.

If I were doing strategy, I would be working to get the MLB and NBA back to the NBC family as soon as they become available. Versus does give NBC a better channel to show Olympics coverage. However, I think that the MLS and World Cup could be had for the right price, if they are willing to jump into it for real.

In the other news, ESPN had finally passed 100 million homes, with ESPN2 not far behind: ThisWeek — January 31, 2011 | ESPN MediaZone
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G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.


Last edited by Movietime Blues; 02-04-2011 at 05:39 PM
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Old 02-04-2011, 05:43 PM
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Thanks so much for all of the information.
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Old 02-17-2011, 03:48 AM
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NBC Sports to air nine hours of NHL coverage this Sunday with "Hockey Day in America" on NBC & "Heritage Classic" on Versus

NBC Sports to broadcast nine hours of NHL coverage this Sunday with "Hockey Day in America" on NBC & "Heritage Classic" on Versus - NHL.com - NHL on NBC spotlight
MediaPost Publications Comcast Melds NBC, Versus For Hockey Coverage 02/17/2011
USA Hockey hopes for boost from signature day - Hockey Weeekend Across America


TSN signs a six-year deal to air MLS games involving Canadian teams in Canada, starting this year: TSN becomes official broadcaster of MLS in Canada

CBS College Sports Network is changing to CBS Sports Network, on April 4: Watch Out ESPN: CBS Rebranding ‘CBS College Sports Network’ as ‘CBS Sports Network’ - SportsNewser
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General: Lord Rahl? Darken Rahl: You served me well in life, General. It is my hope that you would do the same for the Keeper, now that you are dead.
G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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Old 03-15-2011, 03:36 AM
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Tonight is the debut of the NCAA Basketball tournament under the new TV contract. CBS made a deal last year with Turner Sports to split the 68 games scheduled among four channels. This year will see truTV, TBS and TNT join CBS to air all 68 games without interruption.

truTV will air The First Four tonight and Wednesday.

NY Times has an article about this big change in TV coverage: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/sports/ncaabasketball/16tourneytv.html?_r=1&src=twrhp
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G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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Old 03-16-2011, 02:46 PM
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I LOVE March Madness. Exciting times for NCAA basketball.

Thanks for the information.
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Old 04-19-2011, 03:29 PM
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Huge news on the NHL front. Today, they have agreed to a new contract with NBCUniversal for $2 billion for 10 years. They beat out bidders including ESPN, Fox and Turner Sports. More details in this article:

NBC/Comcast and NHL Agree on 10-year $2 Billion Deal for US TV Rights

Versus is going to be re-branded to a sports channel with an NBC name. The announcement will be made in around 60-90 days.
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General: Lord Rahl? Darken Rahl: You served me well in life, General. It is my hope that you would do the same for the Keeper, now that you are dead.
G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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Old 05-03-2011, 11:07 PM
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Pac-12 is set to announce a major TV deal with Fox and ESPN. The word is that the contract will be for 12 years at $3 billion dollars. That means $21 million annually for each school in the conference, starting in the 2012-13 academic year.

Fox and ESPN sign TV deal for Pac-12 conference | Company Town | Los Angeles Times

In other news, Fox Sports is going to roll out Soccer Night in America, to showcase the MLS games they have scheduled. They've already done the theme for that, along with a new theme for Fox Soccer. Check it out: Videos Posted by Fox Soccer: Soccer Night in America [HQ] | Facebook
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General: Lord Rahl? Darken Rahl: You served me well in life, General. It is my hope that you would do the same for the Keeper, now that you are dead.
G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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Old 05-05-2011, 03:00 PM
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Thanks for the news.
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Old 05-20-2011, 01:41 PM
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The big news yesterday and today is Dick Ebersol is out as NBC Sports Group Chairman. He has been with NBC Sports on at least some capacity since 1989. His department was announced a few weeks before NBC/Comcast, Disney/ESPN and Fox are said to start bidding for the TV rights to air the Olympics Games in the United States for the cycle of 2014 and 2016, possibly adding 2018 and 2020 if interest is there. Officially, he resigned because of a contract dispute with Comcast. They couldn't come to an agreement on the amount of money he wanted to continue at NBC.

News story here: NBC Sports head Dick Ebersol resigns - BusinessWeek

In other news, the San Diego Padres are close to signing a substantial deal with FOX for their local cable games. The word is the deal would last 20 seasons at a reported $20-30 million per season.

Story: Padres’ new television deal worth $25-30 million per season | HardballTalk
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General: Lord Rahl? Darken Rahl: You served me well in life, General. It is my hope that you would do the same for the Keeper, now that you are dead.
G: I don't understand. DR: It's quite simple. The Keeper of the Underworld wants to make you an offer.

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