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June 16, 2022 11:48 am  #1


Possible big changes at HNIC?

https://yyzsportsmedia.com/are-big-changes-coming-to-rogers-hockey-night/

Among other rumours, there’s talk that this might be the final season for Ron Maclean.

 

June 16, 2022 4:11 pm  #2


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

It's an interesting topic but what dull writing.  I ended up just skimming the article.
"As alluded to in promoting the podcast," and "In and of itself" are not good opening sentences of paragraphs.
 

 

June 16, 2022 4:22 pm  #3


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Agreed, Ron has long past his best before date...the Don Cherry sympathizers are still butt hurt that Ronny threw their patriot under the bus...they are driving this too.

Do yourself a favour and watch the ESPN/ABC Stanley Cup broadcast and pre, post and intermission shows if you can...I avoid all HNIC and Sportsnet non-live play action coverage with a passion...most of their intermission shows including their talent is so lame and old school and their commercial promos are beyond water torture to endure...the Americans are not as polished as Canadians on the nuances of hockey but they have a solid cast in place covering the final - Messier, Chelios, Ferraro, - Rogers Sportsnet can't touch these guys in terms of marquee value....

Rogers lost millions on this NHL rights deal, they messed it up from day 1 and its only gotten worse...it needs to be blown up real good, not just as simple as moving deck chairs around.


 

 

June 18, 2022 3:28 am  #4


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Charlie wrote:

MJ Vancouver wrote:

https://yyzsportsmedia.com/are-big-changes-coming-to-rogers-hockey-night/

Among other rumours, there’s talk that this might be the final season for Ron Maclean.

Good.  Sniveler.
 

I have never heard him snivel once.

At one time he was the best in the business but his long winded nonsensical intros are tiring. I’m also bored with the panel discussions. They need to cycle through several people to keep it fresh and they need to give one person with a strong opinion a segment again. The current format is dull.

 

June 18, 2022 8:00 am  #5


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

I'll choose the TSN hockey telecast crew over Sportsnet every time.

That said .. Sportsnet made some improvement as Cuthbert is infinitely better than Hughson and  Friedman, Bieksa, Hrudey, Botterill are substantially better than the likes of Nick Kypreos & Doug Maclean.

Change can be good but can also backfire .. not Strombo's fault but the Strombo HNIC era was a disaster.

 

June 18, 2022 8:12 am  #6


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Johnny B wrote:

Agreed, Ron has long past his best before date...the Don Cherry sympathizers are still butt hurt that Ronny threw their patriot under the bus...they are driving this too.

Rogers lost millions on this NHL rights deal, they messed it up from day 1 and its only gotten worse...it needs to be blown up real good, not just as simple as moving deck chairs around.

Possibly the worse deal in Canadian broadcasting, $5.2 billion for 12 years. Rogers would have to make $433 million a year just to break even, which they allegedly have yet to do and they are very tight lipped about it.
I often wonder if this was an ego deal for former Rogers Media president Keith Pelley, who disappeared after Guy Laurence became CEO. Too bad Rogers didn’t stick to telecommunications, something they kind of know….!
 

 

 

June 18, 2022 9:10 am  #7


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Ron and his pointless stories has to go. 

 

June 19, 2022 11:24 pm  #8


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Charlie wrote:

mikew wrote:

Ron and his pointless stories has to go. 

Sniveler.
 

Repeater.

 

June 19, 2022 11:25 pm  #9


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

g121 wrote:

I'll choose the TSN hockey telecast crew over Sportsnet every time.

That said .. Sportsnet made some improvement as Cuthbert is infinitely better than Hughson and  Friedman, Bieksa, Hrudey, Botterill are substantially better than the likes of Nick Kypreos & Doug Maclean.

Change can be good but can also backfire .. not Strombo's fault but the Strombo HNIC era was a disaster.

Sucking was his fault.

 

June 22, 2022 1:23 am  #10


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Writing the same thing three times in the same thread is childish, repetitive, and a waste of everyone's time.

 

June 22, 2022 8:29 pm  #11


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Johnny B wrote:

Do yourself a favour and watch the ESPN/ABC Stanley Cup broadcast and pre, post and intermission shows if you can...[Edit]…the Americans [Edit] have a solid cast in place covering the final - Messier, Chelios, Ferraro

The guy I *really* like is Sean McDonough, play-by-play.

 

June 22, 2022 9:58 pm  #12


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Tomas Barlow wrote:

Writing the same thing three times in the same thread is childish, repetitive, and a waste of everyone's time.

👍👍
 

 

June 23, 2022 1:10 am  #13


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

mike marshall wrote:

Johnny B wrote:

Do yourself a favour and watch the ESPN/ABC Stanley Cup broadcast and pre, post and intermission shows if you can...[Edit]…the Americans [Edit] have a solid cast in place covering the final - Messier, Chelios, Ferraro

The guy I *really* like is Sean McDonough, play-by-play.

Fun Fact: He called both Blue Jays World Series wins on CBS and CTV.

 

June 26, 2022 11:39 pm  #14


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

The American coverage is better. HNIC needs to clean house but they won't. 

 

June 27, 2022 8:19 am  #15


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

The Rogers deal ends in 2026, I believe. I doubt CBC is in a financial position to outbid Rogers or TSN, though - and if TSN/Bell is the successful bidder it's likely CBC will be shut out entirely and Saturday night hockey (with the old HNIC theme, but without the name) will move to CTV. I'm hoping CBC will be able to at least muster a partnership with either Bell or Rogers (or both) which would allow it to regain production rights and ownership of HNIC ie ability to at least co-produce the show and sell ads rather than just turn over its broadcast time to Rogers -( obviously CBC currently retains ownership of the actual HNIC name, if nothing else)

CBC screwed up in 2013 by rebuffing offers from both Rogers and Bell for a co-production deal, as well as rejecting Bettman's offer of a smaller package for CBC - and in the end they got nothing except a sublicensing agreement. 

 

June 27, 2022 8:39 am  #16


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

I think it's more likely that Amazon or Facebook or some other internet carrier gets the contract when it comes up. Both have enormous capitol and we're already seeing them getting their toes wet in baseball and football.
 

 

June 27, 2022 8:55 am  #17


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

If Bell/CTV get the contract, I doubt CTV would carry hockey every night during the play-offs.  They like to carry the American programs for simsub.

 

June 27, 2022 3:40 pm  #18


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Interesting interview with a prof from Niagara University on CKTB's Tom McConnell Show Monday that fits this topic like, well, a hockey glove.

He's predicting, despite what anyone says, that when the NHL contract with Rogers is up, it won't be CTV that nabs the rights. It will be a streamer like Amazon. 

He bases the guess on the fact that the latter has just secured the rights for Major League Soccer for the next decade, as reported here a few weeks ago - and that Amazon has shown repeatedly it's willing to vastly overpay for rights to an event or a league if it can get exclusivity from it, meaning you won't be able to see it without subscribing to their service.

He warns they also tend to look at long term deals, so if a streamer did try to nab rights to an entire sports league, it would likely be for an extended time period.  

I can only imagine the cries of outrage from fans if that happened. It seems positively unCanadian not to have at least some hockey games on so-called free TV or at least on cable. But times are changing and this professor believes that's where the future lies. 

Not saying he's right but it's an interesting thesis to consider.

And given the way the marketplace is leaning, it could happen.

 

June 27, 2022 9:17 pm  #19


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

Ale Ont wrote:

If Bell/CTV get the contract, I doubt CTV would carry hockey every night during the play-offs.  They like to carry the American programs for simsub.

Agreed.  TSN is the cash cow for them.  You'll never see an NHL game over the air on a Bell station ever again.

 

June 27, 2022 9:21 pm  #20


Re: Possible big changes at HNIC?

RadioActive wrote:

Interesting interview with a prof from Niagara University on CKTB's Tom McConnell Show Monday that fits this topic like, well, a hockey glove.

He's predicting, despite what anyone says, that when the NHL contract with Rogers is up, it won't be CTV that nabs the rights. It will be a streamer like Amazon. 

He bases the guess on the fact that the latter has just secured the rights for Major League Soccer for the next decade, as reported here a few weeks ago - and that Amazon has shown repeatedly it's willing to vastly overpay for rights to an event or a league if it can get exclusivity from it, meaning you won't be able to see it without subscribing to their service.

He warns they also tend to look at long term deals, so if a streamer did try to nab rights to an entire sports league, it would likely be for an extended time period.  

I can only imagine the cries of outrage from fans if that happened. It seems positively unCanadian not to have at least some hockey games on so-called free TV or at least on cable. But times are changing and this professor believes that's where the future lies. 

Not saying he's right but it's an interesting thesis to consider.

And given the way the marketplace is leaning, it could happen.

Perhaps.  Or They might continue with ESPN.  It's one stop shopping.  You get digital with ESPN+, cable with ESPN and over the air on ABC.  In Canada, with spotty internet in much of the country a digital only deal won't make sense for years to come.  The negative publicity of rural Canadians having zero access to the national sport would be a national crisis and a publicity nightmare for the league..