AD Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 NHL passes puck back to CBCNetwork gets new deal: Free Internet feeds planned to increase scope of coverageJeremy Sandler, National PostPublished: Tuesday, March 27, 2007Criticism about Hockey Night in Canada's devotion to the Toronto Maple Leafs is expected to be a thing of the past under a six-year contract extension between the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Hockey League.CBC will introduce free streaming internet feeds of any game CBC broadcasts from anywhere in Canada as a part of the agreement announced yesterday that will keep the NHL on the public broadcaster through the 2013-14 season."We should make our content available to Canadians in whatever way at whatever time in whatever manner they find most convenient," CBC executive vice-president Richard Stursberg said.Keeping its hockey package represents a victory for CBC Sports after losing high-profile properties such as the Olympics and the Canadian Football League to private rival CTV and its subsidiary, TSN."This is a property that, I think it's fair to say, dwarfs in importance all of the other sports properties that we have," Stursberg said. "So to be able to maintain this property is key to us and we're thrilled by the relationship with the league."As well, the new deal reduces the number of Saturday night Toronto Maple Leafs games the CBC can show while increasing the number of times other Canadian teams will be shown in that 7 p.m. ET time slot."This is a good deal for the CBC," said Stursberg, emphasizing that ad revenue from hockey will cover all rights and production costs. "We'll make money out of this deal."Neither Stursberg nor NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would discuss how much the deal is worth. However, it's thought the extension could bring the NHL up to $100-million a season, a figure that one industry insider said was "believable." That would be up from the approximately $65-million the CBC pays for NHL rights on its existing contract.The deal also is a win for the NHL, which will reap an increase in fees with one of its broadcasters. "The CBC has done a terrific job with us," Bettman said. "Money was obviously an important factor because we felt we had to be valued consistent with what we thought our value was and this deal did that."The deal, which still needs to be ratified by the NHL's board of governors, will also change coverage of playoff series featuring Canadian teams. Previously the exclusive domain of the CBC, the new deal, which begins with the 2008-09 season, gives the network its top two choices of playoff series for the first round, as well as its fourth and sixth choices.If more than two series involve a Canadian team, the NHL's national cable partner, currently TSN, would be able to show that series.CBC hockey analyst and Canadian nationalist Don Cherry was on hand to cheer the decision."I used to listen to Foster Hewitt," he said."It should be on Saturday night and it should be on CBC, and I?m glad it is."But the popular and outspoken star of Coach's Corner, who now works with a seven second delay after numerous controversies over comments he has made, did not interpret the deal as a guarantee he'll stay on the air through 2014."I have job security Saturday night and I know if I don't hear from them by Tuesday, I know I?m on next Saturday," he said. "So security is really not much with me. My contract is, it could end at any time. It's seven seconds." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted March 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Don't get too excited. There won't be a massive drop in the number of Leaf games on the main network. Trust me, i see the audience numbers here at work and how much ad revenue comes in from HNIC. The Leaf and Habs games are gold ... unfortunately the west coast and Ottawa games don't bring in the same numbers. That means it's a lot harder to justify ad costs and agencies will be reluctant to book into those games. Still, as I have said before, the local CBC station should be carrying the local team's hockey game on Saturday night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 The Leaf and Habs games are gold So, why the discrepancy between those two teams?This has been the ongoing war for Habs fans for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberdinghy Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I'd love to see the Deaner with Basketball Commentator Jack Armstrong! "Scraaaaaaaaaaaamble, HelLOW!"My godfather went to school with Bob Cole. He forgets my name all the time, and sometimes he thinks I play for the Leafs. It must be something in that Newfie water!Dean's "SCRAMBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE" had dissappeared a while back, but has returned with a Fury as of late...but you ever hear Brown do a non Senators game? He doesn't have the same intesity.I also love his and Galley's banter...it's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Gary Galley is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted March 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 The Leaf and Habs games are gold So' date=' why the discrepancy between those two teams?This has been the ongoing war for Habs fans for years.[/quote']Yeah, but as crazy as it seems, the Habs fans are much more "regional" and the fact that RDI covers the games too. Personally, I want to see more Western games. We're missing out on some killer stuff with San Jose, Nashville, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I'd love to see Jack (aka King of the Hill's Boomhaur) Armstrong do hockey. The Raptors and Canadian basketball fans are lucky to have this guy. Leo is a blabbering fool by comparison (and Leo was my favourite college player of all time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booche Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Thanks Kev, or should I say Mini-William Hurt, because that does seem pretty crazy to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted March 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 (edited) I think that one of the "C"'s in CBC is for CRAZY!http://www5.airnet.ne.jp/ashiato/POLITICS%20of%20AUTHOR/PERSON/WILLIAM%20HURT/CAST%20OF%20W.JPEG Edited March 28, 2007 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak By Night Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 What do you do at the corpse, Kev? I mean besides checking out audience numbers and ad revenue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Low Roller Posted March 28, 2007 Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted March 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2007 What do you do at the corpse, Kev? I mean besides checking out audience numbers and ad revenue? LOL ... i love it when it's referred to as the Corpse . It's so appropriate. I've done a number of things here over the past 7 years. Currently I work in Media Sales & Marketing doing "traffic" (the scheduling of commercial spots on the Ottawa and Windsor affiliates). Not all that glamorous, really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted March 30, 2007 Report Share Posted March 30, 2007 Hey Kev, Chum is hiring a traffic co-ordinator. The job was posted today. Just in case... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanada Kev Posted March 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2007 Thanks! I actually know a buddy who used to work traffic there who is in need of a job (he's back from running the traffic dept in Calgary CityTV)PM me the details and I'll forward to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.O.B.E Posted April 5, 2007 Report Share Posted April 5, 2007 I'd love to see Jack (aka King of the Hill's Boomhaur) Armstrong do hockey. The Raptors and Canadian basketball fans are lucky to have this guy. Leo is a blabbering fool by comparison (and Leo was my favourite college player of all time).I think they should move it to APTN and let the Lakota Medince Man do the commentary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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