Television sports channel
Television channel
NHL Network
is an American
sports-oriented
cable
and
satellite
television network
that is a
joint venture
between the
National Hockey League
(NHL), which owns a controlling 84.4% interest, and
NBCUniversal
, which owns the remaining 15.6%. Dedicated to providing broadcast coverage of
ice hockey
, the network features live game telecasts from the NHL and other professional and collegiate hockey leagues, as well as NHL-related content including analysis programs,
specials
and
documentaries
.
History
[
edit
]
Launched on October 1, 2007, the NHL Network was developed out of a
joint venture
between the NHL and cable provider
Comcast
, as part of a broadcast rights agreement that resulted in the
NBC Sports Network
(then known as Outdoor Life Network) acquiring partial cable television rights to regular season, and
Stanley Cup
playoff
and
finals
games from the National Hockey League. It became the third sports-oriented cable network devoted to programming from and controlled by one of the
Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
, following the
National Basketball Association
-owned
NBA TV
(which launched in March 1999) and the
National Football League
-owned
NFL Network
(which launched in November 2003);
Major League Baseball
would launch its own sports channel,
MLB Network
, on January 1, 2009.
[2]
On June 1, 2015,
The Globe and Mail
columnist
David Shoalts
reported that NHL Network in Canada would cease operations on September 1, 2015; national media rights to the NHL in Canada had been acquired by
Rogers Communications
beginning in the 2014?15 season, and the
Bell Media
employees who managed the network's Canadian arm on behalf of the NHL were laid off that July.
[3]
[4]
In August 2015, it was announced that the NHL had reached a six-year deal with
Major League Baseball Advanced Media
(MLBAM) to take over the management of the NHL's digital properties, as well as NHL Network. Operations and production of NHL Network's programming was shifted from
Toronto
to the
Secaucus, New Jersey
facilities of
MLB Network
.
[3]
[5]
There has been minor talent sharing between the networks, and MLB Network cross-promoted an
NHL Stadium Series
game at
Coors Field
by building a scale hockey rink in its Studio 42 (which itself is designed to resemble a scaled baseball field).
[6]
For much of the 2015?16 season, NHL Network studio programs originated from redecorated versions of MLB Network's existing studio sets (enabled by a lack of major overlap between the two leagues' regular seasons). In April 2016, coinciding with the start of the
playoffs
, NHL Network introduced its own 1,200 square-foot set, "The Rink".
[7]
The network will continue to operate under the league's new television contract consortium of
ESPN
and
Turner Sports
beginning with the 2021?22 season (which excludes NBCUniversal).
[8]
NHL Network will continue to nationally air selected games not broadcast by either ESPN or Turner.
[9]
SiriusXM NHL Network Radio launched in 2013.
Carriage agreements
[
edit
]
Comcast, owners of the league's former cable partner NBCSN, is also the largest cable television provider in the United States. The company was contractually obligated to carry NHL Network on its systems by the summer of 2007 at the latest, so it would be available in time for the
2007?08 NHL season
.
[10]
Both Comcast and the NHL had an option to terminate their contract after the 2006?07 season, which would have voided Comcast's obligation to launch a U.S. version of NHL Network, but opted to proceed with the launch.
[11]
Since its official launch in the United States, the NHL Network announced on October 8, 2007 that it would begin being carried that month on
Cablevision
,
Charter
,
Cox Communications
,
DirecTV
,
Dish Network
,
Xfinity
and
Time Warner Cable
through carriage agreements that were struck with each of the providers.
[12]
DirecTV has aired NHL Network on channel 215 since October 31, 2007.
[13]
[14]
NHL.com announced on January 12, 2009 that
AT&T U-verse
would begin carrying the channel.
[15]
This was followed on June 2, 2009 with the announcement that NHL Network and Comcast had reached an agreement to carry the channel on the provider's Digital Classic Tier, which increased subscribership of the channel from the then-estimated two million subscribers in its placement on the "Sports Entertainment" tier to over 10 million on its Digital Classic package.
[16]
In 2016,
Sling TV
became the first
over-the-top media service
to offer NHL Network.
[17]
Carriage disputes
[
edit
]
In 2011, AT&T U-verse refused to carry NHL Network over a planned increase in
retransmission
payments.
[18]
Programming
[
edit
]
Hockey telecasts
[
edit
]
The NHL Network originally shared some programming with its now-defunct
sister network
in
Canada
, with the main differences in programming between the two networks being the carriage of domestically targeted commercials and live game telecasts. For those live NHL games aired throughout the season, they are primarily simulcasts of feeds from one of the team's regional rightsholders or Canadian rightsholder
Sportsnet
, including
CBC
-aired
Hockey Night in Canada
coverage on Saturday evenings. In 2021, the network introduced its first original broadcasts, the
NHL Network Showcase
, which is modeled after MLB Network's
MLB Network Showcase
, and air on weekend afternoons.
[19]
[20]
Until the 2021?22 season, NHL Network also carried selected first round games during the
Stanley Cup Playoffs
.
[21]
NHL Network has also aired other hockey leagues and events, such as the
American Hockey League
,
[22]
college hockey
,
[23]
and the
IIHF World Junior Championship
.
[24]
Other programs
[
edit
]
- NHL Tonight
(formerly
NHL on the Fly
) ? NHL Network's signature show, which covers on- and off-ice NHL news with highlights, interviews and analysis.
[25]
- NHL Now
? A program that features interviews with NHL players and insight from NHL insiders. The program also shows viewers voicing their opinions from social media on noteworthy news from the day.
[25]
- On the Fly
? A program featuring highlights of the day's games; its current format is modeled after MLB Network's
Quick Pitch
.
- Hockey Central
? A television simulcast of
CJCL
Sportsnet 960
Toronto
's NHL radio show.
[25]
- Top 10
? A countdown program focusing on hockey-related topics, from great performances to memorable moments.
- Frozen in Time
? A retrospective program that features a look back at the greatest moments in the NHL from players, teams, and special events.
- Classic Series
? A collection of highlights from a past
Stanley Cup Playoff
series.
- Vintage Games
? NHL Network airs archived broadcasts of past NHL games in their entirety from the game's original broadcaster.
- Pioneers
? A profile series in which NHL legends discuss their groundbreaking careers.
- NHL Movie Night/NHL Flicks
? A movie program that airs hockey-related theatrical films.
- NHL Network also has the right to air various
Stanley Cup
films from the winning teams from different years.
- NHL Network Ice Time
- A series designed for young people on the sport of hockey featuring instructions on the game and interviews with NHL Players and is hosted by Jackie Redmond.
- Breakdowns and Demos
- A series featuring clips from NHL Tonight and On the Fly that go in-depth of the plays and players that make the NHL go.
On-air staff
[
edit
]
Current on-air talent includes:
[26]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Comcast"
(PDF)
.
Comcast.com
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on July 4, 2011.
- ^
[1]
[
dead link
]
- ^
a
b
"The NHL/MLBAM deal is worth $1.2 billion over six years, involves equity, NHL Network shift"
.
Awful Announcing
. Retrieved
4 August
2015
.
- ^
Shoalts, David [@dshoalts] (June 1, 2015).
"Bad news last week for about 20 staffers at NHL Network Canada. They were told league is closing Canadian operation Sept. 1"
(
Tweet
)
. Retrieved
July 17,
2015
– via
Twitter
.
- ^
"What we know about the NHL on TV, radio and streaming media in 2015-16"
.
Awful Announcing
. Retrieved
8 October
2015
.
- ^
"MLB and NHL Networks to cross-promote this weekend's NHL Stadium Series game in Denver"
.
Awful Announcing
. Retrieved
25 February
2016
.
- ^
"NHL Network unveils new hockey-themed set "The Rink"
"
.
Awful Announcing
. Retrieved
14 April
2016
.
- ^
"NHL, Turner Sports reach deal for games on TNT, TBS"
(Press release). NHL.com. 27 April 2021
. Retrieved
28 April
2021
.
- ^
"A viewing guide on how to watch NHL hockey on American television or streaming platforms"
. The Athletic. September 30, 2021.
- ^
"Media Week"
.
Mediaweek.com
.
- ^
"Sports Business Journal"
.
Sportsbusinessdaily.com
.
- ^
[2]
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Packages"
.
Dishnetwork.com
.
- ^
"CenterIce Package"
.
DishNetwork.com
.
- ^
"AT&T U-Verse TV channel lineup scores NHL Network and NHL Network HD"
.
NHL.com
. January 12, 2009
. Retrieved
January 19,
2009
.
- ^
Comcast to Carry NHL Network on Digital Classic Tier
,
Broadcasting & Cable
, June 2, 2009
- ^
"Sling TV First Over-The-Top Provider To Offer NHL Network"
(Press release). 19 October 2016.
- ^
The Puck Stops Here: NHL Net Goes Dark On U-Verse
Multichannel News
October 1, 2011
- ^
"Devils' postponement leads to schedule change for NHL Network Showcase debut"
.
Awful Announcing
. 2021-02-03
. Retrieved
2021-02-03
.
- ^
"The NHL is shifting weekend games to afternoon timeslots to attract more European fans"
.
Awful Announcing
. 2018-10-31
. Retrieved
2018-10-31
.
- ^
"NHL playoff games today: Full TV schedule to watch 2021 Stanley Cup playoff games"
.
Sporting News
. July 6, 2021.
- ^
"NHL Network to air live AHL action this season"
.
nhl.com
. October 16, 2019.
- ^
"NHL Network best place to watch college hockey"
.
nhl.com
. December 16, 2009.
- ^
"NHL Network to air every game of 2021 World Junior Championship"
.
nhl.com
. December 16, 2020.
- ^
a
b
c
"NHL Network Shows"
.
nhl.com
. October 2, 2021.
- ^
"NHL Network On-Air Talent"
.
nhl.com
. Retrieved
October 2,
2021
.
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