Versus Says, "No Hurricanes Hockey For You!"
by Bob Wage on Oct 6, 2009 12:52 AM EDT
56 comments
If you are a fan of the Carolina Hurricanes, you just have to love the Versus Television Network. First, they fail to include a single Hurricanes game on their regular season schedule this season. Now, thanks to their unfair exclusivity rights for games on Monday and Tuesday nights, Caniacs, (as well as fans of the Lightning) will be shut out when it comes to watching tonight's game against Tampa Bay.
The game will not be on FS Carolinas. It will not be on Center Ice. It won't even be shown at your favorite sports bar.
Obviously, Gary Bettman and the braintrust of the NHL did not have fans in mind when they negotiated the "mother of all television deals" for themselves and their favorite third rate television network.
I have ranted about this in the past here on the blog and some folk have been kind enough to try to explain the reasoning behind the mandatory blackout, but I still don't get it. This is how you treat fans? This is how you grow the game?
Bottom line, they want to force fans to watch their scheduled broadcast of the Flyers and the Capitals. It doesn't matter if you are in Tampa or Raleigh or if you paid $160 extra for Center Ice or not, "Big Brother" says that if you are going to watch hockey in an American market, you have to watch the Flyers and the Caps. Period.
There is no argument that the Washington, Philadelphia game will be a good one. It's just a shame that American fans do not have a choice in what they can watch. Living in the USA allows us all many freedoms, but not when it comes to the NHL and Versus.
Is it any surprise they are one of the few networks out there who can not agree on a deal with Direct TV?
_____
(We will have a game preview up after lunch and will have the "Live Game Thread" as always during the game for those who can not make it to the arena).
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That is absolute crap. On the bright side, at least center ice is free until late October. Hopefully most fans with digital cable will still be able to catch it.
by PittsburghCaniac on Oct 6, 2009 12:58 AM EDT reply actions
what a joke
just another reason why the NHL is not thinking long term but more short term. what a shame.
The Hurricanes / FS Carolinas are also to blame though. I hate the blackout rule and how we get screwed by it year in and year out as much as everybody else, but there’s a reason most of the other teams don’t have to deal with it… the teams that have a TV contract that guarantees all 82 games to be shown on TV cannot be scheduled for days that will conflict with Versus’ blackout rights, since the TV network cannot televise it even if they want to.
If we had all games televised we wouldn’t have to deal with this.
He’s right. There are a million and one reasons to hate Versus and throw sticks at Gary Bettman, but this is not one of them.
Carolina and Tampa both know full well that any games scheduled on these days will not be able to be broadcast. They allow the games to be scheduled on those days anyway, because neither team has a full 82 game television contract, so there are going to be some games that are untelevised anyway. By having games like this be one of them, the blame can be redirected to Versus and away from the club’s lacking television contract, and as you can see by threads like these that are all over message boards today, it works quite well.
If Carolina or Tampa wanted the ability to broadcast this game, they would have made sure the game was scheduled on Monday or Wednesday.
If each team was 100% in control of their schedules, they could tell the NHL not to schedule any games on Monday’s and Tuesday’s at all because those nights are dogs at the box office. Does that make sense?
I still don’t think it is realistic for a small market team to have all 82 games televised, but eventually, I will have the time to check those stats. I doubt any team in the Southeast has ever had all 82 games televised, in history.
But regardless of the schedule, it’s a stupid rule by VERSUS to have exclusivity rights. Why do they need it? Why do they have to have it? It’s bad for fans, period. I don’t care how many games teams can get televised by their local markets.
This is the only “major” sport I am aware of where it is impossible for a fan to watch a specific game, (unless you go to Canada). Not at a sports bar. Not pay per view. nada.
Sure teams can share in the blame, but it’s a Versus mandate that’s the cause of the problem. Even if Tampa changed their minds and wanted to broadcast it, they can not without Versus permission.
GM of CanesCountry.com
Well, the NFL does have their blackout rules. If games don’t sell out, they’re not on TV (even if you have Sunday Ticket).
by Cory Lavalette on Oct 6, 2009 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
My point is, they are on TV somewhere, albeit outside the blackout distance. At least all fans in the state and throughout the country are not affected. No such option here.
GM of CanesCountry.com
Yes, but those are silly as well (as is being proven with the NFL having trouble selling out in a lot of markets).
by Cory Lavalette on Oct 6, 2009 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
The blackout rule actually makes sense to me, because at least they are trying to sell tickets. (although it still stinks for fans unable to attend for whatever reason)
Sometimes businesses will buy up strips of tickets to please fans and lift the blackout. I can understand the logic of that stipulation. Still don’t see any logic in blacking out Tampa fans. (in this case)
But I agree with Dale, scheduling is also to blame.
GM of CanesCountry.com
I don’t think it’s a dumb idea at all. I don’t think it’s a great idea either, but I see where they are going with it. They want one night a week where the focus is on one game on one network.
The NFL doesn’t schedule any other games on Sunday nights or Monday nights; the NHL should do the same with Versus exclusive nights.
Wednedsay and Thursday nights are dogs at the box office too, but if you’re going to play 82 games you’ve got to play during the week, in addition to teams wanting to avoid as many back to backs as possible. If the teams cared about their fans being able to watch the game on Center Ice, they would coordinate to make sure that at least one network was covering every game, plain and simple, and that means requesting (like every other team in the NHL except Carolina, Atlanta, Tampa, and Florida) that no games be scheduled on Versus exclusive windows unless the game is actually on Versus.
I’d like to see a league mandate stipulating the following:
1) No other games can be played in the United States during the one time slot each week that Versus holds exclusive rights
2) All games must be broadcast on television by at least one of the two teams involved.
“But regardless of the schedule, it’s a stupid rule by VERSUS to have exclusivity rights. Why do they need it? Why do they have to have it?”
I think I understand why they want it…because it allows them to monopolize rights so nobody else can make money by airing the game. Makes good business sense, I guess, to deny your competition revenue, but it’s definitely a total bitch for fans.
It would have been nice if it was stipulated that, if for any reason VS chose not to air a game, another network could show it. Blackouts based on area are annoying enough, total blackouts are an even more harmful way to do business because it stunts the overall growth in viewership of a program…and isn’t the whole idea that everyone continues to increase the number of viewers?
NOBODY Benefits from a blackout. VS doesn’t get any revenue for a game that they don’t air, and they could probably easily get a few bucks for rights to a single game to at least let someone show it on Center Ice. Fans don’t get to enjoy all possible games, and non-fans have a lower chance of catching a game and becoming a fan. Advertisers, who rely on program ratings as a basis for what they will pay to air an ad to reach a number of viewers, are less interested in buying air time at all because of viewer numbers that won’t increase for a team without exposure!
You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning
They have exclusive rights because it is a critical part of a national television contract.
I’ll use the NFL analogy again. Let’s say all 32 teams played on Monday nights; no exclusive Monday Night Football game. Fans of 30 teams are not watching ESPN; they are watching their team on regional networks. So, what really is the point of the national broadcast on Monday Night Football? It becomes in many ways the same as the local broadcast, just that fans have to watch a different channel for it.
It’s the same with Versus. Will I be watching the Game of the Week on Versus tonight? Nope, because Carolina and Tampa have scheduled a game, so I’ll be attending it. For everyone else in the US, their team is not playing tonight. If they want to watch hockey, it will be the big broadcast on Versus.
I know the NFL has their Sunday night and Monday night football which is the same concept, and the English Premier League has the same concept as well with their Monday Night Football. Out of curiosity, I just looked into the NBA, the closest match schedule wise to the NHL, to see if they did anything similar. They do. Thursday nights are TNT nights. TNT has exclusive rights, and no other team can broadcast their game that night. The big difference, from what I can tell? No other teams are on the schedule for that night at all.
It would have been nice if it was stipulated that, if for any reason VS chose not to air a game, another network could show it.
The flaw in this logic is that you seem to be assuming that the NHL schedule is created, and then Versus picks the games they want exclusive windows for. That’s not the way it is. When the schedule is created, Versus is a part of that to decide what games they want. Any other American teams that allow their games to be scheduled on Tuesdays in the Fall and Mondays in the Spring do so knowing that they will be blacking themselves out from television. That’s why you never see it happen for 26 of the 30 teams in the league.
It’s the same with Versus. Will I be watching the Game of the Week on Versus tonight? Nope, because Carolina and Tampa have scheduled a game, so I’ll be attending it. For everyone else in the US, their team is not playing tonight. If they want to watch hockey, it will be the big broadcast on Versus.
That’s fine, if you can attend the game. But what if you can’t? What if you are a Hurricanes fan in Wilmington? or a Lightning fan in Tampa?
I agree, the NHL should not schedule other games if they are going to hand out this exclusivity right. It screws fans, pure and simple. And I say that it is stupid because it does not help grow the game or grow the fanbase, which should be the primary focus of the league. Of course it’s not stupid for Versus, they benefit from it.
American teams that allow their games to be scheduled on Tuesdays in the Fall and Mondays in the Spring do so knowing that they will be blacking themselves out from television. That’s why you never see it happen for 26 of the 30 teams in the league
I disagree with you about the 26 out of 30 team claim.
You’re assuming teams control their own schedules, which they do not. They make requests to the league, and the league has the final say. I find it hard to believe that the Hurricanes requested to have their games on Monday and Tuesday nights, the worst nights of the week traditionally so fewer fans can watch their games. How does that help them?
If the teams control this, why not ask for home games every Saturday night? Last season the Canes had 7 Saturday night home games out of a possible 28 Saturdays in the regular season. Are you saying the Canes intentionally don’t want to play games at their best possible chance to earn revenue?
GM of CanesCountry.com
That’s fine, if you can attend the game. But what if you can’t? What if you are a Hurricanes fan in Wilmington? or a Lightning fan in Tampa?
I think you missed my point. My point was that they don’t want games scheduled when their game is on so those people will be at home watching their television sets and increasing ratings, not at their local teams’ game or watching them on TV.
Obviously a team cannot get Saturday night home games every week because all 30 teams are going to want that. This is a situation where it would be mutually beneficial for both teams not to have the game on a certain day, unless of course they have no incentive not to because they aren’t going to be able to show all games on TV to begin with.
I think history proves me right on teams controlling their schedules. If you look at the schedule for the last few seasons, it’s the same teams being affected by this. It’s not coincidence, and I don’t believe in NHL conspiracy theories. If both teams wanted this game played on Monday or Wednesday so that one of them could televise it, it would be scheduled for then. I believe that 100%. But what incentive is there?
If the game is played on Monday night, it isn’t televised because neither team has a full season television contract, which is justifiable, but still irritates some fans.
If the game is played on Tuesday night, it isn’t televised because Versus is out to screw over Carolina fans. Now the villain isn’t the team.
I agree that teams will not be able to schedule home games for every Saturday night, but if the team’s had more to say about their scheduling wouldn’t the distribution be more equitable? (14 games out of 28?).
I also agree the scheduling is not by coincidence. It’s probably based upon television ratings and market size. The small markets take it on the chin every time. For the same reason Versus snubbed Carolina in the first place on their schedule.
But it’s hard for me to believe that the Canes will intentionally schedule a game on a night it’s (nearly) impossible for it to be on TV, just so Versus will get the blame. They have plenty of games (17) that they take the blame on, what’s one more?
I’m going to find out more about this and will post a follow up story later on. Good conversing with you about it.
GM of CanesCountry.com
I agree, but I just can’t come up with an explanation for why they wouldn’t just play it Monday. The only things I could come up with were building availability and avoiding back-to-backs. There were no events at the RBC Center yesterday. Our last game was Saturday, and our next game is Friday. Tampa’s last game was Saturday, and their next game is Thursday, so that’s out of the equation.
I guess I really don’t think it is Carolina and Tampa intentionally scheduling the game on a blackout night as much as it is that when the schedule is getting tweaked they have no complaints about it, because they know they are going to have 17 untelevised games as it is, so why put up a fuss over this one?
versus network
Just a small nothing network trying to show off. As long as I can watch FS/Carolina I am happy. After all we can’t have everything, now can we.All though I would like to be able to watch all 82 games.
robert
Gary Bettman is a douchebag
I’m sorry, was that out loud?
by Andrea's evil twin on Oct 6, 2009 8:27 AM EDT reply actions
hehe – how about Dr. Dre…
:)
(actually, if you are at the game Friday and you notice the happy birthday signs on the jumbotron, one will say happy birthday Dr. Dre… that would be me!)
by Andrea's evil twin on Oct 6, 2009 8:50 AM EDT up reply actions
What?!
This is crazy! I can’t believe I won’t be able to watch the game tonight! I think this is the night that we could start to turn it around and I won’t even be able to turn to FS Carolinas to watch the game!? Bettman and Versus S. U. C. K.!!!!
More fuel for the fire
It’s the only game not being televised tonight. Check the schedule out here.
5 seconds left.
Do you believe in miracles?
YES!!
how is Versus responsible?
So FS-CR and the local Tampa Bay network (FS-Florida?) both decided not to televise this game. How is it Versus fault that its not on Center Ice? There is no broadcast to put on Center Ice, is there?
I’m no fan of Versus, but I’d like to understand how they are to blame here. Thanks.
Those networks are NOT ALLOWED to televise the games because of the rules set in place by the NHL and Versus…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
The NHL will license out the rights to televise the games being played by NHL teams…. and on Monday and Tuesday nights Versus is the only network that has rights to televise games….. meaning that if there is an NHL game on Versus on one of those nights…. then it is technically against the law for any other network to televise any other NHL game.
I think I just made it worse.
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions
thanks
The only game that is televised during the same timeslot is on TSN. I guess Canadian Networks are exempt from this foolishness??
Making it worse, I have DirecTV so I don’t even get Versus anymore!!
LOL… yeah… that was the point I was just making below…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I switched from DirecTV to DishNetwork…. I get all the same channels…. Versus…. NHL Network and Center Ice and the OVERALL package is cheaper. (they charge the same for Center Ice… but the regular programming is cheaper)
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Still using cable, but I’m trying to get with the times. Do DirecTV and Dish both get FS-Carolinas?
Still not a crook!
Yes….. in fact I get Fox Sports from All regions…. (And MASN and NESN…. you get pretty much all the channels you would be watching VIA Center Ice except for the Canadian networks.)
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
The NHL does seem to operate towards it’s fans in an odd way.
Toolbag Bettman will always be the first person to say “we have the greatest fans of any sport…” And he is probably telling the truth (although NFL fans seem to be nuts over that sport too)… But then he will turn and make a backhanded deal w/ an off-handed cable network that keeps “the greatest fans of any sport” from watching their teams….
It’s almost like when you see men treating their wives like crap only because they know their wife will not leave them…..
It’s like Toolbox Bettman is… say.. John Edwards…. and the sweet loving ultra-loyal hockey fans are…. Elizabeth Edwards…. He gets to treat us however he wants and we will not leave…..
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 9:42 AM EDT reply actions
does this mean that the tuesday game and two monday games in november will all be un watchable?
if so we need to start a riot, seriously,
the nhl or versus need to get 2000 phone calls from caniacs.
how can we get that started?
The sad thing is: I believe that fans EVERYWHERE are upset by the same thing. I’m sure they have heard from thousands of fans about this…. Sadly… they just don’t care.
Another odd point is that I think “the rule” only applies to hockey teams playing in the United States…. I believe that the Canadian teams are still allowed to televise on canadian networks (Such as TSN and so on…) (I may be 100% wrong about that…. but I do believe that to be the case)
by Mateos_Canes_Lamp on Oct 6, 2009 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions
lucky me I guess
So glad I spent the $30 for the three 9.99 the fan tickets last week for this game. I’d be furious if I wasn’t going.
More fuel for the hate fire
I was watching On the Fly last night and saw a plug for Compuware, the official something or other of the NHL.
Looks like PK is getting his cut too.
Is this pattern evident in other sports? As a marketing professional it makes sense to me but as a hockey consumer It just seems shadey.
Can't RBC center jumbotron feed be put on Center Ice?
If I remember correctly last year the FL Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes game was on Center Ice, but no FS Carolinas/FL it was directly from the Jumbo tron. No announcers other then I think the PA, all in all not a bad feed why can’t this happen again tonight? That Panthers game was a key matchup though in the playoff race.
Center Ice
I thinking of cancelling the center ice package. Not sure it will help, but 100% blackout is stupid !
I'd be a lot more upset...
But I’m very lucky in an odd way. I usually watch every televised game of the Canes that I can get, and either listen to the radio feed over the internet or find a video feed and hook my PC up to the TV to watch. Tonight, though, is one of just a handful of games over the past few seasons where I wouldn’t be able to watch anyway since I’ve got a job-related event going on. So I couldn’t see or listen to it regardless.
Hopefully the Canes will be just as lucky tonight.
I’m right there with everyone else, though. Why does a network that won’t even show our games, none during the regular season and none even in the playoffs until they are forced to because no other games are being played for them to show, have the right to keep our games from being shown locally?
Double Whammy
As Bob and others have pointed out above, this whole exclusivity situation is made more frustrating by the fact that Versus isn’t televising any Hurricanes games this season. If they would pick up a Tuesday night ‘Canes game here and there, missing a few because of their arrangement wouldn’t be quite as maddening.
Also, does anyone else find it uber-annoying that the NHL has been asking fans to contact DirectTV? Uhhhh… so we’re now working for Versus/NHL? Pretty sure you work for us, Bettman, not the other way around. It’s your responsibility to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen, so don’t go asking me to help. I realize the whole NHL is impacted by the DirectTV thing, but I’m really not that motivated to exert a whole lot of energy fighting a battle that doesn’t get my team on TV more often.
Confused
Could someone please explain how this is Versus fault? From looking at the schedule on NHL.com it appears that other US games will be televised by local TV. I am in no way a fan of Versus, and look forward to the day that ESPN gets back the TV contract. This appears to me to be a case where Fox Sports just chose not to pick up the game.
It Sucks...
…The Caps had 2 blackouts last year and folks complained a lot. Both were home games and one of them wasn’t a sell-out surprisingly.
The only game that is lined up directly with the Caps/Flyers game is the Canes/Bolts, so that one gets “blacked out”… Minnesota moved their start time to 8 PM local time to make sure they didn’t get blacked out and perhaps to accommodate the Ducks TV folks, who would otherwise be televising at 5 PM instead of 6 PM. The all Canada affair isn’t affected (and should be available on Center Ice…)
What the NHL should do allow for local broadcast of the games on Versus nights, but pull those games from Center Ice. It really is ridiculous…
Let's go Caps!
Versus
Versus S-U-C-K-S anyway. There I said it.
robert
FS Carolina
why is the hurricanes,tampa bay lightning the only game not televised? I was hasty in blaming versus. I still don’t like versus though. cause they don’t have a single hurricanes game on this season, can you believe that.
robert
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