Why the BCS’ Move to Cable Doesn’t Exactly Spell Death For the NHL on Broadcast TV
November 17, 2008 Leave a comment
Tooday it was announced that FOX has passed up on the BCS’ bidding rights. Because, for some reason, the idea of paying more than $100 million a year for a total of four big college football games a year just seemed wrong to even the logic-allergic folks at the FOX networks. However, what has people the most intrigued is the winner of these rights: ESPN. Not ESPN on ABC, just plain ol’ ESPN. The Worldwide Leader gets college football’s national championship, the first major sport to do so since the 1994 Rangers celebrated winning the Stanley Cup on ESPN, and local cable network MSG.
This entire process has sparked a debate on how much longer it will take for all (non-Super Bowl) major sporting events to move to cable permanently. Most people are looking at the NHL with an evil smile and a body language that says “You’re next”. However, I don’t see the NHL moving the entire Stanley Cup Finals to cable for at least a few more years. Here’s a few reasons why:
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