Your Announcers and Open Thread For Night Three of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh, Game 1, 7:00 PM ET
National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Bob Cole
Color: Gary Galley
Reporter: Elliot Friedman

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: John Forslund
Color: Darren Eliot
Reporter: Charissa Thompson

Local TV (Pittsburgh): FS Pittsburgh (HD)
Play by Play: Paul Steigerwald
Color: Bob Errey
Reporter: Dan Potash

Philadelphia vs. New Jersey, Game 1, 7:30 PM ET
National TV (Canada): TSN (HD)
Play by Play: Chris Cuthbert
Color: Ray Ferraro

Local TV (Philadelphia): CSN Philadelphia (HD)
Play by Play: Jim Jackson
Color: Bill Clement
Reporter: Steve Coates

Local TV (New Jersey): MSG Plus (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Emrick
Color: Chico Rech
Reporters: Steve Cangialosi and Stan Fischler

Nashville vs. Chicago, Game 1, 8:30 PM ET

National TV (Canada): TSN2

Regional TV (Nashville): FS Tennessee
Play by Play: Pete Weber
Color: Terry Crisp

Regional TV (Chicago): CSN Chicago (HD)
Play by Play: Pat Foley
Color: Eddie Olczyk
Reporter: Sarah Kustok

Detroit vs. Phoenix, Game 1, 10:00 PM ET

National TV (US): VERSUS (HD)
Play by Play: Rick Peckham
Color: Daryl Reaugh
Reporter: Bob Harwood

National TV (Canada): TSN (HD)

Local TV (Detroit): FS Detroit (HD)
Play by Play: Ken Daniels
Color: Mickey Redmond
Reporter: Trevor Thompson

Local TV (Phoenix): FS Arizona (HD)
Play by Play: Dave Strader
Color: Tyson Nash
Reporter: Todd Walsh

Colorado vs. San Jose, Game 1, 10:30 PM ET

National TV (Canada): CBC (HD)
Play by Play: Mark Lee
Color: Kevin Weekes

Local TV (Colorado): Altitude (HD)
Play by Play: Mike Haynes
Color: Peter McNab
Reporter: Kyle Keefe

Local TV (San Jose): CSN California (HD)
Play by Play: Randy Hahn
Color: Drew Remenda
Reporter: Brodie Brazil

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More Good News For the NHL

NEW YORK (April 16, 2010) – The positive business momentum for the NHL continues after a record-breaking 2009-10 season. Through the first two days of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the League has earned triple-digit percentage increases in video starts and mobile consumption, while unique visitors and page views on NHL.com have shown double digit percentage increases over last year, further validation of the League’s digital strategy. The NHL on VERSUS is also off to a fast start with record ratings and increases for opening night of the postseason.

DIGITAL STRATEGY PAYS DIVIDENDS
The NHL continues to engage and connect with more fans than ever on its digital platforms and the first two days of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs have accelerated that trend.

Some highlights:
· Video starts on NHL.com increased by 108 percent over the first two days of the postseason in 2009
· Unique Visitors to NHL.com are up 20 percent over last year
· Page Views on NHL.com are up 20 percent
· Mobile page views are up 174 percent

Some of the markets showing significant growth through the first two days of the Playoffs in terms of unique visitors:
· Phoenix (+110 percent)
· Buffalo (+90 percent)
· Denver (+74 percent)
· Boston (+55 percent)
· **Seattle (+36 percent)
· *Dallas-Ft. Worth (+30 percent)
· Detroit (+25 percent)
· Montreal (+24 percent)
· Washington D.C. (+21 percent)
· Vancouver (+15 percent)
· Philadelphia (+15 percent)
· *Atlanta (+13 percent)

Notes:
*Team did not make the postseason
**Non-NHL market

OPENING NIGHT SETS RECORD FOR VERSUS
VERSUS earned a .5 National HH rating and averaged 478,000 viewers for its triple-header night of action to open the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 14, making it the most-watched opening night of the postseason on cable since 2004.  The HH rating and average viewership was up 25 percent and 22 percent, respectively, compared to VERSUS’ first night of last year’s Quarterfinals coverage (.4 HH rating and 392,000 viewers).  Wednesday’s opening night telecasts were also the most-watched among Men 18-49 and Men 25-54 on cable since 2002.  This record-breaking night was garnered without the advantage of the team markets as VERSUS’ Quarterfinals coverage is non-exclusive and blacked out locally.

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT INCREASES
The start of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs drove a record number of downloads of NHL Ice Time 2010, the League’s official app for the iPhone and iPod Touch that is distributed outside of North America.  It remains among the top-five sports apps sold on iTunes in 20 countries outside of North America. As further evidence of fan interest in the NHL outside North America, unique visitors to NHL.com from Russia have increased by 88 percent and from Finland by 65 percent.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE NHL’S RECORD-BREAKING BUSINESS SUCCESS IN 2009-10
· Corporate sponsorship was up 20 percent
· New League partners this season include Geico, Starwood Hotels, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, LG Electronics and Hershey’s Canada
· Ad spending on NHL® media increased by 37 percent over last season
· Revenue from big event platforms, led by the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic®, are up 22 percent over last season
· Unique visitors to NHL.com surpassed last year’s record by 32 percent
· NHL.com attracted a single-day record 1.6 million unique visitors on Sunday, April 11 – besting last season’s regular season final day by 54 percent
· NHL Game Center Live™ subscriptions were up 25 percent
· Sales at SHOP.NHL.com were up 12 percent from last year’s record
· Viewership for NBC’s Game of the Week telecasts were up 13 percent
· Ratings for exclusive telecasts on Versus were up 20 percent
· NHL Mobile™ reached 1.6 million page views, an increase of 233 percent over last season

Sharks, Caps Draw Well For Game 1

Two links.  Number one, from Randy Hahn’s Facebook page (yes, I’ve reached):

People like Sharks Playoffs Broadcasts on Comcast Sportsnet California: The 3.85 game rating for Game 1 vs Colorado destroyed the season high of 2.09 (1/21 v Anaheim). The 1.78 Sharks Pregame Live rating destroyed the season high of 0.82 (10/6 at LA Kings)

And for the second time today, Sports Media Watch:

The underwhelming start of the Capitals’ presumably long playoff run drew strong numbers on Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

The Capitals’ Thursday night loss to the Canadiens in Game 1 of their first round series drew a 5.1 rating (120,000 HHs) on CSN Mid-Atlantic, the highest rating ever for Game 1 of a Capitals playoff series on the network.

Ratings peaked at a 7.4 during overtime.

The 5.1 rating is the fourth-highest for any Capitals playoff game on CSN, behind only Games 6 and 7 of Penguins/Capitals in ’09 and Game 7 of Flyers/Capitals in ’08.

I Was Right! Here is that NBC Promo!…

As I wrote earlier:

NBC has two hockey games to promote to you this weekend.  One of them is Game #3 of the Detroit-Phoenix series.  The other is Game #2 of the Boston-Buffalo series.  The Boston-Buffalo series features superstar/Team USA goaltender Ryan Miller.  He is undoubtedly the series biggest “name” guy, and naturally as NBC televised the entire Olympic tournament, the name you go to promote.

So, in their promo, currently airing on the NHL Network and in my dreams (hopefully someone can get it on YouTube?  Help me please) they show Miller making a save, while using the following approximated call made by NBC play-by-play man Mike “Doc” Emrick:

“What a save made by Hiller!”

That’s right.  They used an audio clip of a save being made by Jonas Hiller, the Anaheim Ducks goaltender who play for Team Switzerland at the Olympics, but is not playing in the post-season.  I am not crazy, nor did I hear it wrong, as I rewound my DVR many, many times.  The voice of Emrick says Hiller, not Miller.

This is a crazy stupid mistake by NBC.  I take editing courses at school, and you always make sure to get the promo correct even when you’re doing something that will never air on real television!This is on NBC!  The network of Tom Brokaw and Seinfeld and… other things.  You have a reputations slowly being destroyed piece by piece, and yet you keep giving us things to make fun of!

If I heard this wrong a total of 20 times, I will profusely apologize.  But if I’m not, then well… this was a massive fail by NBC.  Someone please send me a YouTube version of this.  Please.

Your Stanley Cup Final Tentative Schedule

Thanks to Sports Media Watchfor the following info:

The Stanley Cup Final is scheduled to take on the NBA Finals head-to-head for the second straight year.

Game 2 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, June 6 at 8 PM ET on NBC, the same night and time as Game 2 of the NBA Finals on ABC. Meanwhile, Game 5 of the series is set for Sunday, June 13 at 6 PM ET on NBC, the same night as Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Game 1 – Saturday, June 5th, 8:00 PM (NBC)
Game 2 – Sunday, June 6th, 8:00 PM (NBC)
Game 3 – Tuesday, June 8th, 8:00 PM (VERSUS)
Game 4 – Thursday, June 10th, 8:00 PM (VERSUS)
Game 5 – Sunday, June 13th, 6:00 PM (NBC)
Game 6 – Wednesday, June 16th, 8:00 PM (NBC)
Game 7 – Friday, June 18th, 8:00 PM (NBC)

NHL Net Featured Schedule Next Week

Monday, Apr. 19
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
8:00 NHL On The Fly

Tuesday, Apr. 20
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
8:00 NHL On The Fly

Wednesday, Apr. 21
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
8:00 NHL On The Fly

Thursday, Apr. 22
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
8:00 NHL On The Fly

Friday, Apr. 23
12:00 NHL Live
4:00 NHL Power Play
8:00 NHL On the Fly

Saturday, Apr. 24
7:00 Off the Ice: Ryan Miller
7:30 Off the Ice: Kane & Toews
8:00 NHL On the Fly

Sunday, Apr. 25
6:30 Frozen in Time: Stanley Cup Final Records
8:00 NHL On the Fly

VERSUS Opens The Playoffs Well

NEW YORK, N.Y. (April 16, 2010)-VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, earned a .5 National HH rating and averaged 478,000 viewers for its triple-header night of action to open the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 14, making it the most-watched opening night of the postseason on cable since 2004.  The HH rating and average viewership was up 25 percent and 22 percent, respectively, compared to VERSUS’ first night of last year’s Quarterfinals coverage (.4 HH rating and 392,000 viewers).  Wednesday’s opening night telecasts were also the most-watched among Men 18-49 and Men 25-54 on cable since 2002.  This record-breaking night was garnered without the advantage of the team markets as VERSUS’ Quarterfinals coverage is non-exclusive and blacked out locally.

VERSUS’ weekend Quarterfinals schedule follows (All times ET, subject to change):

DATE                                       TIME                            GAMES                                                          CONFERENCE

Friday, April 16                       7 p.m.                          Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Game 2                     Eastern

9:30 p.m. (JIP)           Nashville at Chicago, Game 1                        Western

11 p.m. (JIP)               Detroit at Phoenix, Game 2                          Western

12:30 a.m. (JIP)          Colorado at San Jose, Game 2                     Western

Saturday, April 17                   7 p.m.                          Montreal at Washington, Game 2                Eastern

10 p.m.                        Los Angeles at Vancouver, Game 2             Western

Sunday, April 18                     6:30 p.m.                     Pittsburgh at Ottawa, Game 3                     Eastern

9 p.m. (JIP)                Nashville at Chicago, Game 2                         Western

11 p.m. (JIP)               San Jose at Colorado, Game 3                      Western

VERSUS, the fastest growing sports cable network in the country, prides itself on super-serving passionate sports fans across all platforms (VERSUS.com, VERSUS on Demand and VERSUS HD).  Now in more than 75 million homes, the network is the cable television home of the National Hockey League (NHL), IZOD IndyCar Series, Tour de France, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and Professional Bull Riders (PBR).  VERSUS also airs NASCAR, NBA, UFC, college football and college basketball programming.  The network is home to the best outdoor programming on television and airs original programs not available anywhere else, including The Daily Line, Sports Soup and Sports Jobs with Junior Seau.  VERSUS, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.