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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 29 May 2008 19:10 |
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 The NHL on NBC scored a huge increase in ratings for Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals compared to last year's Game Three between Ducks and Senators.
With the talent ladened Red Wings and Penguins, with Sidney Crosby, NBC saw a 2.8/5 overnight Nielsen rating compared to 1.5/3 for last year's Game Three, an increase of 86.7%. NBC had the advantage of airing the game this year in primetime on a Saturday. According to the Sports Business Daily, "In Detroit, the game earned a 18.2/28 up against Pistons-Celtics Game Five on ESPN, which earned a 15.9 rating locally. The 2.9/5 marks the highest Stanley Cup Finals Game Three overnight rating since ’02, when Red Wings-Hurricanes earned a 3.8."
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 29 May 2008 13:32 |
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 Comcast SportsNet reported last night that the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks will play this coming January at Wrigley Field in a continuation of the NHL’s outdoor Winter Classic.
According the report, the announcement could come as early as this week. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times: Hawks president John McDonough has been pushing for an outdoor game after the success of this season's Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium. A league-record 71,217 fans saw the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout.
Yankee Stadium had been seen as a likely location for the next Winter Classic, but Gary Bettman saw the site as an unlikely location. Last year saw 71,217 fans attend the Winter Classic in Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
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Written by Maury Brown
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Thursday, 29 May 2008 04:43 |
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 VERSUS, the exclusive cable home of the NHL in the U.S., garnered a 1.9 national rating and 2,537,560 total viewers for its Game 2 telecast of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final Monday, making it the most-watched program in network history.
Other highlights:
* Game 2 eclipsed Game 1 of this year’s Final (1.8 rating, 2,351,582 total viewers) as the highest-rated and most-watched Stanley Cup Final cable telecast since 2002. Further, the combined ratings for Games 1 and 2 show an increase of 111 percent from 2006 (.9) and a 171-percent increase from last year’s first two games (.7). The combined viewership for Games 1 of 2 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final (2,426,692) show even greater increases over the past two years; up 181 percent from 2006 (863,206) and a whopping 273 percent from 2007 (649,779).
* The 1.9 rating is up 217 percent from VERSUS' Game 2 rating in 2007 (.6) and up 111 percent from Game 2 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final (.9).
* Locally, the Detroit market received an 11.7 rating, the highest rating ever in the Detroit market for an NHL game on VERSUS and a 39% increase over Game 1 (8.4). The Pittsburgh market garnered a 21.3 rating, making VERSUS the #1 rated television network in Pittsburgh for the time period. The 21.3 rating is up 12 percent from Game 1 (19.0).
* VERSUS concluded its coverage of the 2007-08 NHL season with tremendous gains in ratings and viewership compared to the first two years of the NHL on the network. Compared to last season, the 2007-08 regular season saw an increase of 50 percent in HH ratings and 28 percent in total viewership; HH ratings for the 2008 Conference Quarterfinals were up 33 percent and total viewership was up 24 percent; Conference Semifinals were up 50 percent in HH rating and 51 percent in total viewership. During the Conference Final round, in which VERSUS aired nine exclusive games, the network witnessed dramatic increases in household ratings (up 71%) and total viewership (up 77%), making it the best-rated, most watched Conference Finals since 2002.
* The combination of Games 1 and 2 made this the highest-rated and most-watched opening two games of the finals since Detroit faced Carolina in 2002. Versus' combined ratings went up 273 percent from last year when Anaheim played Ottawa and 181 percent from the Carolina-Edmonton matchup in 2006.
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
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Written by Michael J. Senno
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Wednesday, 28 May 2008 13:54 |
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 The good news keeps coming for the NHL. On the heels of the best postseason television ratings in years, and a regular season with record-setting attendance and improved television ratings, league revenue reached an all-time high of $2.56 billion. As reported by Terry Lefton in Sports Business Journal:
It has its best U.S. postseason ratings story in years and record regular-season attendance has been followed by an unprecedented sellout of every playoff game. Revenue at NHL Enterprises, the league’s business arm, is up 40 percent, licensed merchandise sales have increased 15 percent. Overall, total league revenue is at a high of $2.56 billion, and three years after a lockout, there’s optimism at a league where that has been in short supply. “We’re bullish on growth and I’m not sure you had anyone say that here for a while,†said John Collins, NHL senior executive vice president of business and media.
Revenue has increased approximately 25% in the post-lockout era. Though revenue and ratings still lag behind the three major sports leagues, the NHL still made significant strides this season. Earlier this season, the New Years Day outdoor game in Buffalo was a major success, and has created buzz about an annual outdoor game, and NBC decided to continue NHL coverage for the 2008-2009 season.
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
Michael J. Senno is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. |
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Written by Maury Brown
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Monday, 26 May 2008 06:34 |
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Versus Sees Highest Ratings Ever for Hockey The Stanley Cup Finals, which sees a “dream match-up†for the league and broadcasters by having talent laden Detroit and the Penguins, with Sidney Crosby, saw the highest-rated and most-watched Finals game in six years, with the Red Wings beating the Penguins 4-0 in Game 1 Saturday night. The game drew a 1.8 rating in the U.S. with over 2.3 million viewers according to Nielsen Media Research. The game also marked the highest rated NHL broadcast ever for the Versus channel, surpassing the Penguins’ 4-2 victory in Game 2 of this year’s Eastern Conference finals. Source Nielsen Media Research
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Written by Maury Brown
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Sunday, 25 May 2008 14:46 |
Sidney Crosby wearing the new 9k Pump Skate by Reebok
(Reebok) |
On Sunday June 1st, Reebok Hockey will be unveiling its newly re-designed 9K Pump skate.
Following the initial success of the first generation of the 9K pump skate launched in 2005, Reebok Hockey has taken skate design to the next level with this year's model. The Developed in collaboration with NHL players, the new Reebok 9K pump enhances the efficiency of energy transfer to the ice through its stability and structural support while being one of the lightest skates in the market. The 9K Pump skate guarantees heel lock, ankle support, and enhanced forward flex.
Featuring Pump Technology, the 9K also includes Pro Armour III R-Core Outer shell, a lightweight core that provides structural support and superior stability for the skater. Additional features such as Dri-Lex liner with Aegis Micro Shield, Griptonite Footbed, and Lightweight Low Profile Carbon Outsole reinforce comfort and stability for the skater.
The 9K Pump has been used by several players during the past NHL season. Among others, Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf, Pavel Datsyuk, Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Nik Antropov wear the 9K Pump skate.
Post-season, the new 9K Pump Hockey Skate has been worn by Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk. After the first three rounds of the playoffs, Crosby is tied for # 1 and Datsyuk is tied for # 3 in playoff scoring.
The 9K Pump skate is available in Youth ($149.99), Junior ($329.99) and Senior ($549.99) sizing and is available in key sporting goods stores across America. For more details: http://www.rbkhockey.com Source: Reebok
OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
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