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ESPN Hockey Rights


watchmaker49

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I say this every year and I will continue to say it every year: Come up with a PPV option so that people can buy all the games they want and those that don't care don't have to buy them. A lot of people living in non-hockey areas that want to watch the games will gladly put the cash down so they don't have to put up with this stupid ESPN 3 crap.

I also think the tournament rights should go to another national cable network that doesn't have anything better to put on this time of year. That way, the product would get treated with some semblance of respect. It's ridiculous when it is easier to find and watch a lacrosse game than a hockey game.

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Who else wishes that ESPN did not have these rights? Come on if you are going to buy something at least do something with them. So FSN buys the feed and then blacks it out on DirectTV. What a sad joke pulled on hockey fans.

I'm guessing it was just FSN North who bought the feed and only had the rights to broadcast it in their standard region.

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Yeah, I was able to watch all games on Directv in Fargo. But I still wish someone else, like NBC, owned the rights. ESPN doesn't do anything with hockey anymore. And while all of the play by play and color guys know the sport, they mostly have no clue about the teams they're talking about. I actually felt really bad for Anson Carter when he was asked about the difference for UND in todays game. His answer was: too much of our top line...which is actually not even close to the truth. I don't like Buccigross's pbp or Starman's color. The rest are only decent, but nothing like the guys doing NHL for NBCSN.

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ESPN pays for the rights for all NCAA championships they want to broadcast.( excludes fcs football and d-1 basketball). They just announced an extension last fall to 2020, I think it was.

I think them letting it syndicate at all was a good deal considering it hasn't in the past.

Their talent is subpar but their is really not much we can do.

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Yet NESN had the BU game on for everyone, including those outside their region

NESN has a slightly higher population in their home region than FSN North, therefore a bit more money to throw around. I'm no expert on this, but I'm just assuming a station would have to pay more if they want to broadcast to a larger audience.

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Nesn might be in a more populated area but fox sports whatever is a division of fox which is a direct competitor of ESPN for games such as the bcs. Don't you think ESPN would love to host the national championship game on their flagship channel not on abc which everyone gets for free.

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ESPN pays for the rights for all NCAA championships they want to broadcast.( excludes fcs football and d-1 basketball). They just announced an extension last fall to 2020, I think it was.

I think them letting it syndicate at all was a good deal considering it hasn't in the past.

Their talent is subpar but their is really not much we can do.

Worse 2024.

Can't believe that regular season lacrosse had precident to be aired over the NCAA tourney.

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Worse 2024.

Can't believe that regular season lacrosse had precident to be aired over the NCAA tourney.

I'd imagine that the regular season lacrosse gets better ratings if it is getting the television time. Either way, it is on ESPN 3 correct? Go watch on that. If you don't have that, go to a bar and they might.

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I'd imagine that the regular season lacrosse gets better ratings if it is getting the television time. Either way, it is on ESPN 3 correct? Go watch on that. If you don't have that, go to a bar and they might.

You do realize that most of the nation doesn't have ESPN3 right? Wait I'm talkiing to a Bison fan so I already know that answer. Hell most don't have ESPNU. I was fielding calls from all over the country looking for help on the game. I am thankful for Midco having ESPN3 and FSN for picking up the games. No need for me to find it. Just making a statement. And I would bet the UND game had way better ratings. Regular season games for us were drawing damn near 90,000 on NBCSports.

I'd really like to know how ratings turn out for these games but I bet ESPN doesn't release that.

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I'd imagine that the regular season lacrosse gets better ratings if it is getting the television time. Either way, it is on ESPN 3 correct? Go watch on that. If you don't have that, go to a bar and they might.

Weren't you guys screwed out of watching a couple of your FCS playoff games on TV last year? And wasn't it the same type of deal? Yep, thought so. So I don't ever want to hear you complain about that every again, because (as you stated) lacrosse is king. :silly:

The last straw will be when an NCAA game goes into overtime and it's between two teams with rabid fan bases and they leave the action to go to lacrosse at it's "regularly scheduled time". :angry: And you better show me some numbers that say lacrosse is more popular than college hockey or else I am calling BS on that statement.

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You do realize that most of the nation doesn't have ESPN3 right? Wait I'm talkiing to a Bison fan so I already know that answer. Hell most don't have ESPNU. I was fielding calls from all over the country looking for help on the game. I am thankful for Midco having ESPN3 and FSN for picking up the games. No need for me to find it. Just making a statement. And I would bet the UND game had way better ratings. Regular season games for us were drawing damn near 90,000 on NBCSports.

I'd really like to know how ratings turn out for these games but I bet ESPN doesn't release that.

Well just throwing it out there that if you want to watch a game, there is usually a way. You do realize that ESPN is doing what is good for them then, if hockey is so popular, by putting it on ESPN3 or ESPNU. This encourages people to complain to ISP's for ESPN3, and to get ESPNU long term.

Maybe UND hockey would get better ratings, but from what I hear and see, it is tough to know considering how popular lacrosse is getting, especially out on the coast.

Weren't you guys screwed out of watching a couple of your FCS playoff games on TV last year? And wasn't it the same type of deal? Yep, thought so. So I don't ever want to hear you complain about that every again, because (as you stated) lacrosse is king. :silly:

The last straw will be when an NCAA game goes into overtime and it's between two teams with rabid fan bases and they leave the action to go to lacrosse at it's "regularly scheduled time". :angry: And you better show me some numbers that say lacrosse is more popular than college hockey or else I am calling BS on that statement.

NDSU was screwed out of having a couple games on tv, not like I cared, I live in Fargo and can go to the games if I want. I also am able to travel to away games if I feel a need to. It definitely would blow if they bugged out early on a hockey/football/any sport I follow to go to a lacrosse game...to me, lacrosse is weak and looks like something we'd screw around with in gym class.

I could not find any numbers suggesting lacrosse is more popular. I am guessing there is some reason why ESPN would rather have lacrosse on instead of collegiate hockey. Lacrosse getting better numbers is just one theory, the ESPN3/ESPNU effort to get more widespread and using the hockey/fcs to get it more common could make sense as well. Lacrosse is getting big and more widespread now, nothing would surprise me anymore when it comes to it.

Maybe don't get so butthurt next time someone makes a comment.

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Well just throwing it out there that if you want to watch a game, there is usually a way. You do realize that ESPN is doing what is good for them then, if hockey is so popular, by putting it on ESPN3 or ESPNU. This encourages people to complain to ISP's for ESPN3, and to get ESPNU long term.

Maybe UND hockey would get better ratings, but from what I hear and see, it is tough to know considering how popular lacrosse is getting, especially out on the coast.

NDSU was screwed out of having a couple games on tv, not like I cared, I live in Fargo and can go to the games if I want. I also am able to travel to away games if I feel a need to. It definitely would blow if they bugged out early on a hockey/football/any sport I follow to go to a lacrosse game...to me, lacrosse is weak and looks like something we'd screw around with in gym class.

I could not find any numbers suggesting lacrosse is more popular. I am guessing there is some reason why ESPN would rather have lacrosse on instead of collegiate hockey. Lacrosse getting better numbers is just one theory, the ESPN3/ESPNU effort to get more widespread and using the hockey/fcs to get it more common could make sense as well. Lacrosse is getting big and more widespread now, nothing would surprise me anymore when it comes to it.

Maybe don't get so butthurt next time someone makes a comment.

And maybe you shouldn't put yourself in Pot-Kettle-Black situations. You come on here making declarative statements that you just cannot back up. And nice not showing any concern for Bison fans that don't live in The Center of the Known Universe (a.k.a. Fargo). The world is getting to be a smaller place, but for fans of our sport, it's becoming bigger and harder to navigate every year.

As for lacrosse getting bigger, you are right and I wish UND would drop baseball and softball (which don't work in this climate) and start lacrosse teams for both men and women and use the Alerus Center for home field. Some traditionalists would cry and complain, but it's just the right thing to do for the program.

Anyway, I had better get off here. I am in Sioux-Gopher playoff mode and I am getting a little ornery! :glare:

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And maybe you shouldn't put yourself in Pot-Kettle-Black situations. You come on here making declarative statements that you just cannot back up. And nice not showing any concern for Bison fans that don't live in The Center of the Known Universe (a.k.a. Fargo). The world is getting to be a smaller place, but for fans of our sport, it's becoming bigger and harder to navigate every year.

There aren't any..... :lol:

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And maybe you shouldn't put yourself in Pot-Kettle-Black situations. You come on here making declarative statements that you just cannot back up. And nice not showing any concern for Bison fans that don't live in The Center of the Known Universe (a.k.a. Fargo). The world is getting to be a smaller place, but for fans of our sport, it's becoming bigger and harder to navigate every year.

As for lacrosse getting bigger, you are right and I wish UND would drop baseball and softball (which don't work in this climate) and start lacrosse teams for both men and women and use the Alerus Center for home field. Some traditionalists would cry and complain, but it's just the right thing to do for the program.

Anyway, I had better get off here. I am in Sioux-Gopher playoff mode and I am getting a little ornery! :glare:

All I said was I'd imagine hockey isn't getting the ratings lacrosse is providing. If you have two shows, and one of them isn't getting that good of ratings, you take it off the air and put a different show in the timeslot. As I stated, there could be other reasons, but those require people to start looking and different scenarios rather than just the basic reason certain shows are on tv and others are not.

And as for the NDSU fans who aren't able to attend games, sucks to be them, better start emailing ESPN now then so by the time football is here, they can watch the game at home. I do believe a lot of places do in fact have espn3. The people I know from places other than North Dakota usually have it or have little trouble finding a bar that has it or ESPNU. Sometimes if you want to see a game of FCS football or NCAA hockey, you are going to have to put in some work to see it. Yeah, it is inconvenient, but it is part of life.

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Every game is available on FTA and in HD. I watched almost every one so far. 123 west is the bird one needs to motor to. I also had every FCS football this fall. FTA rocks if you love College Sports.

What is FTA? That sounds like a cool deal.

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As someone who doesn't have TV, only the internet I have to say I really like the online espnu viewer and how it lets you spitscreen to watch multiple games at once. The fact that Comcast ISP allows access is probably the only thing I like about its service.

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