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NHL Loses Key Decision in TV Rights Lawsuit - Upd 11/14/14


StarDew

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Depends on which parts of South Jersey you are referring.  For the towns that are closer to Philly, it won't.  For the towns that are basically equidistant, it could.

That's not true. The New Jersey name means something to people all over the state, and if the games were to get picked up down there, things could change in many communities. There will always be Flyers fans down there, and in many places, the Flyers will always hold a heavy majority, but the Devils will cultivate fan bases in many places that aren't "basically equidistant" if that was to happen. We've all met diehards from all over the state. Many kids growing up in South Jersey will identify with the Devils if they're able to watch the games.

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The biggest thing this affects is something like Center Ice and especially GameCenter.  It'd be insane to put any regional sports networks on existing cable tiers out of market unless they charged practically nothing for it, and why would they do that?   But for people who want to stop getting cable because it's an absurdly priced monopoly and would only get GameCenter, it's huge.  Out of market stuff is really immaterial imo.

If I could watch Devils games on GameCenter, I'd have no reason to pay for cable. Live sports is the only reason I need cable at all. Everything else I like to watch I can easily get for free on the internet.

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I can't even get the Devil games on Center Ice in HD, all the money and you can't get the best. Onlr reason I'll watch Flyers games, down here is because it's HD and no extra charge for it. All Center Ice games should be HD with the money it costs!!

The one thing I would try out if you have an apple device is to subscribe to NHL game center and drop $100 on Apple TV. You can connect to your tV in HD wirelessly, although you should check if it's supported by AirPlay

Edit: actually it's it's own app on apple tv so you don't even need another apple device

Edited by Daniel
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That's not true. The New Jersey name means something to people all over the state, and if the games were to get picked up down there, things could change in many communities. There will always be Flyers fans down there, and in many places, the Flyers will always hold a heavy majority, but the Devils will cultivate fan bases in many places that aren't "basically equidistant" if that was to happen. We've all met diehards from all over the state. Many kids growing up in South Jersey will identify with the Devils if they're able to watch the games.

 

Exactly. There are plenty of areas that are just as far from The Rock as they are from Philly, but they are de facto Flyers fans by cirumcstance, because of tradition or simply just what they get on TV. A decision like this, coupled with a good season or two and emergence of a superstar figure or two (Henrique? Cammalleri? etc..) would do nothing but good for future of the fanbase throughout the state. Jersey Pride is just as strong down there, and the Flyers haven't done much to hold onto their fans the last 30 years.

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If Devils games were to be broadcast down in South Jersey, it would help for sure.  However, it would be minimal and I doubt you will be converting and/or cultivating those who live within an hour of Philly but a solid 2+ hours from the Rock.

 

The Devils just are in a crowded space and it is what it is.

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I believe a lot of our local stations are available on the special sports tiers across the country on cable.  YES definitely is, and I believe you can get MSG in different parts of the country.  Would all come down to negotiations.  If live games become part of the deal, the station is going to want more $.  The question becomes how much more and how much more will the cable/satellite company be willing to pay.  Logic says the cable company in South Jersey would be willing to pay more for Devils/Rangers games through MSG than the cable company in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Likewise, the company in Southern Connecticut would pay more for Bruins than a company in Raleigh, NC.  (of course, I am assuming that not all of a Connecticut can get Bruins games, but I have no idea if that is true, or if it is true where is the cut-off). 


If Devils games were to be broadcast down in South Jersey, it would help for sure.  However, it would be minimal and I doubt you will be converting and/or cultivating those who live within an hour of Philly but a solid 2+ hours from the Rock.

 

The Devils just are in a crowded space and it is what it is.

I agree.  

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I believe a lot of our local stations are available on the special sports tiers across the country on cable.  YES definitely is, and I believe you can get MSG in different parts of the country.  Would all come down to negotiations.  If live games become part of the deal, the station is going to want more $.  The question becomes how much more and how much more will the cable/satellite company be willing to pay.  Logic says the cable company in South Jersey would be willing to pay more for Devils/Rangers games through MSG than the cable company in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Likewise, the company in Southern Connecticut would pay more for Bruins than a company in Raleigh, NC.  (of course, I am assuming that not all of a Connecticut can get Bruins games, but I have no idea if that is true, or if it is true where is the cut-off). 

I agree.  

 

I imagine if this happened that the cable companies would put these channels on special tiers that they charge extra for and they would make them regional tiers.  So let's say you want to see Boston sports, well you have to pay for New York and Philadelphia too.  And if you want Chicago, you have to pay for Detroit and Minnesota also.

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I imagine if this happened that the cable companies would put these channels on special tiers that they charge extra for and they would make them regional tiers.  So let's say you want to see Boston sports, well you have to pay for New York and Philadelphia too.  And if you want Chicago, you have to pay for Detroit and Minnesota also.

Probably.  Other thing to consider is teams who share a station and the extra station.  For example, If South Jersey bought the MSG package, would they also get MSG 2 and MSG 2 plus, for when one of the teams gets bumped.  Would they want to dedicate a channel slot for something that is seldom used?  

 

BTW, if anyone is interested, I found a site that streams all hockey games (NHL, AHL, OHL, Q, and WHL,  It is a pay site, but the rates are better than Center Ice or Game Center.  NO local blackouts, and you can choose the feed you want.  I discovered it in July and ordered for a month to test it out.  They have every game going back to last season's play-offs archived.  They do have dvr capabilities and you can watch through roku, internet, etc.  Wife and I are selling our apartment and buying a house.  One thing we are doing is dumping cable.  Going to get an antenna to watch football.  If anyone wants the site, pm me.

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I'm curious how Anaheim/LA/San Jose are set up too, and especially Detroit/Chicago/Minnesota.

If you are referring to tv deals, I would think LA/Anaheim is the same as we have here where the providers carry all the teams.  Is there anyone here in NJ who can't get Isles games?  When I lived on LI, we got Devils games, as far as I know you get Devils games all the way out to Montauk.  

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The one thing I would try out if you have an apple device is to subscribe to NHL game center and drop $100 on Apple TV. You can connect to your tV in HD wirelessly, although you should check if it's supported by AirPlay

Edit: actually it's it's own app on apple tv so you don't even need another apple device

You could just hook your PC up to your TV as the monitor, but then the audio will still be playing through your PC. I know some Android phones allow their micro USB port to be used as an video/audio output via an HDMI adapter so then you could just hook your phone straight to your TV with a cable. I know the PS3 had a GameCenter app so I imagine the PS4 has one too and maybe the Xbox does as well, which would be another option for watching GameCenter on your TV.

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I have the Audio on my phone, so I can listen while I'm at work ( I work 4pm-1am ). I also still get the Center Ice every year, but the NHL doesn't give half the games in HD just SD. IMHO, with how much it costs, every game should be HD no matter what. Premium Price for a Standard Quality. :((((((((((

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If you are referring to tv deals, I would think LA/Anaheim is the same as we have here where the providers carry all the teams.  Is there anyone here in NJ who can't get Isles games?  When I lived on LI, we got Devils games, as far as I know you get Devils games all the way out to Montauk.  

 

Yeah we get Isles games. I think Buffalo's the only odd man out that we don't get down here, despite them "sort of" being on MSG. I wouldn't mind catching some Buffalo games if MSG wanted to start carrying them; you'd almost be guaranteed live hockey on local TV 5-6 nights a week!

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  • 3 months later...

New article.  Interesting the route being taken by the NHL.

 

The NHL is counting on Nobel Prize winner Daniel McFadden to help fight a high-stakes lawsuit in which a group of hockey fans are trying to change the way NHL teams sell their broadcast rights.

http://www.tsn.ca/talent/westhead-nhl-turns-to-nobel-prize-winner-to-fight-tv-lawsuit-1.134868

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nthanks for the link, very interesting case. This guy Noll is all over the place- highways, electric cars, NFL, NCAA. Geez.

It's a very interesting case- on one hand you have the nhl controlling the availability, but individual teams have potential profits being taken away as a result of it. Honestly these blackout restrictions are ancient and need to be wiped out- the world isn't the same place as it was in 1970 when blackouts were needed. Same thing goes for the other sports. It's time to enter the 21st century and make the games more accessible to everyone.

It's ridiculous how the other night I couldn't watch the devils game because they were on NHL network- a cable subscription, yet I pay the NHL 180 bucks a year to receive the games.

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There's less here than meets the eye. He's an expert witness for the NHL in an antitrust suit, where, based on the judge's ruling, you need to have one.

As I noted earlier, this is a very pro-plaintiff judge, and one that likes headlines. (She was the same judge that held that the age requirement for the NFL draft was illegal in the Maurice Clarett case, and was subsequently reversed). I have a decent grasp of antitrust law, but am not an expert by any means. That being said, I think this is a case the NHL should win pretty easily, and will end up that way on appeal, if it gets that far.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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NHL's Gamecenter blackout policy is a joke.  They're way too restrictive, and games on the NHL network get blacked out even though they use Regional broadcasts on any NHL Network game.  This causes too many games to be blacked out.  I can't watch Flyers games on GC because I'm considered in the Philly market for whatever reason.  I'm in Sussex County.

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NHL's Gamecenter blackout policy is a joke.  They're way too restrictive, and games on the NHL network get blacked out even though they use Regional broadcasts on any NHL Network game.  This causes too many games to be blacked out.  I can't watch Flyers games on GC because I'm considered in the Philly market for whatever reason.  I'm in Sussex County.

If you have Comcast then you aren't in the Philly area. You are in NY area. I am in Hunterdon county. Same boat but then I don't care about watching the Flyers. :)

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If you have Comcast then you aren't in the Philly area. You are in NY area. I am in Hunterdon county. Same boat but then I don't care about watching the Flyers. :)

I'm in Hunterdon as well, but my understanding was that the blackouts on GC were based on a distance from the location. I could easily be wrong though since I've never had Gamecenter Live.

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I'm in Hunterdon as well, but my understanding was that the blackouts on GC were based on a distance from the location. I could easily be wrong though since I've never had Gamecenter Live.

This is what I have been told by various Comcast reps when I call regarding blackouts. They always tell me that I am in NY area. I know that they base distance on air miles which is usually closer than land miles.

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