The NHL on Versus

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The NHL on Versus (formely known as The NHL on OLN) is the National Hockey League's programming for the regular season, playoffs, and Stanley Cup.

Contents 1 Coverage 1.1 The "Game of the Week" 1.2 Innovations 1.3 The NHL on Versus Postgame 1.4 Personalitites 2 History 2.1 Terms of the deal 3 Ratings 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Coverage

The network returns to broadcasting hockey with 54 games over the 2006-07 regular-season, plus the All-Star Game, Skills Competition, and YoungStars game. At the end of the year, the network will have blanket coverage of the playoffs, and air the NHL Awards Show and first round of the NHL Draft.

Versus is scheduled to air six doubleheaders this season (consisting of a game in the Eastern Time Zone, and then a Mountain or Western Time Zone game). Playoff coverage usually involves doubleheaders throughout the first two rounds.

[edit] The "Game of the Week"

Included in the schedule is a "Game of the Week" format that Versus will use 24 dates this season. In this "Exclusive" time period, no other network may broadcast a game, and in most cases, no other game has been scheduled unless it involves two Canadian teams. Regional networks are allowed to air games outside Versus' exclusive window (usually lasting about 2.5 hours, the typical length of an NHL telecast).

[edit] Innovations

On November 20, 2006, Versus debuted a new camera angle which is thought to be unprecedented for North American hockey coverage. The camera is mounted on a track on top of the glass partitions above the boards that contain the rink and moves along with the action, similar to the track-mounted camera used in Greyhound racing. The "rail-cam" as it is known may also be used for Versus' All-Star Game coverage.

Versus also plans to, like Canadian station TSN, have it's broadcasters work an entire game from between the benches of the two teams.

Versus has been the main pioneer of using microphones on players, and was the first network to have a head coach (San Jose Sharks coach Ron Wilson) interviewed on the bench in the middle of the game.

[edit] The NHL on Versus Postgame

Versus also provides postgame coverage of every game they broadcast. The postgame show is known as The NHL on Versus Post Game Report, airing from their Stamford, Connecticut studios.

[edit] Personalitites

Main article: List of NHL on Versus commentators

[edit] History

The NHL's television deal with Versus was made at the conclusion of player lockout that wiped-out the entire 2004-05 season. At the time, Versus offered a two year, $130 million contract (with a network option for a third year) that delivered guaranteed money for Bettman (ESPN, which previously held the rights, wanted a revenue-sharing deal similar to NBC's). Versus was expected to use NHL coverage to show it was a legitimate suitor for Major League Baseball and National Football League packages, although they have yet to land either. Versus parent, Comcast, also owns the Philadelphia Flyers.

[edit] Terms of the deal

Under the terms of the contract, Versus will show 54 or more NHL games each season under the agreement, generally on Monday and Tuesday nights. They will also provide nightly coverage of as many Stanley Cup Playoff games as possible (generally, two per night in the first two rounds; the Conference Finals are usually played on alternating days), and Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

[edit] Ratings

Versus's games rated substantially higher than any non-Tour de France programming that Versus had ever aired in comparable timeslots (rating between 0.2 and 0.3 during the regular season). Still, these numbers were quite small compared to ratings for most other sports on national cable channels reaching at least as many homes as Versus.

Versus's playoff viewership did not increase as much as it or the league might have hoped. Versus reached a viewership of about 611,000 households (610,836 to be exact) for Game 1 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. This figure was 39% fewer households than what ESPN drew for the Stanley Cup series opener two years earlier (though ESPN reaches about 20 million more homes, and many more hotels and sports bars). Game 2 was seen in slightly fewer households (605,501).

[edit] See also

• The NHL on NBC
• The NHL on ABC
• The NHL on FOX
• NHL on ESPN
• Hockey Night in Canada
• La Soirée du hockey
• List of Stanley Cup Finals broadcasters
• 55th National Hockey League All Star Game
• 2006 NHL Draft

[edit] External links

• Official Website

Preceded by ABC and ESPN

NHL network broadcast partner (with NBC) in the United States 2005 -

Succeeded by Incombent