Hawkvision
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| Type | Pay television network (sports) |
|---|---|
| Availability | United States |
| Owner | Bill Wirtz |
| Launch date | 1992 |
Hawkvision was a short-lived subscription TV service founded by Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz.[1] The service broadcast Chicago Blackhawks games. It operated in conjunction with Chicago's local SportsChannel outfit and access cost $29.95 per month.
In 1992, Wirtz, who had a reputation for stubbornness and frugality,[2] ended all Blackhawks broadcast agreements with network and cable television outlets. While vilified for this decision by many Blackhawks fans, he felt that broadcasting regular home games was unfair to the team's season-ticket holders.[3] Only Blackhawks games picked up by national broadcasters (which only happened when the Blackhawks made the playoffs) were shown on regular TV.
Hawkvision only broadcast for a short time, ending after the 1993 season. However, regular Blackhawk home games would not resume airing on TV until the 2007-2008 season (after Wirtz passed away).
[edit] References
- ^ Wood, Matt (November 21, 2007). Shooting The Hawks (english). Chicago Sports Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-01-03.
- ^ Associated Press (September 26, 2007). Blackhawks Owner William Wirtz Dies (English). Fox News. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
- ^ Len Ziehm (February 27, 2002). All playoff games will be televised (English). Chicago SunTimes. Retrieved on 2007-09-29.
