Let's face it, ESPN has a near-monopoly on the American sports-watching public. While Fox Sports Net and other channels do a good job on a regional level, the kind of national, mainstream exposure that ESPN generates just can't be matched by any other party.Small wonder, then, that new NHLPA boss Paul Kelly wants the league to do everything in its power, including begging, pleading, and butt-kissing, to get the NHL back on ESPN. (Reg. required)
We need something in addition to Versus. They do an excellent job of the telecasts that they produce, but, and I hear the numbers that they're now available in 73 million homes, the reality is most people -- the casual sports fan -- don't know they exist, can't find it on the dial. They don't promote, they don't advertise, they don't bring to the table what an ESPN or a Fox Sports on a national level could bring."
Kelly is right about Versus in that they give the NHL exceptional coverage and attention, but just don't draw enough eyeballs or have enough viewership to saturate the market.
While we know that ESPN treats hockey like a leper, especially in the post-lockout years, we must realize that the NHL needs ESPN if it is ever going to generate a greater number of casual viewers. Even if ESPN's slant on hockey is the usual 'entertainment-first' dreck we've come to expect from "The Worldwide Leader", it's still better than not being noticed at all.
Here's hoping Kelly can work together with Bettman and the league to bring NHL hockey broadcasts back to ESPN. Even if both men disagree on many things, they can both agree that hockey on ESPN = more money, which is exactly what both men want, above all else.
