ESPN Will Only Show Certain NHL Games on its App

[Granada]

Foley mentioned this during the broadcast last night. He mentioned that the Seattle Kraken's home opener was only available on ESPN's bullshit new app, so the majority of Seattle fans couldn't even watch it. He also said that this will happen with every NHL team eventually, including the Blackhawks. I would hope he's wrong, but I doubt it.

If this is the case, I'm not paying for this app and I hope the NHL loses a ton of fans because of this. For a sport that lags in popularity already, this is an incredibly stupid decision from the league's perspective. I have probably missed a handful of Hawks games at best over the last 10-12 years, but I guess I'll miss a lot more now. So be it. Not sure how many games will be affected in the future, but they'll probably be some pretty big games. To steal Seattle's home opener -- a brand-new franchise -- is just ridiculous.

 

[SkyKing]

I thought I heard Foley say the same thing. I quit following most professional sports for various reasons several years ago. As it stands today, the only professional sports I watch is the NHL and the PGA. Years ago I was a time big fan of Chicago teams but today I couldn't name 2 players on any of the Bears, Cubs, Bulls, or Sox. I haven't watched a Superbowl in 5-6 years and guess what? The sun still comes up in the east, sets in the west and life is just fine without professional sports.

There's plenty of money to be made in all kinds of ways and if a paid app is required, the NHL can kiss my ass. BTW, does anyone remember the disaster called HawkVision?

 

[Granada]

I thought I heard Foley say the same thing. I quit following most professional sports for various reasons several years ago. As it stands today, the only professional sports I watch is the NHL and the PGA. Years ago I was a time big fan of Chicago teams but today I couldn't name 2 players on any of the Bears, Cubs, Bulls, or Sox. I haven't watched a Superbowl in 5-6 years and guess what? The sun still comes up in the east, sets in the west and life is just fine without professional sports.

There's plenty of money to be made in all kinds of ways and if a paid app is required, the NHL can kiss my ass. BTW, does anyone remember the disaster called HawkVision?

Yeah I hear you. The older I get, the less passionate I am as a fan. Don't get me wrong, I still love hockey and I love watching the Blackhawks, even now. At least it's something to watch, I know others watch anything and everything, but I'm not into a lot new series/shows out there. But it's like you say, sports aren't the end-all be-all as they were once were for me; and if I'm going to have to buy a damn app along with the 27 other apps I have to buy to watch certain things, I'm just going to pass. For the record, I only have Netflix and cable, nothing else, because I hate all this streaming nonsense.

I googled it just now, I remember Sportschannel but I don't remember HawkVision. I was a kid then.

 

[LordKOTL]

From what I gather things haven't changed except the name:

Any broadcast that was not nationally televised, or on a local (chicago blackout area) station (pay or free) you could get on NHL.TV or Gamecenter Live. now, if it's not on ESPN, ABC, or TNT, or a local Chicago station will be on ESPN+.

I think ESPN+ by itself is something like 7-8 bucks a months, and if you get the Hulu+ bundle (with ESPN and Disney+), it's something like 10-12 bucks. Can't be sure, my wife pays for it.

I mean, you do you, but so far the switch between last season and this one has just been different channels and streaming services. Same cost for me. YMMV

 

[MassHavoc]

Foley mentioned this during the broadcast last night. He mentioned that the Seattle Kraken's home opener was only available on ESPN's bullshit new app, so the majority of Seattle fans couldn't even watch it. He also said that this will happen with every NHL team eventually, including the Blackhawks. I would hope he's wrong, but I doubt it.

If this is the case, I'm not paying for this app and I hope the NHL loses a ton of fans because of this. For a sport that lags in popularity already, this is an incredibly stupid decision from the league's perspective. I have probably missed a handful of Hawks games at best over the last 10-12 years, but I guess I'll miss a lot more now. So be it. Not sure how many games will be affected in the future, but they'll probably be some pretty big games. To steal Seattle's home opener -- a brand-new franchise -- is just ridiculous.

It's sports now. They are paying big money for the rights then trying to reclaim the money through streaming service subs. Just ask ND fans about peacock.

 

[KBIB]

Hawkvision lol

Nothing will ever beat sportvision using the Canada feed then a Hawks home game popped up for seconds only to be shut down by the Chicago feed.

If I recall, Hawkvision was either 24.99 or 14.99 a game. I’m leaning towards 14.99 and there were playoff packages. They talked all this extra content up but it wasn’t anything but a normal broadcast.

You just got the feeling dollar Bill hated fans and everyone getting a paycheck from him went along with it

 

[LordKOTL]

Hawkvision lol

Nothing will ever beat sportvision using the Canada feed then a Hawks home game popped up for seconds only to be shut down by the Chicago feed.

If I recall, Hawkvision was either 24.99 or 14.99 a game. I’m leaning towards 14.99 and there were playoff packages. They talked all this extra content up but it wasn’t anything but a normal broadcast.

You just got the feeling dollar Bill hated fans and everyone getting a paycheck from him went along with it

...and if you consider that ESPN+ is at least half that for a month, in today's inflated dollars...

The other factor with all of this streaming is that it might be a reason to the cord on cable for sports. Realistically, if you can get a stream of whatever broadcast you want for less than $10/month, then why pay a fuckton of money to Comcast or whoever-the-cable-company-is-in-your-area?

Also at least with streaming-based services, it's easier to target the demographic of the people actually watching the game in whatever locale. To wit: up until a few years ago almost every streaming service (greymarket and legal) has Chicago-based ads for the Chicago feeds. Even the radio WGN feed has Chicago based ads...even though I'm a couple of thousand miles away. Last season on NHL.TV and this year on ESPN+, I'm getting local ads. That should mean more ad revenue for the NHL proper and should be a reason for sports to embrace the streaming idea to the detriment of cable. You reach a larger audience. and thus better targeted ad revenue.

And further, there are a lot of people younger than I that may not have a set, large TV in the home and instead use smaller tablet devices and phones and take them throughout the house. Not all cable plays nice with such devices. Streaming does.

Just some food for thought on the matter, but again YMMV.

 

[Tater]

I had a bad feeling when BSPN took over some games. I still remember their attitude and disdain for hockey way back when. Not a fan of them and their east coast bias.

 

[KBIB]

...and if you consider that ESPN+ is at least half that for a month, in today's inflated dollars...

The other factor with all of this streaming is that it might be a reason to the cord on cable for sports. Realistically, if you can get a stream of whatever broadcast you want for less than $10/month, then why pay a fuckton of money to Comcast or whoever-the-cable-company-is-in-your-area?

Also at least with streaming-based services, it's easier to target the demographic of the people actually watching the game in whatever locale. To wit: up until a few years ago almost every streaming service (greymarket and legal) has Chicago-based ads for the Chicago feeds. Even the radio WGN feed has Chicago based ads...even though I'm a couple of thousand miles away. Last season on NHL.TV and this year on ESPN+, I'm getting local ads. That should mean more ad revenue for the NHL proper and should be a reason for sports to embrace the streaming idea to the detriment of cable. You reach a larger audience. and thus better targeted ad revenue.

And further, there are a lot of people younger than I that may not have a set, large TV in the home and instead use smaller tablet devices and phones and take them throughout the house. Not all cable plays nice with such devices. Streaming does.

Just some food for thought on the matter, but again YMMV.

I shouldn’t say this but….

Most sports are on twitch in 4K.

You might have to look for them, and don’t ask me where to find them, but they’re there.

All you need is internet now a days.

 

[LordKOTL]

I shouldn’t say this but….

Most sports are on twitch in 4K.

You might have to look for them, and don’t ask me where to find them, but they’re there.

All you need is internet now a days.

My personal opinion on such matters is that if there is a product out there (in this case Blackhawks games) and I value the product, I will try to compensate the creator of the product if I enjoy it within reason.

If the creator makes a product artificially unavailable or difficult to attain (like the stupid blackout rules which thankfully I'm not subject to), then I think methods for circumventing the creator to obtain said product are reasonable (i.e. Twitch). I've done it before--before twitch and before NHL games streaming.

 

[MassHavoc]

My personal opinion on such matters is that if there is a product out there (in this case Blackhawks games) and I value the product, I will try to compensate the creator of the product if I enjoy it within reason.

If the creator makes a product artificially unavailable or difficult to attain (like the stupid blackout rules which thankfully I'm not subject to), then I think methods for circumventing the creator to obtain said product are reasonable (i.e. Twitch). I've done it before--before twitch and before NHL games streaming.

Here's the thing for me and local folks who watch. We pay for the product then they yank it. The team's negotiate rights deals with the networks. Then the networks negotiate deals with us in form of subscriptions. The networks do that knowing they have to pay the teams and such a certain amount. Then these teams get the bright idea to have their own streaming service or move things around or sell rights split rights all sorts of stuff. But that doesn't change what we're still paying so they're still getting my money for what was previously negotiated I don't feel right that they could just change the rules without us having to say. If my bill went down great. But that will never happen.

It would be the same for out of market people who say sign up for the NHL package to watch all games. They live in seattle but are fans of some other team. You pay a set pay for all these games, then boom all of a sudden seattle has a team. Your favorite team comes into town and now blackout rules apply but they aren't going to refund you any money for the games you can't watch now. Or if you live in the middle of no where any you have the package, but then they go and sell the rights to TNT orsome shit for an exclusive sunday night game. All of a sudden they yank that game off your package becuase they sold the exclusive rights.

 

[LordKOTL]

Here's the thing for me and local folks who watch. We pay for the product then they yank it. The team's negotiate rights deals with the networks. Then the networks negotiate deals with us in form of subscriptions. The networks do that knowing they have to pay the teams and such a certain amount. Then these teams get the bright idea to have their own streaming service or move things around or sell rights split rights all sorts of stuff. But that doesn't change what we're still paying so they're still getting my money for what was previously negotiated I don't feel right that they could just change the rules without us having to say. If my bill went down great. But that will never happen.

It would be the same for out of market people who say sign up for the NHL package to watch all games. They live in seattle but are fans of some other team. You pay a set pay for all these games, then boom all of a sudden seattle has a team. Your favorite team comes into town and now blackout rules apply but they aren't going to refund you any money for the games you can't watch now. Or if you live in the middle of no where any you have the package, but then they go and sell the rights to TNT orsome shit for an exclusive sunday night game. All of a sudden they yank that game off your package becuase they sold the exclusive rights.

In those cases, that in my opinion constitutes "not making it easily accessible". Thus, I've done what @KBIB said in the past in those situations.

 

[Ares]

Blackhawks are a bad hockey team, with a bad coach, and a just-jettisoned rotten front office, in the middle of a scandal about a player having been sexually assaulted.

Lol yeah Ima pay more money to watch more of their shitty hockey.

I'd argue the quality of NHL games and broadcasts has plummeted, especially since the partnership with ESPN.

Fuck that.

 

[WELL USED PUCK]

I call it the Eastern Seaboard Preference Nutwerk.
Every other day it's the yankoffs/wrong color Sox.
Now that they have barged in with the some of the most boring intermission sleepy times, I will NOT pay any extra to watch hockey.
Add to that the coachless Slackhawks and "center ice" is like giving away money.
I've been a Blackhawks fan since the days of Mosienko, Gottleig and those guys.
I'm disgusted.
One more thing, disregarding all of the shyt going on about the investigation, I'm cheering for Joel to win the Cup.