NHL Thread: 2021-2022 Season - Page 28

suburbanite · #**541** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 9:10 PM**

I've literally seen the exact same dialogue played out on NBA forums from Americans themselves complaining about seeing the same Lakers or Lebron highlights over and over.

Part of it is the nature of the sports that are most popular in America though. Basketball is the most star-driven league out of all the Big 4. Zion got drafted to a bottom-4 NBA market, but superstars command more attention in basketball than they do in hockey, and as such he can draw clicks and views to New Orleans better than Mcdavid can in Edmonton. National primetime games generate a lot more viewers outside of their markets in the NBA. Even then, it's the same 10 or so teams getting all the national spots.
How many people in Montreal would watch Vancouver vs. Winnipeg even if they were the two best teams in the league?

The NFL has been expertly crafted as the "Big Game League" with tons of buildup for nationally televised games. The nature of 15 or however many games a season it is lets them put a miniscule market like Green Bay in the spotlight and still generate absurd numbers.

I'd wager baseball is the most analogous to hockey in the lack of cross-market viewers. No surprise it's also the league most dominated by the top-3 teams in it's television pundit coverage.

Acajack · #**542** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The CRTC would probably flip over backwards for a non GTA based network. A new language is unnecessary. Just the expectation of losing a ton of money.

I am a trying to think of where in Anglo-Canada would a regional sports network be viable, based on a decent-sized population and reasonable "community of interest".

Perhaps Western Canada?

If you look at certain regional sports networks in the U.S. even Atlantic Canada might be big enough with 2.5 million people, but the pro sports market isn't developed there at all, and that's your bread and butter for such things unless you have manic-level interest in so-called amateur sports like SEC NCAA football in the US South. None of which you have in Atlantic Canada with the two main sports there: junior/minor pro hockey and U Sport football.

esquire · #**543** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 9:32 PM**

I don't know what a western sports channel would really show that TSN and SN don't already cover. The popular stuff is already on TV for the most part like hockey, football, curling, Raptors, Jays... the only things to add that would be what, maybe lacrosse and junior hockey? I hesitate to add U Sports to that list since they seem to have no interest in selling their product.

suburbanite · #**544** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 9:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I don't know what a western sports channel would really show that TSN and SN don't already cover. The popular stuff is already on TV for the most part like hockey, football, curling, Raptors, Jays... the only things to add that would be what, maybe lacrosse and junior hockey? I hesitate to add U Sports to that list since they seem to have no interest in selling their product.

That's the crux of this whole argument. The actual game coverage for pro sports isn't lacking anywhere in Canada. We're talking about the 15 minute intro to Sportscentre before they get into highlights or what the panel on Sportsnet is talking about between periods.

The idea that demand for that sort of filler content is high enough to warrant a regional network is very questionable. The content is already there online for people that want it, and the amount of people ditching cable and relying on this sort of stuff is only growing.

Here's a community of 16,000 Flames fans filtering the content they want.

https://old.reddit.com/r/CalgaryFlames/

Acajack · #**545** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 10:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I don't know what a western sports channel would really show that TSN and SN don't already cover. The popular stuff is already on TV for the most part like hockey, football, curling, Raptors, Jays... the only things to add that would be what, maybe lacrosse and junior hockey? I hesitate to add U Sports to that list since they seem to have no interest in selling their product.

Hey I can't help you guys if you don't want to help yourselves!

Seriously though, suburbanite is right than in terms of NHL/CFL game broadcasts the western clubs do just fine.

But there is very little (to none?) TV news and talk focused on any of the NHL teams other than Toronto and Montreal. I am most familiar with the Ottawa Senators and any news/talk focused on that team is on the radio. I suspect this is also the case for the Jets, Oilers, Flames and Canucks, with very few exceptions if any.

This contrasts greatly with the saturation coverage of the Habs on RDS and TVA Sports. I just noticed that RDS actually has for all intents and purposes two suppertime magazine/talk shows that essentially focus on the Habs, each with their own different crew. That run more or less simultaneously on RDS1 and RDS2. And of TVA Sports has its own similar show in the same time slot.

And of course in English TSN and Sportsnet's generalist magazine or talk programs often focus on the Leafs, the Raptors and the Jays, when it's not US-based stuff they're talking about.

WhipperSnapper · #**546** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 10:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am a trying to think of where in Anglo-Canada would a regional sports network be viable, based on a decent-sized population and reasonable "community of interest".

Perhaps Western Canada?

If you look at certain regional sports networks in the U.S. even Atlantic Canada might be big enough with 2.5 million people, but the pro sports market isn't developed there at all, and that's your bread and butter for such things unless you have manic-level interest in so-called amateur sports like SEC NCAA football in the US South. None of which you have in Atlantic Canada with the two main sports there: junior/minor pro hockey and U Sport football.

The GTA is the only golden goose. Media companies have paid millions for local broadcast station across Canada just for the one channel in Toronto. It's advertising dollars. 100,000 viewers in Toronto generates more value to advertisers than 100,000 viewers spread across Western Canada. You simply can't do a direct comparison to the US as there are viable markets outside of New York and Los Angeles. Perhaps if the Flames and Oilers were merge .. d .... haha

A good analogy are the crazy expensive data plans. The providers aren't making a bigger fortune in Canada. The infrastructure costs are just massive for a large country with minimum density

The average Torontonian would appreciate hearing about other teams than just the latest Leaf's bowel movement. There are additional costs to covering all the teams that the media just doesn't see value in. It's unfortunate for all of us.

Acajack · #**547** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 10:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The average Torontonian would appreciate hearing about other teams than just the latest Leaf's bowel movement. .

Funny, I was going to make an analogy about coverage of such things.

Acajack · #**548** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 10:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

The GTA is the only golden goose. Media companies have paid millions for local broadcast station across Canada just for the one channel in Toronto. It's advertising dollars. 100,000 viewers in Toronto generates more value to advertisers than 100,000 viewers spread across Western Canada. You simply can't do a direct comparison to the US as there are viable markets outside of New York and Los Angeles. Perhaps if the Flames and Oilers were merge .. d .... haha
.

I don't disagree that that's what they (networks/advertisers) see but it's more theoretical than real-life as is apparent to anyone who watches TSN or Sportsnet.

There are hardly *ever* any ads on there that are GTA, Golden Horseshoe or even Ontario-focused. It's basically all national ads for products and services that are generally available all across Canada - with the possible exception of Quebec for certain things.

suburbanite · #**549** Posted **Nov 28, 2019, 10:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I don't disagree that that's what they (networks/advertisers) see but it's more theoretical than real-life as is apparent to anyone who watches TSN or Sportsnet.

There are hardly *ever* any ads on there that are GTA, Golden Horseshoe or even Ontario-focused. It's basically all national ads for products and services that are generally available all across Canada - with the possible exception of Quebec for certain things.

It doesn't have to be a local ad to be targeted towards the GTA. If a national company is looking to grow market share in Ontario, their marketing team may determine that TSN offers them good access to the GTA market at a lower cost compared to something like CTV. An ad can be created at the national level and focused in specific areas afterwards.

esquire · #**550** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 2:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

But there is very little (to none?) TV news and talk focused on any of the NHL teams other than Toronto and Montreal. I am most familiar with the Ottawa Senators and any news/talk focused on that team is on the radio. I suspect this is also the case for the Jets, Oilers, Flames and Canucks, with very few exceptions if any.

I will say this as a somewhat casual Jets fan, even though the TV front is somewhat weak with not a whole lot of Jets coverage apart from the games themselves and maybe routine updates on Sportscentre, the team's radio and newspaper coverage is pretty strong. TSN 1290's default topic is basically the Jets, and CJOB 680 spends a fair bit of time on them too. I subscribe to the Winnipeg Free Press and their sports section always has a strong dose of the Jets (same with the Sun). Then there's The Athletic, the blogs, etc.

Any serious Jets fan who actively seeks out team news probably has more at their disposal than they can consume every day, unless they are literally consuming Jets news nonstop all day long.

Acajack · #**551** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 3:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I will say this as a somewhat casual Jets fan, even though the TV front is somewhat weak with not a whole lot of Jets coverage apart from the games themselves and maybe routine updates on Sportscentre, the team's radio and newspaper coverage is pretty strong. TSN 1290's default topic is basically the Jets, and CJOB 680 spends a fair bit of time on them too. I subscribe to the Winnipeg Free Press and their sports section always has a strong dose of the Jets (same with the Sun). Then there's The Athletic, the blogs, etc.

Any serious Jets fan who actively seeks out team news probably has more at their disposal than they can consume every day, unless they are literally consuming Jets news nonstop all day long.

As I said before, I can't help you guys if you don't to help yourselves!

suburbanite · #**552** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 5:04 PM**

Finally official for Peters.

Now to see if any more coaches fall from grace before the end of the season.

thurmas · #**553** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 6:07 PM**

With so many options to get daily info on your favorite local NHL team its much better for fans in the non Toronto/Montreal markets today than it was in the 80's and 90's trying to follow the Jets, Canucks or Flames. Espn is shrinking in the states and I doubt its much different for TSN and Sportsnet with cable cutting. Having the leafs be the first 10 minutes on Sportscentre is annoying but understandable with the type of ratings they produce.

megadude · #**554** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 6:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by suburbanite

Finally official for Peters.

Now to see if any more coaches fall from grace before the end of the season.

So who are the odds on favourites? For morality, not just performance.

Torts? Laviolette?

Rollerstud98 · #**555** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 7:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

So who are the odds on favourites? For morality, not just performance.

Torts? Laviolette?

Have heard calls for Danielle Goyette. This is just people on Twitter mind you but something like that would be interesting.

HomeInMyShoes · #**556** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 7:41 PM**

We need another round of Torts. Totally missing the great comments all the time.

Darkoshvilli · #**557** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 8:09 PM**

Might be Julien with the way habs are playing.

thurmas · #**558** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 8:33 PM**

Habs have a very limited talent pool to choose from for a coach because of their self imposed bilingual requirement for a coach. Remember the huge uproar when Pauline Marois called out the habs for having an anglo as interim coach after Therrien was fired. Maybe they can grab Claude Noel?

megadude · #**559** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 8:41 PM**

As far as coaches go, Julien has got to be one of the more likable guys. But ya, he just may have to go to spark a turnaround in performance. But I also don't think the Habs have a very good roster.

I think Bergevin should have been gone a couple of years ago. I think they need to let both of them go and head in a different direction.

Denscity · #**560** Posted **Nov 29, 2019, 10:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thurmas

With so many options to get daily info on your favorite local NHL team its much better for fans in the non Toronto/Montreal markets today than it was in the 80's and 90's trying to follow the Jets, Canucks or Flames. Espn is shrinking in the states and I doubt its much different for TSN and Sportsnet with cable cutting. Having the leafs be the first 10 minutes on Sportscentre is annoying but understandable with the type of ratings they produce.

Yes but we don't need Toronto domination on all 11 channels. Surely we can be thrown a few non Toronto channels like the good old days. I miss the half hour pregame and postgame shows we used to have. Now those slots are also Toronto oriented.
Make TSN 1-3 pure Toronto and 4 -5 the ROC.