As this piece from The Herald of Bradenton, Florida demonstrates, it's easier to be critical of somebody else's efforts than to praise them, which is part of the reason why I've decided to take the high road and pat OLN on the back for the Stanley Cup Playoff coverage we've been seeing here in the U.S.
First of all, OLN deserves plaudits for leveraging programming from North of the border. Hockey Night in Canada is the gold standard of televised hockey, and the more American audiences can get exposed to it, the better. For a couple of years now, American subscribers to NHL Center Ice have known how good HNIC really is, and I'm glad the secret is out. Even better, it's good to know that Don Cherry and Ron McLean are getting exposed to the American audience.
One other thing: Thanks to the people at the CBC who remember to tell the on-air staff to say hello to the Americans who are watching the game on OLN. It's nice to know that you know that we're watching, and it makes me want to come back.
Better yet, OLN has picked up NHL Network's nightly highlight show, NHL On The Fly and is running it in the wee hours of the morning where it gets picked up on my TiVo for me to watch every morning over my Cheerios.
While I wish they would have started airing it during the regular season -- and given American audiences a chance to get to know the hosts and develop a following -- I'm just glad that there's one place where I know I can go every night at a certain time to get hockey highlights I can watch on my 32" Sony television, and not just on my 17" monitor.
Word is that Comcast is going to bring the NHL Network to the U.S. in time for the 2006-07 season, and for that I'm grateful. Here's hoping it's on the same tier as NBATV and the NFL Network on cable and satellite.
Coming tomorrow: A detailed look at the cable network's online activities supporting their hockey broadcasts, and how OLN can leverage their online real estate more effectively.
Eric,
I have to agree. It’s great to see them running hockey-related stuff before and after the games as well. So much better than ESPN’s coverage towards the end of their run.
They’re trying hard to bring the heritage of the game to the US audiences . I’m watching the CBC’s “The Legends of Hockey” right now, waiting for my dinner and the Buffalo/Ottawa game to arrive.
Ta,
I just did an article on my site about this same topic, tied in with George Solomon chastising ESPN for their deliberately-shoddy coverage of the playoffs.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: OLN gave the NHL the royal treatment, the real deal this season. After a rough start (understandable given the short time they had to prepare), they improved the announcing teams, the studio show and sets, and once they began aiirng other hockey-related programming when not airing games it was basically clear that OLN is everything ESPN wasn’t.
I agree that OLN A) did an awesome thing in shamelessly airing CBC broadcasts of games to work in extre coverage (even though I think CBC’s actual broadcasts and announcers have become ghastly and awful — hockey is hockey), and B) did a smart thing in picking up that NHL Network nightly show (which they need to re-air at noon the next day, so we can watch it on lunch hour… ala what ESPN does with NFL Live, Baseball Tonight, etc). I can turn it on OLN *every* night and watch playoff hockey, and that’s a beautiful thing (I also admit to watching AFL on OLN since they picked that up too).
There’s bad blood with ESPN right now though. I think when they saw the NHL bounce back just fine this season, they realized their mistake and are trying to cover their own butts now because they’re far too prideful to admit they made a mistake. They’re also nervous that OLN has picked up NHL and AFL, and is eyeing more, because ESPN has stretched itself so thin for programming now.
It sounds to me that The Herald of Bradenton, Florida, is more of a column writer and not a Hockey fan. Any Hockey fan right now is enjoying OLN’s coverage of the playoffs. Are you kidding me? A game every night, CBC feeds, and Hockey-related programming? What’s not to love?
I am so happy OLN is giving the NHL the star treatment. I was tired of ESPN’s constant on-air ridicule and general step-child treatment. The NHL on OLN is a fan’s dream: respect, action, knowledge and — most important to me — when the Stanley Cup Finals are broadcasted: No. Chris. Berman.