If the Stars and Flyers hadn't averted sweeps in the NHL conference finals, NBC would have ended up showing zero games in this round. (The NHL got bumped by golf last weekend.)
But now there will be two games this weekend. NBC wouldn't mind seeing the Red Wings and Penguins get it over with and advance at that point, though. Because that finals matchup is about as good as the network could have hoped for, ratings-wise.
Speaking of NBC, it is holding a Bob Costas-led roundtable discussion on the state of horse racing before the Preakness. The Eight Belles matter, which did not get enough attention on NBC on Kentucky Derby day, will be addressed in detail.
Might be interesting. The last time Costas hosted a roundtable, on HBO April 29, it certainly stirred stuff up.
Comments (7)
Their ratings on VS this playoff season are much better than their ratings last playoff season and that's because of the final 4 this year compared to the final 4 last year. Hockey will never get the ratings the other sports get because of all the small US markets and the Canadian markets that are in the mix every year, this year they luck out with bigger markets and high profile teams. Hopefully the finals go 7 and they get a better than expected rating for once. The NHL for some reason doesn't set themselves up for a game 7 playoff game to be played on the weekend so they can show it on NBC like the NBA sets themselves up to show game 7's on ABC on the weekend.
What if the Dallas/Red Wings game on NBC runs long past 430p Saturday? Will NBC and the NHL do the minor league thing again and dump it sloppily onto Versus' lap? Another lousy move for the Bettman Archive.
The NHL is still in business?
4:30 is theoretically enough time for a complete OT period.
If the game is still going on, NBC's Detroit and Dallas affiliates will stay with the game to its conclusion. Versus would have the game everywhere else.
NHL and NBC = minor league again.
This from the NHL:
Stars-Wings NBC contingency plan for May 17th
NHL.com
May 16, 2008, 2:12 PM EDT
NEW YORK - The contingency plan for Saturday's 1:30 p.m. ET DAL@DET NBC broadcast is as follows:
If the game goes into overtime, the local Dallas and Detroit NBC affiliates will stay with the game until it's conclusion
In markets outside Dallas and Detroit, the game will shift from NBC to VERSUS after completion of the 1st OT
There are some markets that may pre-empt the game but at this time we don't know the alternative channel plans.
It comes down to ratings the horse race gets much better ratings than the hockey game. Can't blame NBC.
Well, NBC dodged that bullet ... until next year.
The Belmont is on ABC.