NHL Center Ice

[NYDutch]

I understand for the games on NBC and NBCSN but an NBC exclusivity deal should have nothing to do with games broadcast on the NHL Network, most of the time NHL Network is just picking up the RSN feed anyway. One of the most infuriating things is, if your team is in the hunt for the playoffs NHL Channel will add games at the end of the season then black those out on NHL.TV

But if NBC's contract with the NHL says the games can't be shown live anywhere else?

 

[Cheddar_Head]

But if NBC's contract with the NHL says the games can't be shown live anywhere else?

It's possible but that should only apply to game shown on NBC or NBCSN, most of the games on NHL Network are just games that the local RSN is already broadcasting, the NHL.TV and Center Ice are also RSN feeds. If the blackout doesn't affect Center Ice why does it affect NHL.TV? Sorry about this rant but sports blackouts in the day and age are one of my pet peeves. I get blackouts intended to increase attendance at the stadium, it doesn't usually work but that's what they were originally intended for. In the NHL almost the entire state of Wisconsin is considered Minnesota Wild territory so you can't watch any (home or away) Wild game on NHL.TV, yeah that's definitely abuse of what blackouts were originally intended for.

 

[NYDutch]

I agree blackouts suck, but I think the NHL folks are the only ones that can answer your questions factually.

 

[dare2be]

In the NHL almost the entire state of Wisconsin is considered Minnesota Wild territory so you can't watch any (home or away) Wild game on NHL.TV, yeah that's definitely abuse of what blackouts were originally intended for.

Then it is likely the contract with the RSN that is triggering the blackout. The RSN wants their viewership too, and doesn't want the NHL to take away potential viewers from their subscriber base, nor decrease "attendance" to their station.

 

[Cheddar_Head]

Then it is likely the contract with the RSN that is triggering the blackout. The RSN wants their viewership too, and doesn't want the NHL to take away potential viewers from their subscriber base, nor decrease "attendance" to their station.

Absolutely the RSN contract for the blackouts in the RSN region BUT the original intent of blackouts was to protect the in stadium attendance NOT viewership and if the RSN would allow NHL.TV to air the commercials they could count the NHL.TV viewers when negotiating with advertisers.. Plus the RSN contract would have nothing to do with blacking out a Blackhawks that is put on the NHL channel and then blacked out in Colorado. I have made inquires to the NHL Network and NHL.TV and get nowhere. In addition MLB.TV has been able to function without nearly the level of blackouts the NHL.TV does. The only regular season games MLB.TV blacks out is the Sunday night national game on Fox.