How I Feel the NHL's Obsession with Money Now Costs Them Money Later
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- This has been talked about over the past week by various media members, so I wanted to weigh in after my week off watching this stuff.
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In business we call this over-earning. Yes, you can screw your customers now and make a fortune - but it will cost you long term.
Welcome to how all the corps think now unless their owner isnt a complete tool. Everything is about short term business decisions and not long term. Gotta make more money every year because making the same amount of profit is somehow a failure
@@RandomGuyCDN dystopian nightmare we're living in folks
It’s been a long time since my college Econ course, but the one lesson I can’t forget the lesson of a profit curve: there is only so much you can charge customers for a product/service before you start losing them and your overall revenue takes a loss.
@@RandomGuyCDN Except that's not true at all, most tech companies build everything on the principle that eventually they can turn a profit. What's important is building up the value of the brand, not cashing in on the brands value. Infact what you're describing is something that more or less is a truism with publicly traded companies. The league is privately owned and is all about long term franchise values as the primary reason for justifying extreme expansion fees.
Late stage capitalism, folks
The nhl has ruined the tv product with the digital ads. This is the single largest contact the league with its fans.
meh. they had the same argument with board ads years before
eventually you will tune them out.. or you will turn it off.
@@acanadianineurope814 Have you watched an north american nhl tv broadcast this season? I've tried too but they are in my opinion unwatchable.
@@acanadianineurope814 only difference is those original board ads didn't eat up the players and didn't play mini videos during the game
@@wadeschmidt yes I have, not nice but I also can remember version 1.0 of boards ads, which was not nice either. Try watching some euro hockey sometime... this is your future.
@@acanadianineurope814 Turning it off is becoming the popular trend. If my jets weren't doing well I wouldn't even watch hockey this year. If the Jets go on a rebuild I won't be watching.
As someone who does sports betting himself, I think the NHL has gone too far in terms of advertising gambling websites and pushing it on people who have no interest in betting or have had a gambling addiction in the past...it's making the product unwatchable
As someone who never gambles I certainly agree. Definitely hurts true passion for the sport
the gambling adds every 4 seconds are becoming intolerable
This is why Shannon is The Hockey Guy. The passion in this video. Speaking for all of us fans. ❤️
Agreed I just wish he put more mention on them covering up faceoffs. I watched a game the other day, where the puck was in the net before the flash add was over. Faceoffs are a huge part of the game, depending on who your centers are.
He's a fan and a true pro....CBC hire this guy
no man deserves that title more than Shannon
agreed. hes an MVP every year. an absolute beauty
I'm old enough to remember thinking that a 0 - 0 tie was a great game. A defensive goalie duel can be just as good as a fire wagon score fest
Many thousands of us hockey fans are now on fixed incomes. We have to decide if we need to pay a lot of money for hockey channels on TV, or go to the doctor, put gas in the car, get groceries, plus pay a regular cable bill(obnoxiously priced as is) a to see hardly any hockey. More fans will tune in to watch if we get to see it easily. Even if the team I root for is not on, we still like to watch the game. Thanks for all THG videos, I watch probably 99% of them, and you tell it like it is, too little of this in the world today.
I'll give a real world example.
Up until UA-cam added the 2nd ad to each ad break, I sat through the ads because 5-15 seconds before and maybe in the middle of a video was okay.
I've used adblock for years now and wouldn't even stomach that anymore.
In the quest for more money, you lose good will and more consumers, so you have to keep trying to get more out of who's left.
Well said . ✅ ads chase me off viewing …
And youtube is free, the nhl business model is connecting with a niche audience, typically a middle class audience who'll dump $200-300 in the league each and every year.
What ad block do you use for UA-cam? Been trying to find a good one
Pay for YT Premium, it is so worth it and pays money to the content creators.
@@thesweetermonster3453 U block origin. I haven't seen an ad in years. Hell I don't even watch NHL adds. I have video speed controller added onto my chrome, so I can skip adds with ease. As soon as the ref blows the whistle I skip ahead to the next puck drop.
why are blackouts still a thing? if a leafs game or a habs game or whatever is blacked out for me i can’t watch it on tv, i can’t stream it (legally) and i can’t go to the game because i live in saskatchewan. which leaves me no choice but to watch a pirated stream or not watch at all, making the nhl no money either way.
Pretty much why I don't get the nhl package online. I don't have cable, but would like to watch hockey. But getting blacked out of games is, weird. Especially since so far as I know I paid for them - I'm not going to know what games are going to be blacked out before hand I can't be fucked to keep track of each and every thing for that.
The NHL is absolutely risking hurting itself with the intense chase for more money. I get it. It's a business and they want to make money. But chasing it too hard will hurt more in the long term. The digital ads are bad. But honestly, I'm getting sick of the gambling ads constantly. Just all time and everywhere. And while it isn't all on the NHL itself, you get it with surrounding the league. Podcasts, news sites, etc. Just so darn much.
Doesn't help were I'm from UK Football has gamble ads up the risuo and it's been normalised just about everywhere I go. The NHL is just following it and it will get worse
What bothers me is the fact that the pro sports leagues actually embraced gambling. If they were willing to do this, then why isn't Pete Rose in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Gambling, over history, has compromised the integrity of the games. And Rose got caught up in it.
@@shawklan27 Soccer is 45 minutes of continuous play. Hockey is short bursts that are more or less overwhelming for new audiences. Constant visual stimulation with adds is a whole other issue. You can't compare hockey to other sports. In Gridiron there's a lots of breaks and starts. In soccer//basketball, you can see the players faces, in hockey they have no personality and no faces.
Sadly I don't think the gambling stuff is ever going away. I saw some statistics recently and something like over half of all fantasy sports players are men in their 30s that make over 90k. The money is there, ripe for the taking.
@@dixonhill1108 you obviously have never watched a hockey game, you can see the faces of the players all the time,and you have always been able to see their faces.
You're the hero we need and deserve, Shannon!
This guy is a real hockey fan. The passion he has for the game. You love to see it
When the NHL loses viewership, advertisers will take notice and offer less. So the NHL makes less money, BUT, those viewers? There's no guarantee they'll return.
I really wish that Bettman and the owners would watch this video and understand that Shannon is right about every point made.
Die hard fan since 94.
Only missed games if I had to.
The local blackouts and poor television coverage has made it impossible for me to watch games, and I'm not missing it.
The few games that I have seen were unwatchable.
At least I can get my daily news and scores here!
If it wasn't for THG I think that I would have given up completely.
Stop making sense!
Couldn't agree with this more. They're like addicts, always craving the next short lived high, not realizing the damage they're doing to themselves long term. 2020 is the biggest example of this, but as you explained with the Versus deal, there is a consistent history of this.
@@geoff3103 Bettman is the commissioner, he works for the owners. If you don't like the way the NHL is going, blame the owners first and foremost, and Bettman a distant 33rd.
@@mdd47 their point stands. If fans had any self discipline... things would change.
@@geoff3103 "obviously know nothing" why be so rude and insult people? If you think I'm wrong, OK, but there's no need to be a jerk about it.
@@geoff3103 “preposterous, foolish” again if you think I’m wrong, cool, but you could at least try not to be a rude jerk about it.
@@geoff3103 May you reap what you sow
The problem with the NHL is not necessarily that they actively seek new revenue sources, but that they always seem to go just that extra mile to piss off everyone. Like the digital ads could have been done in a reasonable way with no animations and some conditions for the advertisers on the use of colors so that the players don't disappear into them. You could have gotten 90% of the money without basically any backlash.
Hard agree on this
THG the absolute GOAT
The NHL is making its product harder to watch with the constant advertising and the jersey ads (I primarily watch the Wild who have giant ads). Ive found myself watching and caring more about football and college hockey rather than the NHL
It sucks that soms teams have taken the jersey ad route but im proud that theres a large number of teams who havent
With the change to NIL I do worry how long College Football is going to last before it gets corroded by the chase for moooore money.
I've started caring about baseball again.
I have been watching this channel for a few years and this might be my favorite video Shannon has made. Thanks for the real talk THG!
Agreed one of his best on the money !
Agreed one of his best on the money !
Absolutely agreed, with one quibble: the oversimplification of the ESPN-OLN quandary in 2004.
-Reporting at the time indicated ESPN was also offering significantly reduced percentages of ad revenue. OLN was offering better ad rates than any of its other content. (Yes, big fish in a small pond, but it's also a pride thing.)
-Reporting at the time also indicated ESPN wasn't even guaranteeing games on ESPN2 and up--that some number would be pushed to 360/ESPN+. Nowadays with streaming's evolution? Not as big a deal. Even five years ago, though--let alone 19? Absolute deal-breaker. OLN not only guaranteed multiple primetime slots a week, but also heavily promoted second-half games of the week on NBC. I get the argument of even ESPN2 vs. OLN, but people forget there was a chance even the FINAL wasn't going to reach ESPN or ABC. That is humiliating, and ESPN did everything it could to absolutely bury NHL on all its programs.
-ESPN also had no interest in giving any attractive time slots to the NHL, which I can understand given their push of NFL at the time with NBA as the flagship. OLN made NHL the flagship overnight and did a great job despite its reach. The evolutions along the way (marked with milestones of the name switches from OLN to VERSUS and then VERSUS to NBCSN) were incredible. They drew well despite the limited reach of OLN especially.
I can understand the opinion that it was still the wrong choice, but I think especially in hindsight it turned out great.
I was just about to say this, I have never even thought to have this discussion, let alone anyone else talking about this issue
the nhl has never been accused of being intelligent when it comes to needing to use critical thinking.
Or just in general...
This is so true. Look how the league was created.
The all star challenge proves that
Oh, they're intelligent. It's just that they give zero sh*ts about the fans and would rather risk alienating die hard fans for the chance to squeeze $200 out of a casual fan.
Neither have hockey fans.
Not sure if this last week felt ridiculously long because there was barely any hockey or because there was no Shannon lol. Genuinely missed him while he was gone. Glad you got a vacation! But man is this channel a big part of my day!
Same here. Boring week. No hockey, no drugs.
I felt this so much. 😂
There was no Shannon? He released so many videos this last week!
Also, he has a 2nd channel called "The Entertainment Guy" if you miss him. He posted a bunch of stuff there during his vacations.
Saturday night I attended a VERY exciting AHL game, and missed the All Star Game as a result.
Correction: I didn't miss the All Star Game one bit. I made the right call, and it wasn't close.
The best part of the All Star Game was Fall Out Boy lol
I think all star games in pro sports are past time.
The 2005-06 season was actually nationally broadcast on OLN (Outdoor Life Network), before the channel was rebranded to Versus. That network choice definitely seemed odd to me.
Along with a select number of games on over the air NBC & the reason why that happened was because the parent company that owned OLN Comcast also bought NBC from GE. NBC only showed the NHL because at that time they did not have any of "The Big 4" rights. The NBA had left NBC in 2002 & SNF wasn't going to be coming until 2006. The biggest things NBC had at that time were the Olympics, golf & NASCAR (which was at its peak popularity wise before it crashed) and that was it.
NHLs broadcasting choices before NBC is hilarious
lol yep. spot on.
Remember when the NHL would show first round playoff games on The Golf Channel?
As someone who brought ESPN+ to watch other teams when the Sabres aren't playing, which means I watch a ton of hockey. The digital ads and gambling ads I'm able to tune out. But I can easily see how it would be distracting for new fans. Also with the poor marketing from the league. Watching the Skills Comp was a total mess and was an opportunity blown to get new fans. It's a shame because nothing beats hockey, but it sometimes feels like in my environment that I'm the only one who watches.
ESPN+ is an excellent product. Virtually every game (except TNT) with a choice of home/ road broadcast. The only ads I notice are the moving ones(especially if they are going in the ‘wrong’ direction). It’s also reasonably priced
@@rickyaz8640 ESPN+ has been a major disappointment for anyone who previously subscribed to NHLTV/Gamecenter online. Many features have been stripped out, most notably multi-window view, (except AppleTv). It’s a much more watered down experience than what we had enjoyed for well over a decade.
@@rickyaz8640 doesn't include much Kraken coverage due to them having thier rights owned by roots.... Black outs constantly. While living IN Washington state annnnd in californina AND Colorado (while I visited) 🤬🤬🤬🤬 unreal. However with ESPN + you can watch any game black out or tnt covered the next day so not too terrible....
Thier broadcasters are 🤬🤬🤬🤬 unberable though
Ps I am an Avs fan but I figured I'd join the Kraken bandwagon when they launchlaunched for a second team... so so hard to do though
I feel you on the last sentence. It's honestly sad when I get blank stares at "Do you watch hockey"?
Yah, put me in the alienated category. The constant gambling ads were the final straw. I'll watch highlights online but won't sit down and watch a full game again.
Don't worry... our fearless leader Gary Bettman said that his poll we never saw any data for indicated that fans like the digital ads!
I've been a hockey fan for decades, and watching on tv has become irritating that borders on stressful. It's like my social media feed threw up on my television/computer screen. There are pop up windows for twitter and instagram, moving ads, gambling stats, all on top of the usual ticker with game scores and updates scrolling along the bottom and the scoreboard. I like to watch The. Game. If I wanted to watch ads and popup windows, I would play a Candy Crush or some other phone-based game. I miss *seeing* the games, the plays, and action. Thank you for calling attention to this and speaking for all us fans!
Never lose sight of the implication of the 20% drop in ratings. It means a bunch of new people watched hockey last year out of curiosity. Then went: "this is boring/this is the same NHL I didn't like in 2005" and didn't come back this year.
The NHL today can’t be more different than it was in 2005
Long time hockey fan, NHL fan, season seat holder; that said, I hate the board advertising, it is a definite distraction and it should disappear. I also would never buy a hockey jersey with advertising on it and I have a dozen or more. And the gambling sites on tv now - when do we bring back cigarette ads ? It's got to stop and I congratulate you on your stand on this issue. You speak for the fans, unfortunatley the NHL has forgotten us.
I don't like the current playoff format. A better playoff format would have 1st in conference play 8th in conference, or 1st in league play 16th in league.
The benefit in both these scenarios is the best regular season finisher playing the worst finisher.
They really need to go back to the 1 vs 8 format. This current format has long run it's course.
I'm 3 years older than Shannon. I remember the talk in the '90s about the NHL becoming more popular than the NBA. Even here in New England, where hockey is more popular than in much of the U.S., that never seemed likely.
I'll never forget that Sports Illustrated cover! The most typical NHL thing ever to go into a lockout right after that. No one shoots themselves in the foot like this league.
I've been a hockey nut for 50 + years
But with more access and time, the digital boad ads are causing me to not care about watching hockey
Am I wasting money/ice package, , by not maximizing what I watch meh(the meh is scary)
If not for Shannon, I would be losing even more contact/interest with hockey(very scary)
What is happening to a rabid hockey fan who has become dis- interested in hockey
Solid rant, love it! The whole short-sighted shift from ESPN to VERSUS was overshadowed by the lockout. Don't think most fans even noticed because they were just happy to get NHL hockey back. Agree 100% that the NHL is interested in $ over quality of the product. The dramatic shift to the NHL being a champion of online gambling is the thing that is going to come back and haunt the NHL. What a misguided move. And the ads on the rink and players will only get worse while ticket prices continue to rise. The NHL is going to price themselves out of a lot of households.
He is right about the ads. It's designed to get your attention and the fact that fans are admitting that it's distracting that's what the advertisers want. They want you to look at the digital board ad.
Then viewers reach a breaking point. And stop watching. Just like I have.
@@fantasticvoyage262 me too. Won't watch with it
@@coolbeansjr I wouldn't be surprised if despicable ads are engraved into the Stanley Cup for a few extra dollars.
Gambling needs to go back underground. The amount of gambling ads is disgusting considering that most of the industry is based on preying on addicts.
Give it another 5 years and it’ll be normal the same way people don’t complain about beer commercials being at ever commercial break in nfl games
23:16 really hammered home something in my mind.
THG and Dangle are the two hockey personalities I listen to the most, more than any TV or radio people. But the paths each have taken recently could not be more different.
Unfortunately, Steve has given in to a lot of the things THG has resisted. The SDP podcast not only has gambling ads, but actual sponsored segments where they chat with a gambling company employee about what bets to make. It's gotten really out of hand and I know a chunk of his fanbase have called Steve/Adam/Jesse out for this, but they have consistently refused to even acknowledge any criticism.
lol Dangle is pure cringe
@@j.b.7133 the only good video Dangle has ever made was about some no name zamboni driver.....🙃🙃
Last weeks dang it’s was filled with ads..for the first time since I discovered dang it’s I did not watch the whole video…if it’s the same this week I’ll probably unsubscribe
Steve Dangle is possible one of the world's most annoying personalities. I could not watch him no matter how his content was augmented/not augmented.
Dangle is an absolute hack lmao
When Vegas came into the league, they did hockey tutorial segments during intermission. Dallas used to have some of that that too. I could the the NHL has teams explain back checking or what a hook is. If they explain penalties, maybe they need to have the zebras watch that too XD
In the vein of “just because you can doesn’t mean you should”, many of the bells and whistles they’ve added digitally are asinine. I don’t need a name tag above the player when they touch the puck. I don’t need a little circle around one guy so I can “keep an eye” on him. I don’t really need a timer to know a player has been on the ice a long time, or a shot speed indicator to know a slap shot was a howitzer.
It’s honestly like they’re trying to impress us or something, but all it is is a cluttered viewing experience when I just want to watch some damn hockey.
The gambling ads is truly the biggest issue. It's like a pandemic. As a high school teacher, I can't even begin to tell you how often I hear students talk about their gambling losses from online betting sites. They're 15 years old.
Wow. Sad
I actually started disliking the flashing changing ads, I really miss the actual local ads on the boards because I usually memorize the ads in October/November so I don’t have to think much about where the game is being played. In addition, the local ads are actually of a help because I would likely shop at their stores when visiting. The more nationalized feel of the game is just making it too overly corporate. I even thought the Islanders were playing at home when they digitally overlayed Northwell Health (a local Health Network and Key Sponsor of the Islanders) onto the Ice of a different arena multiple times. It just doesn’t work.
I remember stumbling upon this channel and thinking "This guy calls himself The Hockey Guy? That's quite a boast!" And yet you definitely live up to that name, Shannon. In a world of bombastic editing, clickbait and react videos, your substantive videos that are what they say on the tin are a breath of fresh air, and I can see that your channel follows the ethos you're espousing in this video.
Good points Shannon. I'd like to share what I've done differently this year in response to gambling ads, board ads, gambling ads, jersey ads, gambling, and the league treating me like I'll just keep taking it:
Last year I reckon I spent over $6,000 at live games. This year, I haven't gone to a single game, and I refuse to spend a dime until the league takes its viewers more seriously.
i dont mind the digital ads,,, i dont like ads on the jerseys though , im glad Detroit has no jersey ads
I hate both equally.
I agree. NHL needs more eyes on it. I remember being in Pennsylvania in the early 2000s. I thought I would be able to watch Pens, Devils, or Flyers games on TV. Couldn't find one game all week! Sports channels were replaying old basketball games instead.
Those lockouts really reduced my interest in the NHL product and that clown show, of an all star, weekend didn't help...LoL
local blackouts suck so much, i pay money to watch a game but i can only watch games everywhere other than the area i live. makes no sense to me.
Get a VPN, and change your location, it seems to work
Shannon, this is the best video you have ever done. Every word is spot on. The NHL Board of Governors needs to watch this. Thank-you for taking what so much of us have thought and felt, and putting it so plainly and clearly.
I agree with everything you said. sadly, you only touched the surface of money problems the NHL has created themselves. I felt like this was a 5 minute video and was shocked to notice it was almost 30 minutes. Just proves you right, in my opinion.
Keep it up bud
This rant about the league was awesome! Hat’s off to the hockey guy 🏒!
This is so true. Imagine the NHL asking the fans what they want before doing things or the NHL talking to you Shannon because you are the most passionate fan that i know of. You truly live, breath and think hockey and we can see it. I wish that the NHL could see it
it feels like eventually there will be so much stuff on the screen that it will just feel like playing a video game
HERE IN AUSTRALIA WE CANT EVEN LEGALY PAY TO WATCH THE NHL. It's the odd game on Kayo or illegal streams only
I'd be pissed if I paid for a regular board ad and it was covered up digitally.
Did the NHL get my money for Center Ice yes
Does digital boards make me less likely to watch numerous games, I normally watch.....yes
Do I find myself watching a lot less hockey yes
Do I go numerous days with out watching...... yes
Am I thinking about not renewing my contract........maybe
Huge issue was Leah hextall and I appears ESPN realized it because she’s been banished to intermission interviews. No business doing play by play if you don’t know the rules
She still does pbp in some games
Nepotism at it's finest. She is Ron Hextall's cousin
That's about all espn has gotten right. But at least they fixed it. Her voice is impossible to listen to for any length of time.
@MZ This is such a lazy incorrect narrative. There are amazing women in the hockey world that deserve to be on the biggest national stage we have, yet we get Cassie Campbell-Pasqual and Leah Hextall? I mean come on.
Hextall specifically is arguably making it worse for women with how piss poor of a job she constantly is doing. She makes all women look bad when it's actually just a handful of people bad at their jobs no different than men
@@Dhemize Couldn't agree more. I also don't dislike Hextall because she's a woman. I dislike her because her pitch and delivery are terrible. And this was noticeable when she was doing college hockey games for ESPN. At some points she's too low, and when a goal is scored, she's way too high. Pitch and delivery are key to being a good PBP person.
I remember when Kate Scott did the PBP for the all-woman's telecast on NBC right before the pandemic. She had never done an NHL game before, and she sounded like a natural. Great pitch and delivery. And now she's killing it as the lead PBP for the Sixers.
There are great female broadcasters out there. Hextall just isn't one of them.
Shannon For Commissioner!
All the digital and projected ads in Europe... next year. they just need to install some new tech.
The Euro arenas are now as sophisticated as in NA.
Want some fun ?
Go watch a vintage game form the 70's... no ads anywhere...Perfect.
You are the man Shannon. You are absolutely right when most people would still respect you and find no fault in you achieving as much money as possible. But I believe more people respect and admire you for being genuinely you, even when it comes at personal financial cost. No one does it better than you!
I’ll never forget for my birthday going to a blue jackets game for my first time. Was really excited to get a gaudreau jersey until I saw the ads… I just couldn’t at that point, it’s an eye sore and it’s something I can’t support
Same for me. I was looking at bidding on a game used jersey. Until I saw the disgusting ad on the front that has nothing to do with hockey. Forget it. Someone else can have it.
What's funny is Comcast owners in Colorado still don't have access to altitude sports and can't watch the Avs or Nuggets. Also the Stanley Cup champs practice facilitiy is in a Family event center. They practice where laser tag is next door. We're also talking about Stan Kroenke the Dude who owns the Rams, Nuggets, Avs and Arsenal name a few. The 2nd richest NHL owner.
Same. I had to add Hulu with ESPN+ to get Altitude.
The NHL has turned into a circus!
I wouldn’t mind the jersey/helmet ads if they were just solid black/white, though i completely agree with the digital board and on ice ads especially during live play
I’m really glad the Leafs’ helmet and jersey ads are solid white(blue with away) bc I honestly forget they are there. When I look at other teams ads that are either multiple colors or another color that is not part of their jersey (like the Wilds) it looks bad
One thing I noticed with the digital ads is that the top of the goalie water bottle keeps flickering because of poor technology. So you would have this dark small object that is roughly the same size as a puck keep flickering at the back of the net, as if someone has scored a goal, and it's really distracting under certain circumstances.
I think what the nhl has seemed to forget is that hockey is already the most visually busy sport out of the big 4. With baseball and football you have frequent breaks between each pitch/play. And in basketball, the court is small enough where you have extra space at the top that isn’t really being used. With hockey you don’t have any of that.
Don't forget about the trapezoid ads too. They don't bother me by themselves but it's gets obnoxious with the digital ads behind the net and on the boards
Bringing up the AHL...their AllStar weekend was WAY more watchable than the NHLs was. And both their skills comp and games itself took less time to get thru.
Right on Shannon. One of your best posts. My contrarian take. "Less is sometimes more". Back to basics and a 60 game regular season!
The Economics Guy
Welcome to Europe where if you don't know the team, you sometimes don't know which picture is the logo on the jersey because of the ads.
Much love THG.
Very well done, Shannon! The grab for money at any cost, the cost of integrity, pride, history, or the sentiment both good and bad. ( you acknowledge both, to be better) is very short-sighted and cost you more.
As a Ducks fan, finally got to watch Bally on a single-team fee basis. I was paying $20 a month. A bit high but OK, ill do it. The product was HORRIBLE. JUST HORRIBLE. It’s unwatchable. I cancelled. PS - I personally don’t care about jersey ads.
ESPN+ (with the HULU/ Disney+ product) is cheaper than that. You’ll get all the games you can handle
I hope you had a great vacation. I went to Disneyland with my nephews a couple years ago and the amount of money you can spend there is insane. It was super fun though.
A big thing is also the culture that prphibts the game from marketing its stars and that's totally on the junior hockey coaches and management coming up. Connor Bedard was recently featured on CBC's "The National" and he said "You never know what the future holds, whether I'm back here (meaning Regina/WHL) next year or not. I'm not thinking about that. I don't want to have the menality this is the last little bit (in junior hockey)."
That answer reeks of years of media training and being taught if you say anything remotely interesting or off-script, the media will use it against you. Although that's true, it would allow him to display some personality. Instead, hockey culture beats the personalities out of the kids and makes them boring robots/clones.
A better answer (that would still allow him to display some of that humilty) would be to say, "If everything goes according to plan this will be my last year in Regina and so I'm trying to savour it as much as possible. Right now, I've got four goals: win the WHL championship, win a Memorial Cup, go number one overall in the draft, and be playing NHL hockey come next October." This false humility thing where all these stars endlessly compliment each other (like McDavid constantly saying Crosby is the best player in the world) doesn't sell tickets.
Like WWE, the NFL, and the NBA, this is the entertainment business. We need heroes, villians, players you hate to love/love to hate, guys you root for, guys you boo. Players like Brad Marchant, PK Subban, and Sean Avery have/had it right. That's what sells tickets and brings in causuals and causes you to watch out-of-market games on a midweek night between two teams you don't root for because there's a compelling storyline.
@@geoff3103 While I do think most sports fans could probably name Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid they may even mispronounce the names (or not know the first names) and not know anything beyond that. Certainly your Nate MacKinnons and Makar's are virtual unknowns lol But yeah, in terms of being relevant in the day-to-day sports culture (especially in America) those guys are bascially non-existant
The fact that we have blackouts in 2023 is insane to me. I'm a Devils fan living in Flyers country. I bought ESPN+ to watch every Devils game because 1) its cheaper than cable and 2) they're not even on TV despite me still being in Jersey. But the 3 or 4 times a year we play the Flyers I can't watch and have to find a stream through reddit (which yes Gary it's totally legit) because it's blacked out. If you want to grow the game and bring in new fans putting restrictions on local teams is the wrong way to do it
speaking as a fan from across the pond, how busy the screen is now when watching games really makes it a tough watch as well as a tough sell to my friends, especially when it can be tricky to follow the puck on a clean screen (I have many years experience of stopping up late in the 90's to watch a game on a cheap analogue small screen TV so I its easy enough for me) but with the points raised about growing the game, the on screen presentation is actively hurting the game. The on ice product is defo the best I've seen in my 20 years plus of viewing. As always Shannon, a great, balanced, insightful and thought provoking video.
You are correct 💯. I have already this year turned off games entirely because of all this nonsense. I hate the ads on the helmets and the jerseys! I think all the different jerseys are becoming too much!
I started watching and playing hockey in the late 1950's. Objectively speaking, the game is played better today, but I don't watch it anymore. The simplicity and the soul are on life support. You're the man, Shannon; a Canadian who knows and loves hockey.
Staring too intensely on the money now will easily make a company shoot themselves in the foot. While not hockey related, it makes me think of when the local politicians let a new company take over running the local bus traffic. They made some more money with the new company, but as the old company left, they didn't need the facilities and garages that they rented from the city, so in the end, it became a major loss.
I listen to the game, more than watch it, now. Great announcers make the game come to life…
I wasn’t allowed to watch a lot of games in the early 90s, so I got into hockey listening on the radio. You’re right. I think we’re losing the great announcers though. They’re all retiring and the new people aren’t as good.
who is the great announcer you are referring to ? I find a lot of these games the announcers are so bad it is unlistenable . There are no Danny Gallivan's, Dan Kelly, Gary Thornes out there - I have always liked Cuthbert but most are absolutely awful .
Thank goodness the KINGS have no jersey ads or helmet ads... yet.
Unfortunately not all broadcasts are created equal. I hear a lot of complaints about blackouts and ads. As a Devils fan living in the Dallas market, I gotta say I feel very lucky. I pay like $20 for ESPN+ (Hulu and Disney included) and like $40 for sling which gives me all the national broadcasts. Being able to choose which teams broadcast I watch has been a game changer. MSG is fantastic. The ads aren't intrusive and there's no tickers at the bottom of the screen or anything. It's hard for me to see what everyone is complaining about until I remember that I don't live in a big hockey market and somehow that gives me more options on how I view the game. So in a way I kind of feel like the NHL has accomplished its job out attracting smaller markets. But at the cost of angering the bigger markets. Anyway love the content.
Yeah broadcast quality is a huge thing. It's wild how different the broadcast quality is from city to city. It's like watching 2 completely different leagues. Junior hockey and Canadian hockey have more in common than Canadian NHL teams and certain sunbelt broadcasts.
Biggest turn off for me has been the gambling ads and espn commenters, I really like the home/away play by play teams around the league. But the espn team reminds me of the last couple of nhl games on Xbox no passion, I hate gambling the ads are generally obnoxious. I’m sure there are plenty of businesses that could fill the void of betting
More Money is a good goal to have but the focus should be about gaining more fans who will spend money and not how to get more money out of the current fans. The NHL is not available to new fans. Accessibility makes more money. "Free games" make more money than other games, McDonald's makes more money because of Accessibility and not because of profit margin, the NHL makes $5billion annually the NFL makes about $4billion in merchandise alone because it's easy and accessable to watch and be a fan.
This is 100% right. Back when the NHL was accessible, I’d go to move games annually than I even watch on TV now. Business is still mostly about “location, location, location.”
I agree 100% Shannon! Thank you for saying for me much better than I could say it myself.
The digital boards are so distracting! Especially when a puck or a wheel rolls by. I find myself trying to concentrate on not looking at them at all but it takes away the ability to just enjoy the game for what it is. Digital ads on the glass are just as bad, I want to look into the crowd and see the crowd like I am actually at the game. I am close to giving up on the whole game which as a Canadian I am so proud of. How much of this crap are we we supposed to take?
Just wait till they start putting ads in the commentary: "here comes Jack Hughes on a Honda Civic™ breakaway! He shoots and a huge Tim Hortons™ glove save by Ullmark! What a brilliant McDonald's McStretch Pass™ by Hamilton that was.
Ugh!
@@irafair3015 game..
set...
and match sir!
Well played
I meant for lylew.😁
I haven't given the nhl a nickel in almost 7yrs. Once you/the fan realize that your money isn't influencing the product, the league is influencing you to buy a crappy product then it's a no brainer. Thank you Shannon for doing this video, it's nice to hear you will not sell your soul for something you clearly love and also for giving us quality over quantity. Also, the Bally Sports potential bankruptcy is a story that is kinda being kept quiet but old Gar says he's watching it closely. A lurker?🎰
Bally sports collapse is not Bettmans fault. USA is filled with greediest business people - that was such a highly leveraged transaction - the creation of Bally sports - Sinclair is a very low rent group
@@pjpredhomme7699 Oh ok, thank you for info. I just thought Shannon could mention it.
Why am I imagining Mr Krabs as Gary Bettman?
exactly! well thought out and said guy. one of the main reasons i quit watching NASCAR over 15 years ago...unfortunately professional hockey it seems going down the same route...😪
I wish I would have known you were in the Anaheim area, I would have loved to talk hockey with you and other members of the community.
ESPN and no blackouts (Even in Canada too). Growth is as important as $$$$$$$$. Well said Shannon. Thank you!
I agree that the integrity of the game is immensely important but I have never found the games more difficult to watch and for the sole reason that the announcers are so bad. Announcers should be hockey announcers first and homers next. The over the top arena announcers are an embarrassment to the sport. And in a similar way to the points you are making, I have no idea how to rectify this..............
Welcome home. Glad you had a safe and fun trip
Thank you, it's so rare to hear someone say they like a low scoring game. The more goals there are, the less important each goal is.
I like a well-played game offensively and defensively. Anclose, well-played game, even at a low score, is far more fun to watch than a high-scoring blowout.
Two of the best baseball games I’ve ever seen that I can cite follow this principle too. Cleveland beating Tampa bay 1-0 after 15 innings with a walkoff home run in the wild card last year was unreal after phenomenally good pitching performances from many. While World Series game 5 from 2017 that finished 13-12 in 10 innings is another highlight. The tension and flow of the game matters more then the score, and both games are phenomenal memories to me.
Nice work
It's the ads, I think I've watched one game in its entirety this season... I get that some people can tolerate them... I'm one of those who have been lost at the margin.
That said, if they replaced all/most of the physical ads with digital ads, I'd probably pay good money for an ad-free version.
Your final point is strong too about how the more over the top the NHL gets with ads, it pushes is to other leagues. I've gotten so much more into college hockey since it feels so much more pure. The players put in their all. Going to an NHL game, especially in a new arena, feels like you're getting assaulted with ads. It's insane to spend so much money to go to a game and still have it focus more on ads than the game.
Yep- I now prefer to go to college and minor league games. I get better seats for the money and the effort seems to be higher, even if the skill is slightly lower.
I started actively watching last year, mainly because I wanted to watch it with my father, and I can tell you, I'm not enjoying it nearly as much this year. I'll lose track of the puck because of flicking ads (and I have poor eyes as it is), and the frustration builds. Then we get 100 mid-roll ads when they are going back to face off, and all those ads are gambling, and the frustration builds. Then they are having even more inconsistent calls, and the frustration builds. It's to the point where unless the game is bound to be an exciting game with two great teams, I'm not watching. And once my subscription ends, I'm not renewing. So that's kind of my point of view as a relatively new viewer, but a long time follower of the sport.
This is why they need to bring back the glow puck. That will solve everything.
90s ESPN hockey was the best. The move to OLN was so weird and I've never watched as much since. Olympic hockey is beautiful with such clean ice and boards.
Also speaking as a graphic designer, yes, the ads are designed to be eye-catching, and they are sold with the sponsor knowing they will be seen. Letting a sponsor hear that people aren't looking at them is bizarre.
Great stream Shannon. I’m a long time Bruins / NHL fan. I remember Ted Lindsey doing color , Peter Puck between periods and fuzzy UHF broadcasts trying to follow the puck. Sadly, your comments about money and the game are right on point. I used to think the NHL was kind of immune from the commercial trappings that are embraced by the other professional sports. Between TV ad revenue and now sports betting and gaming, the pure hockey fan is the looser. In fact, I have started watching more College hockey as a result. Really hate to see the NHL look more like the NBA or NFL.
If I want to see ads flying by on the TV, I'll watch NASCAR
Last night I watched the AHL All-Star organized by the Laval Rocket, farm team of the Montreal Canadiens.
You know what? It was 10 times more entertaining and competitive game than the NHL gimmick over the weekend.
Players seemed to enjoy the format and we saw the intensity increased towards the end of the game. Fans were cranked up, as it is usually the case for Rocket games.
It was the perfect mix of tradition and modernity last night. Kudos for the AHL and the Rocket. They, at least, get it.
Of course it's more competitive. AHL all-stars want to prove themselves; NHL all-stars have it made and have to reason to compete.
Agree about hockey is better when it's basic, the nice thing about espn+ is I can catch PHF and college games which I have been spending more of my weekend watching than the NHL games as of late.