Could ViacomCBS pursue NHL broadcast rights for 2021-22?

[Big Z Man 1990]

The NHL enters the last season of its broadcast deal with NBC Sports next year.

If NBC doesn't renew its deal, my top candidate to take over the broadcast rights is ViacomCBS, a company formed from the December 2019 re-merger between Viacom and CBS Corporation.

The original Viacom for a short period owned the New York Rangers and their local rightsholders, MSG Network, after acquiring Paramount Communications (formerly Gulf and Western), the parent of the Paramount movie studio, in 1994. Paramount and the Rangers had been under common ownership since 1977.

Viacom also once owned what is now Fox Sports North and NBC Sports Washington, also for a short time, after the first merger with CBS. Those networks televise the Wild and Capitals, respectively, with the latter team owning a stake in its broadcast partner.

For many years, weekends on CBS in the winter have been dominated by college basketball. CBS would indeed televise games under my plan, but not on afternoons they would televise March Madness, which like many other events, was canceled this year.

The CW, a joint venture between ViacomCBS and WarnerMedia, could also be used as an over-the-air outlet for NHL games. It would be the CW's first sports rights and could help them compete better with the Big Four networks.

ViacomCBS would also use some of its cable outlets to televise NHL games. Obviously these would include CBS Sports Network, which has never televised games of one of the big 4 sports leagues ever. Among networks owned by the Domestic Media Networks unit, I could see NHL games on MTV, Paramount Network and Pop TV. CMT could air some games of the Nashville Predators. Nickelodeon could also air games, with their telecasts catering to kids (like their simulcast of an NFL playoff game on CBS that will start next season).

Among the four major sports leagues, ViacomCBS currently only has NFL rights. At one point CBS had NFL, NBA, and MLB rights simultaneously, for a few months in 1990.

It would do ViacomCBS a lot of good to acquire the NHL broadcast rights. All games would be produced by the CBS Sports division.

 

[HisIceness]

About 10 years ago I remember listening to a CBS sports guy talk about the idea of the network buying the NHL TV rights when the rights to NBC were up for renewal in 2011. He said that there was just no interest from the network for a variety of reasons, mostly because the network was already set with NFL, Golf, NCAA Basketball, and the NBA on TNT among others, but also because of (at that time) the possibility of another lockout after 2012, which happened although they were able to get a shortened season out of it, and the already low ratings historically. It just wasn't something the network was comfortable with hitching their wagon to.

I think it will end up being FOX that buys the rights. Have the weeknight games and some playoff games on FS1. Interestingly enough, it was CBS that was going to buy the NHL rights in 1994 before FOX outbid them at the last minute.

 

[Yukon Joe]

ViacomCBS is actually the smallest of the big-4 networks (market cap is $9.9 billion).

Compare that to Disney (ABC/ESPN) at $188 billion, Comcast (NBC) at $171 billion, and even the much-reduced Fox Corporation (after the sale of many assets to Disney) at $16 billion. Heck - it doesn't even really compare to the Canadian media conglomerates of Bell ($52 billion) or Rogers ($30 billion).

CBS may not have the juice to make a power play like bidding for a new sport. Or even if they could afford it, it might just be too much of a risk for the network.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Under my plan, CBS itself would air fewer games compared to the CW, who would use the NHL as a gateway to possibly acquiring more significant sports rights. It could potentially allow the CW to start using the Saturday night primetime slots for sports broadcasts like most of the other networks do, thus giving it a 7-night primetime schedule for the first time in history. Of course important games like the Stanley Cup Finals would air on CBS.

Of course the Fox network might sign up as a tertiary over-the-air partner too. FS1 and FS2 would not be involved, as ViacomCBS would be the exclusive cable rights holder (and in turn, acquire NBCUniversal's stake in the NHL Network).

 

[Yukon Joe]

CBS just has less interest in live sports than any of the other networks. They have a few properties that they know gets viewers: NFL, Golf, March Madness tournament, and SEC football.

Could they pivot and try to show a lot more live sports? Sure, but it doesn't seem like something they have shown any interest in. And if they did, hockey seems like an odd choice.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

With ViacomCBS as the primary rights holder, a network owned by the company could televise an NHL game every day of the week. Weekends would see games on CBS and/or The CW, while weeknights would feature games on CBS Sports Network, MTV, Paramount Network, Pop TV and the kid-oriented telecast on Nickelodeon. As I mentioned earlier, CMT could air a few Preds games.

 

[Mrfenn92]

I like NBC. But I would love for the NHL to get two stations involved on a tv deal.

 

[Eric Cartman22]

I agree 100% NBC has been good for the NHL but I would like to see Fox, Espn, or CBS get involved with the league.

 

[Eric Cartman22]

Does anyone know if ESPN has room for NHL rights? I think NBC and FOX will get the rights but getting some games on espn could help the league.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

With ViacomCBS as the primary rights holder, a network owned by the company could televise an NHL game every day of the week. Weekends would see games on CBS and/or The CW, while weeknights would feature games on CBS Sports Network, MTV, Paramount Network, Pop TV and the kid-oriented telecast on Nickelodeon. As I mentioned earlier, CMT could air a few Preds games.

you're forgetting something..... local broadcast rights are already in play....why would Nashville go to CMT Nationally when FS Tennessee, among others hold those rights, depending on the franchise and its contracts that are existing.... it's not like Boston is suddenly dropping NESN AS THEY are a stakeholder in the network, Z.....

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

Only a few Preds games would air on CMT. The majority of their games would still be exclusive to Fox Sports TN. Outside of broadcasts on over-the-air channels, CMT would be the only ViacomCBS network airing Preds games nationally. This is because CMT has some operations in Nashville. Furthermore, CMT broadcasts would be blacked out in Nashville's home territory.

Right now, Wednesday night games on NBCSN are exclusive to that network for the most part. Whatever ViacomCBS network airs games on Wednesday nights would likewise have them exclusively.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

If the CW doesn't get any other sports rights by fall 2021, I could see the network airing NHL games on Saturday night as early as October. It would be the first over-the-air network to have a regular telecast of NHL games through the entire season.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Only a few Preds games would air on CMT. The majority of their games would still be exclusive to Fox Sports TN. Outside of broadcasts on over-the-air channels, CMT would be the only ViacomCBS network airing Preds games nationally. This is because CMT has some operations in Nashville. Furthermore, CMT broadcasts would be blacked out in Nashville's home territory.

Right now, Wednesday night games on NBCSN are exclusive to that network for the most part. Whatever ViacomCBS network airs games on Wednesday nights would likewise have them exclusively.

still won't be happening, Z.....the NHL isn't the Olympic games where you see non-sports outlets pick up certain events sports-related.... in fact, CNBC has been used as has USA with the NBC Sports logo brand when there's bleed over.... fans are not in favor of multiple national partners when each has a local broadcast contract.... every time NBCSN has taken over the national broadcast, there are wide complaints on each team board.....to the point where fans might not bother to listen or watch their team on national broadcasts in favor of those done regionally or locally

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

If the CW doesn't get any other sports rights by fall 2021, I could see the network airing NHL games on Saturday night as early as October. It would be the first over-the-air network to have a regular telecast of NHL games through the entire season.

the CW affiliate here is a division of ABC, Z

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

This may come across as an extremely stupid question, but could the NHL, or any league do an exclusivity (or be more active) with OTA broadcasts? Or is that impossible?

I don’t have cable, just an indoor antenna. I pay for NHLTV. With blackout restrictions, NBCSN is unavailable with the OTA broadcast. I guess it’s me wanting the NHL easily accessed on TV.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

This may come across as an extremely stupid question, but could the NHL, or any league do an exclusivity (or be more active) with OTA broadcasts? Or is that impossible?

I don’t have cable, just an indoor antenna. I pay for NHLTV. With blackout restrictions, NBCSN is unavailable with the OTA broadcast. I guess it’s me wanting the NHL easily accessed on TV.

That’s probably never happening anymore. I mean I guess NFL does it but even then their MNF is exclusive to Cable unless you live in the home market of the two teams playing.

 

[Yukon Joe]

This may come across as an extremely stupid question, but could the NHL, or any league do an exclusivity (or be more active) with OTA broadcasts? Or is that impossible?

I don’t have cable, just an indoor antenna. I pay for NHLTV. With blackout restrictions, NBCSN is unavailable with the OTA broadcast. I guess it’s me wanting the NHL easily accessed on TV.

Hockey games don't get enough ratings to justify going on a OTA channel.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

it is highly suggested that the existing contracts will likely remain in place in 2021/2022, and likely not an opt-out by NBC/NBCSN.... Fox no longer has the rights other than what they didn't sell off...... you will likely always have an OTA Channel connection in addition to the cable network

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

still won't be happening, Z.....the NHL isn't the Olympic games where you see non-sports outlets pick up certain events sports-related.... in fact, CNBC has been used as has USA with the NBC Sports logo brand when there's bleed over.... fans are not in favor of multiple national partners when each has a local broadcast contract.... every time NBCSN has taken over the national broadcast, there are wide complaints on each team board.....to the point where fans might not bother to listen or watch their team on national broadcasts in favor of those done regionally or locally

You seem to forget the NBA has TNT and MLB has TBS as broadcast partners. And neither are 24/7 sports networks.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Their fall/winter/spring schedule is pretty full, with college sports and NFL.

I can see them springing for MLS though.

 

[HisIceness]

Does anyone know if ESPN has room for NHL rights? I think NBC and FOX will get the rights but getting some games on espn could help the league.

I doubt it. ESPN+ is probably the closest the two will get.

Even if there was room, the two don't get along well anyways even 15 years after splitting.

 

[Big Z Man 1990]

If ViacomCBS were to get the NHL rights, they should acquire the rights to the longtime NHL on ESPN theme music.

Back when I accepted that Disney was buying out most of 21st Century Fox, the Fox RSNs were going to be included, and that excited me because it would mean the return of the NHL on ESPN theme on a wide-scale basis, as the Fox RSNs would have been rebranded under the ESPN name and using its logos and graphics - and thus, NHL broadcasts on these networks would use the iconic NHL on ESPN theme.

But my hopes for this were dashed when Disney was told they couldn't keep the RSNs, they had to sell them to another party, which made me question Fox selling the RSNs to begin with. Fox Corp. ultimately did buy them back.

So, now I turn to having ViacomCBS to hopefully acquire the NHL broadcast rights and ESPN's NHL theme music. ViacomCBS already has a few former Disney properties in its portfolio. They own LA-area independent station KCAL-TV, which Disney owned from 1990-95, but had to sell it off after buying ABC. Earlier this month, ViacomCBS through Paramount bought 49% of Miramax, which Disney owned from 1993-2010.

And also, there's precedent for something like this. Fox acquired the rights to the longtime NBA on NBC theme, Roundball Rock, a few years ago, to use for college basketball telecasts.

NBC's current theme would still be used by NBC RSNs that own broadcast rights to an NHL team.

 

[Eric Cartman22]

Does the current tv contract with NBC still end after next season or will that be extended due to the coronavirus?

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

You seem to forget the NBA has TNT and MLB has TBS as broadcast partners. And neither are 24/7 sports networks.

nope, and you seem to have forgotten local contracts trump national contracts, Z......remember those.... each local contract the team has a share of, not NBCSN, NOT VIACOMCBS

 

[TheWhiskeyThief]

Viacom only interested in the NHL if they got rights for free. They pay de minimis for anything on their sports channel, OTA is NCAA hoops/golf for 9 months out of the year and football in the fall.

I have a bigger likelihood of getting NHL rights on the next contract.