Taking over for ESPN,[7][8] SportsChannel's contract paid US$51 million[9][10][11] ($17 million per year[12]) over three years,[13] more than double[14][15] what ESPN had paid ($24 million) for the previous three years[16] SportsChannel America managed to get a fourth NHL season[17] for just $5 million.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24]
Unfortunately, SportsChannel America was only available in a few[27] major markets (notably absent though were Detroit, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis[28])[29][30][31] and reached only a 1/3 of the households that ESPN[32] did at the time.[33][34] SportsChannel America was seen in fewer than 10 million households.[35][36] In comparison, by the 1991–92 season,[37] ESPN was available in 60.5 million[38] homes whereas SportsChannel America was available in only 25 million. As a matter of fact, in the first year of the deal (1988–89), SportsChannel America was available in only 7 million homes when compared to ESPN's reach of 50 million.[39] When the SportsChannel deal ended in 1992, the league returned to ESPN[40] for another contract that would pay US$80 million over five years.[41]
SportsChannel America took advantage of using their regional sports networks' feed of a game, graphics and all, instead of producing a show from the ground up, most of the time. Distribution of SportsChannel America across the country was limited to cities that had a SportsChannel regional sports network or affiliate.[42] Very few cable systems in non-NHL territories picked it up as a stand-alone service, with many only taking it on a pay-per-view basis during the Stanley Cup Finals. In addition to the SportsChannel regional networks, Maryland-based Home Team Sports and Minneapolis-based Midwest Sports Channel (independently owned and operated despite the similar sounding name) carried the games. In 1991, two Prime Sports networks, KBL (Pittsburgh) and Prime Sports Northwest agreed to carry the playoff package, expanding it reach to an additional 2.6 million homes.[43]
Philadelphiaedit
Since SportsChannel Philadelphia did not air until January 1990, PRISM (owned by Rainbow Media, the owners of SportsChannel, at the time) picked up the 1989 Stanley Cup Finals. Other than that, there was no NHL television coverage in Philadelphia except for the Flyers for the first half of the original deal.
Lawsuitedit
As previously mentioned, the NHL would return to ESPN following the 1991–92 season. Shortly after the ESPN deal was signed, SportsChannel America would contend[44][45] that its contract with the NHL gave them the right to match third-party offers for television rights for the 1992–93 season. SportsChannel America accused the NHL of violating a nonbinding clause. SportsChannel America argued that it had been deprived of its contractual right of first refusal for the 1992–93 season. Appellate Division of New York State Supreme Court justice Shirley Fingerwood would deny SportsChannel America's request for an injunction against the NHL. Upholding that opinion, the appellate court found the agreement on which SportsChannel based its argument to be "too imprecise and ambiguous" and ruled that SportsChannel failed to show irreparable harm.
In the aftermath of losing the NHL, SportsChannel America was left with little more than outdoors shows and Canadian Football League games. For SportsChannel, the deal was a disaster overall. While the cable channel three years later, was available in 20 million homes (as previously mentioned), the broadcaster lost as much as $10 million on the agreement, and soon faded into obscurity. Some local SportsChannel stations – which carried NHL games in their local markets – were not affected.
Coverage overviewedit
Regular season coverageedit
SportsChannel America televised about 80–100 games a season[46][47] (whereas ESPN aired about 33 in the 1987–88 season). Whereas the previous deal with ESPN called for only one nationally televised game a week, SportsChannel America televised hockey two nights a week in NHL cities and three nights a week elsewhere.
It was very rare to have a regular-season game on SportsChannel America that wasn't a regional SportsChannel production from the Chicago Blackhawks, Hartford Whalers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, or Philadelphia Flyers. The San Jose Sharks were added in 1991–92. As previously suggested, SportsChannel America for the most part, used the local telecasts. The dedicated SportsChannel America station was little more than an overflow channel in the New York area for SportsChannel New York.
Special programmingedit
In 1989, SportsChannel America provided the first ever American coverage of the NHL Draft.[48] In September 1989, SportsChannel America covered the Washington Capitals' training camp in Sweden and pre-season tour[49] of the Soviet Union. The Capitals were joined by the Stanley Cup champion Calgary Flames, who held training camp in Prague, Czechoslovakia and then ventured to the Soviet Union. Each team played four games against Soviet National League clubs. Games were played in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev and Riga. The NHL clubs finished with a combined 6–2 record against the top Soviet teams, including the Red Army club and Dynamo Moscow. Five of the eight contests were televised by SportsChannel America.
All-Star Game coverageedit
SportsChannel America was the exclusive American broadcaster of the 1989 All-Star Game.[50] The following year, they covered the first ever NHL Skills Competition and Heroes of Hockey game. SportsChannel America would continue their coverage of these particular events through 1992. In 1991, SportsChannel America replayed the third period of the All-Star Game on the same day that it was played. That was because NBC broke away from the live telecast during the third period in favor of Gulf War coverage.[51][52]
SportsChannel America's national coverage of the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals was blacked out in the Boston area due to the local rights to Bruins games in that TV market. NESN televised three games at Boston Garden in the Boston area while WSBK had two games in Edmonton. In 1991, SportsChannel's Stanley Cup Finals coverage was again blacked out in the Minnesota and Pittsburgh areas due to the local rights to North Stars and Penguins games in those respective TV markets. In Minnesota, KMSP-TV aired three games in Pittsburgh while the Midwest Sports Channel had three games in Bloomington. In Pittsburgh, KBL televised three games at the Igloo while KDKA aired three games in Minnesota. Had there been a Game 7, it would have aired on KMSP-TV in Minnesota and KBL in Pittsburgh respectively. Finally, in 1992, in Pittsburgh, KBL televised the first two games while KDKA aired the next two in Chicago. However, in Chicago, SportsChannel Chicago aired the first two games, and Hawkvision aired the next two.
Productionedit
SportsChannel America's Master Control facilities were located in Floral Park, NY at Cablevision's Rainbow Network Communications facilities, and their studios were located at Dempster Hall at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. Most of the games that aired on the network were simulcasts of the other SportsChannel Regional games. However, there were times when the network did produce games of importance not available on one of the regional networks.
If any of the aforementioned teams made the playoffs, SportsChannel America focused on those teams. For example, SportsChannel Chicago produced the SportsChannel America coverage for the Blackhawks' 1990 playoff run. Because of Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz' disdain for free and basic cable home game telecasts, the road games were shown in Chicago, with the home games only given short live look-ins as "bonus coverage". The same occurrence happened in 1992, but this time, their home games were broadcast on a pay-per-view basis via "Hawkvision".[192] The Blackhawks broadcasts were also simulcast on Chicago's WBBM radio during those years. The typical outcue to commercial break was...."(score) on SportsChannel......(pause) and WBBM" SportsChannel America would run their own bumper music from the Floral Park Master Control facility so that they could fade out the remote's audio after the announcers said "SportsChannel".
For the Stanley Cup playoffs, SportsChannel America used Bob Papa as the anchor for the coverage. The studio kicked off coverage of each night with a pregame show for all of the regions. Once the games began, the studio produced live cut-ins of every goal for each of the regional games aired. The studio also switched viewers of one game to another game when a period ended or when the game was over. After the early games, the studio then took all viewers out to a West Coast game. After all the hockey for the night, the studio finished the night with a postgame wrap-up show. In 1989, both Conference Finals series involved two of SportsChannel's regional teams.
^Hasen, Jeff (October 4, 1989). "Broadcast Column: Sportscast Preview Release at will". UPI. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
^Nidetz, Steve (January 16, 1991). "AS TV FARE, HOCKEY STILL OUT IN COLD". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Costa, Brandon (January 23, 2019). "The SVG Podcast: Michael Connelly, SVP/EP, Fox Sports Regional Networks". Sports Video Group. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
^"NHL on SportsChannel America, About 769 results (0.43 seconds)". Google Books. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
^Blockus, Gary (November 16, 1988). "MAYBE ESPN DID FANS A FAVOR IN LOSING THE NHL". The Morning Call. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Sarni, Jim (August 19, 1988). "PICK ANY HOUR -- OR HEMISPHERE -- TO TUNE IN COSTAS". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Kunz, William M. (23 April 2020). The Political Economy of Sports Television. Routledge. ISBN 9781000060447.
^Chad, Norman (June 22, 1988). "SPORTSCHANNEL AMERICA INTERESTED IN BUYING HTS". Washington Post. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Springer, Steve (October 3, 1991). "NHL 1991-92 : There's a Lot Not to Watch : Hockey: There is no national TV, no collective bargaining agreement and no Eric Lindros. But there are Sharks". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Greenberg, Jay (October 8, 1990). "THE BUCKS START HERE". Sports Illustrated.
^"The News - Apr 2, 1991". news.google.com. April 2, 1991.
^Chad, Norman (November 26, 1988). "NHL AND SPORTSCHANNEL MORE IS LESS". Washington Post. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Bass, Alan (25 January 2011). The Great Expansion: The Ultimate Risk That Changed the Nhl Forever. iUniverse. p. 198. ISBN 9781450286077.
^Demak, Richard (March 18, 1991). "SHOOTING STAR". Sports Illustrated.
^Nidetz, Steve (October 4, 1991). "NHL FEELS PINCH IN TV DEAL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^LaPointe, Joe (October 4, 1991). "HOCKEY; N.H.L. Again Signs Contract With SportsChannel America". New York Times. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Demak, Richard (February 17, 1992). "SCORECARD". Sports Illustrated.
^Gatehouse, Jonathon (October 2012). The Instigator: How Gary Bettman Remade the NHL and Changed the Game Forever. Triumph Books. p. 158. ISBN 9781623686567.
^Moshavi, Sharon D. (January 13, 1992). BC-1992-01-13.pdf(PDF). p. 78.
^Newsday (September 22, 1991). "Lack of TV contract doesn't shake up NHL". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Shea, Jim (October 4, 1991). "NHL, SPORTSCHANNEL SIGN ONE-YEAR DEAL". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Williams, Jennifer (October 4, 1991). "LOCAL TV STATION GIVES NFL FANS OPTION PLAY". Daily Press. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Barry, Sal (October 29, 2018). "John Ziegler Did More Harm Than Good for Hockey". Puck Junk.
^Deacon, James (June 8, 1992). "Palace revolt". Maclean's. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021.
^Moncour, Gilles (October 29, 2018). "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of John Ziegler's NHL reign". HockeyBuzz.com.
^Strachan, Al (March 15, 2005). "NHL needs a TV partner". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019.
^Martzke, Rudy (May 2, 1989). "NHL broadcast boss pleased with cable move". USA Today. p. 3C.
^Staudohar, Paul D. (31 May 2018). Playing for Dollars: Labor Relations and the Sports Business. Cornell University Press. p. 138. ISBN 9781501717857.
^Ryan, Bob (October 3, 1991). "Underexposed NHL needs to write Dear John letter to Ziegler". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Staudohar, Paul D. (1996). Playing for dollars: labor relations and the sports business. Cornell University Press. p. 137. ISBN 9780801483424.
^Taaffe, William (June 27, 1988). "A Better Open; Too Much Brent". Sports Illustrated.
^Pergament, Alan (October 4, 1990). "SPORTSCHANNEL'S COVERAGE WON'T BE SEEN LINE IS OVERDRAWN HERE". The Buffalo News. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Armour, Terry (January 19, 1990). "HOCKEY RETURNS TO NETWORK TV WITH ALL-STAR GAME". Daily Press. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^ abNidetz, Steve (June 1, 1992). "NHL'S TV POLICY RILES ANNOUNCERS". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Gatehouse, Jonathon (October 2012). The Instigator: How Gary Bettman Remade the NHL and Changed the Game Forever. Triumph Books. p. 158. ISBN 9781623686567.
^Greenberg, Jay (October 7, 1991). "GREED, INDEED". Sports Illustrated.
^5/11/91 - Penguins Win Wales Conference Championship on YouTube
^May 17, 1992 - Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins - Game 1 - Wales Conference Final on YouTube
^NHL Clarence Campbell Conference Finals 1992 - Game 3 - Chicago Blackhawks @ Edmonton Oilers on YouTube
^1992 Stanley Cup Semi Final Chicago vs Edmonton Game 4 on YouTube
^NHL May21/1989 Final Game4 Calgary Flames - Montreal Canadiens on YouTube
^Canadiens vs. Flames 1989 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (1st Period) on YouTube
^Canadiens vs. Flames 1989 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (2nd Period) on YouTube
^Canadiens vs. Flames 1989 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (3rd Period) on YouTube
^SportsChannel America 1989 Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 Intro Theme on YouTube
^Calgary Flames Win 1989 Stanley Cup, SportsChannel America Broadcast on YouTube
^Serby, Steve (October 24, 2020). "Mike 'Doc' Emrick reflects on legendary broadcast career in chat with Post". New York Post.
^Markus, Don (November 1, 1991). "He's baaack: Herb Brooks leaves sales for pro hockey". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Bogaczyk, Jack (April 28, 1990). "'SPEEDWORLD' CREW SHOULD POLISH ITS ACT". The Roanoke Times.
^Oilers vs. Bruins 1990 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (1st Period) on YouTube
^Oilers vs. Bruins 1990 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (2nd Period) on YouTube
^Oilers vs. Bruins 1990 Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (3rd Period) on YouTube
^Deacon, James (May 27, 1991). "Defying the odds". Maclean's.
^Clark, Cammy (October 13, 2005). "Esposito's view from center ice". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Classic: North Stars @ Penguins 05/17/91 | Game 2 Stanley Cup Finals 1991 on YouTube
^1991 Stanley Cup Finals Game#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs Minnesota North Stars on YouTube
^Minnesota North Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins - Stanley Cup Finals Game 5 - May 25, 1991 on YouTube
^Classic: Blackhawks @ Penguins 05/26/92 | Game 1 Stanley Cup Finals 1992 on YouTube
^Classic: Blackhawks @ Penguins 05/28/92 | Game 2 Stanley Cup Finals 1992 on YouTube
^Pittsburgh Penguins - 1 vs Chicago Blackhawks - 0 - Game 3 1992 Stanley Cup on YouTube
^Classic: Penguins @ Blackhawks 06/01/92 | Game 4 Stanley Cup Finals 1992 on YouTube
^Nidetz, Steve (May 26, 1992). "BLACKHAWKS' BROADCASTERS ARE PUMPED FOR CUP FINALS, TOO". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^Baskin, Jake (April 15, 2020). "NHL's all-time best voices: Broken down by American and Canadian, play-by-play and color commentators". Sports Broadcast Journal.
^Hickey Jr., Patrick (June 9, 2017). "Jiggs McDonald: 50 Years of Broadcasting, Islanders & More". The Hockey Writers.