With the ongoing discussions about how professional sports teams are handling their regional sports network distribution deals, there has been much debate about whether there is a correct formula for all sports to follow when it comes to the business of delivering team broadcasts to the local sports consumer. Recently, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was a guest on The Varsity podcast, hosted by John Ourand of PUCK, and was asked about his view on how local NHL teams are managing their own RSN agreements.
“Local rights continue to be important,” said Bettman. “They’re probably financially not as important to us as they are to perhaps baseball and basketball. I also believe that sometimes our clubs are best able to focus on what’s best locally.”
Furthermore, Bettman noted that some of the clubs in the league—like many clubs in other leagues—are facing challenges. However, he emphasized that local teams, with assistance from the NHL, are exploring alternatives, whether it be a streaming option or an over-the-air solution such as the approaches taken by the Las Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. Importantly, the commissioner still believes it should be up to the local teams to determine what’s best, as opposed to implementing a league-wide distribution model.
“I don’t think it’s a one size fits all yet,” noted Bettman. “I do think there are going to be alternatives to regional sports (networks). Some of that may be again streaming over or over-the-air, and some of it may be more national viewership, where we’re going to get to a point where no matter where you are and who you want to watch, you’re going to be able to get it.”
Moreover, Bettman pointed out that hockey, basketball, and baseball differ from football in a key way: they feature significantly more games. As a result, fans demand additional shoulder programming that provides full context for the daily happenings of their favorite teams. Bettman emphasized that, through all the metrics used to track success, fan engagement remains the league’s top priority.
“There’s still going to be an important role for local coverage,” explained Bettman. “Whether it’s over-the-air or surviving regionals, that is an important element of the fan connection.”
In conclusion, Bettman wrapped up his thoughts by stating that, in his opinion, there is nothing more valuable than sports programming. He firmly believes that if you have a great product, there will be demand for it—regardless of where or how the product is distributed.
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