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NHL signs European TV Deal


les_glorieux

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LONDON (AP) - A European television network has acquired exclusive rights to broadcast NHL games across the continent.

The North American Sports Network said Tuesday it reached a multimillion-dollar, four-year TV rights deal beginning immediately with the current NHL season. The agreement also includes rights to stream live games over the Internet. The network also has options to extend the deal for an additional two years and to secure broadcast rights in the Asia-Pacific region.

The network will show at least 200 games this season, with up to six live games a week and full coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs and final.

The NHL campaign got underway last week after an entire season was lost to the lockout.

More than a third of NHL players are from European countries.

"Our partnership with NASN represents a significant step by the league to re-establish its relationship with its existing European-based fans, as well as begin the process of developing new ones," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said.

Last month, the North American Sports Network secured rights to broadcast NFL games in 17 European countries.

The network was launched in 2002 in Britain and Ireland. It is now available via digital networks in several European countries.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=139411&hubname=nhl

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I wonder which network they are talking about? Could it be Eurosport? There were rumors going around a few days before the season started that Eurosport were signing a contract with NHL to broadcast 200 games (aprox 6 per week), but backed out in the last minute. It had something to do with CANAL+ and them getting all the rights...Eurosport although claimed that they wanted to sign the contract but the NHL chose to give CANAL+ fully rights instead. Some source saíd that Eurosport wanted to file a lawsuit against the NHL because of this matter...

I really hope that this network that TSN is reporting about is Eurosport, since it can be watched by most people in Europe.

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I'd be interested to know what proportion of these (regular season) games might feature the Habs... they are undoubtedly the most storied franchise in the NHL and, from what I understand, are one of (if not the) most popular teams across Europe.

Wouldn't it be ironic if the Montreal CANADIENS were featured more prominantly on European Broadcasts than here on our National Station.

Of course if they are showing all of the playoffs and the Stanley Cup final Europeans will get there fill of Habs hockey anyway, hehe...

Thanks for the info guys

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ps. if these games won't be available in Sweden because the network (NASN) isn't available there what the heck is the point... one would think that Sweden would be top of the list of countries in which the NHL should be available...

[Edited on 11-10-05 by HaliHab]

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Originally posted by HaliHab

ps. if these games won't be available in Sweden because the network (NASN) isn't available there what the heck is the point... one would think that Sweden would be top of the list of countries in which the NHL should be available...

[Edited on 11-10-05 by HaliHab]

Agreed. NHL is avaliable in Sweden on CANAL+, but currently they are only broadcasting 4 games/week. Out of these four games you could say that two are Philly and Capital-games because of Forsberg, and the former Capitals defenseman Calle Johansson, who is now a comentator for C+. It seems as he has a say in the picks of games as well. The Caps are imo a very boring team to watch. I also believe we will se a heck of a lot of Red Wings games due to all the Swedes playing there....

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Streaming games over the internet. Hmmm... I wonder how this will affect those of you, in the US and other countries with regards to possibly watching NHL games and, better yet, Canadiens games.

:hlogo::ghg::hlogo:

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As someone who subscribes to NASN over in the UK, I can say that their coverage is pretty good. But like all recipients of live feeds, they are very much dependent on what the station they are dealing with are showing.

We get HNC, but the schedule is rammed full of Leafs games as in the Canada which sucks bad.

As for fans over here, well I hae a number of friends from Montreal who work over here and I intend to have a few HNC parties once they finally show the Habs.

If you are ever in London on a Sunday night though, be sure to go to the Maple Leaf pub in convent garden where they show the previous nights HNC recording as live.

Habs live strong in the UK!

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Now there's something!

Les maudits anglais, têtes carrées love those French frogs. :lol::lol::lol:

Those are terms that I grew up with in the STRONG Leafs = English Canada & Canadiens = French Canada environment. It was and, for that matter, is still funny.

:hlogo::ghg::hlogo:

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Cursed......possibly

Square Head.......that's just the current haircut and doesn't seem to attract any French ladies over here.

Loving babelfish.com for the online translation. Very useful for RDS.

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Last week, I saw a guy with a haircut that I hadn't seen in YEARS. The guy had a flat-top kind of cut. Sort of an old military cut. It was strange.

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Originally posted by HabbiesUK

Cursed......possibly

Square Head.......that's just the current haircut and doesn't seem to attract any French ladies over here.

Loving babelfish.com for the online translation. Very useful for RDS.

kinda loses a bit of flavour in the translation

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I havent seen many habsfans in sweden.

Canal plus sends enough games for me... 2 habs games in the first couple of weeks (the leaf game last saturday and a game against the bruins soon). I work to much to watch all the games anyway. Tough to stay up all night and work all day. :P

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I don't think my question has been answered.

Would the 'streaming on the internet' of NHL games make them available to others around the world (US, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, etc.)?

:hlogo::ghg::hlogo:

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Originally posted by shortcat1

I don't think my question has been answered.

Would the 'streaming on the internet' of NHL games make them available to others around the world (US, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, etc.)?

I really do hope so - I don't see the point of why NASN should be offering that service otherwise...

For those of you who have seen internet streamed games, how is the resolution and quality...? Will we even be able to see the puck? Anything below 640x480 would be a pain in the ass to watch I'm afraid....

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Originally posted by HABBER-oooooKNOWS

You are not wearing a Simpsons tie..........are you ?

Man!!!

Wow! a triple post! YOU are the model I'd like to copy! ;););)

[Edited on 2005/10/12 by shortcat1]

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