DIRECTV 'Sneaks' NHL Network HD

[dkennedy]

DIRECTV 'Sneaks' NHL Network HD

The satcaster says the channel is coming soon.

October 29, 2007

By Phillip Swann, tvpredictions.com

DIRECTV on Friday aired a 'sneak peek' at the NHL Network HD, alerting subscribers that the channel is "coming soon."

The new channel, a simulcast of a standard-definition feed, will air 50 NHL regular season games in high-def as well as news and information programs about the league.

On Friday night, DIRECTV showed the NHL Network HD's broadcast of the Buffalo Sabres-Florida Panthers game on channel 215.

NHL Network HD is coming soon to DIRECTV.

The standard-definition channel was also available on the SD portion of channel 215.

On DIRECTV's on-screen guide, a message read that the NHL Network HD was "coming soon to DIRECTV." It's unclear when the satcaster will add the channel full-time, but it could be as early as today. The channel today was added to DIRECTV's programming guide at its web site.

EchoStar, the second's largest satcaster in the U.S., added NHL Network HD earlier this month.

DIRECTV's addition of the NHL Network HD would give it 75 HD channels, according to its count.

[shanedude]

Maybe good ol twalb is next? Says in this article that TW has access to the ch

October 8, 2007

NHL Network Picked Up By Major U.S. Cable, Satellite Distributors
By Jon Lafayette

The National Hockey League has reached agreements with most major cable and satellite distributors to carry the NHL Network in the United States.

The league, still recovering from a devastating player strike that sent TV ratings plunging, agreed to be carried on sports tiers, which will limit how many people will be watching at launch.

In its announcement, the NHL said the network will be available to 75 million homes, but sports executives said sports tiers have less than 10 percent penetration, so the network’s potential audience will be a fraction of that figure.

Other sports networks, notably the NFL Network and the Big Ten Network, have been fighting cable operators’ desire to place those channels on sports tiers. NBA TV, which is on sports tiers, has been stalled at about 8 million subscribers.

NHL officials declined to say how many subscribers they would reach on a sports tier.

“We think that our fans will come and find us on sports tiers,” said Jody Shapiro, the NHL’s group VP of television and media ventures.

NHL Network reached deals with Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network and Time Warner Channel.

Most of the programming will be similar to what is shown in Canada, where the network launched in 2001. The channel will show 50 live games in high-definition on the HD feed of the channel.

Games will be subject to local blackout when there are conflicts with local broadcast rights.

Mr. Shapiro said the network will be customized for the U.S. market and U.S.-based programming will be on the air by the end of the current season.

(Editor: Horowitz)