Sportsbooks will cut hockey betting limits

JackStraw77 · Jun 1, 2005

With ESPN declining to pick up NHL TV contract for next season if there is one
no games will be on regular TV. NBC which is televising the Stanley Cup Finals may show a couple of regular season games. The only way to watch hockey games will be A: Live in Canada, B: Live in a city which has a hockey team,
watch on the local cable outlet. C: Pay for a hockey package on Direct TV or cable if you have a digital box. ESPN was hockey's lifeline and now it's gone. No network is going to pay 60 million for rights and no network will ever televise as many games as ESPN did.

I guess the NHL could crawl back to ESPN and beg them to take games at a much lower rights fee. Bettman said he won't.

Why should the books take a risk and continue to book a sport which will have little or no TV coverage. The only action they get would be from sharps or bettors in Canada. The recreational bettor has to be able to see the game on TV.

SPunlimited · Jun 1, 2005

I cant see it making much of a difference its not like anyone watched hockey in the states anyway. This is what I dont understand about the states they'll get more people to watch football in a hockey stadium than hockey in a hockey stadium maybe they should try freezing over a football field and try playing hockey on that maybe more people would watch.

Aquatic · Jun 1, 2005

No Difference with No ESPN

If you are a serious fan about any sport then you have the season package through a sat or cable outlet to get the most games so having the hockey package for another year won't be anything different. The games ESPN showed were always on the package so I rarely watched their feed to the game anyhow. I think however that ESPN will still show games when the season comes back and not excersing their option at this time was because a settlement hasn't been reached yet and frees them from any committment. They can go back in and do a deal anytime with the NHL for those fans that need ESPN for hockey coverage. Most fans are loyal to their team and mainly waitch their local feed every game that's on so that's all they care about.

Brock Landers · Jun 1, 2005

Agreed, who cares if ESPN hasthe games, they are all on the local FSN's or TSN anyway...

ESPN was redundant covereage in most cases...

Aquatic · Jun 1, 2005

SP Unlimited

Are you trying to say that Arena Football outdraws hockey in cities that had a hockey team? Plenty of hockey cities in the states with strong attendance and unlike Canada besides Toronto there is NFL, NBA and MLB to stretch the entertainment dollar. Hockey isn't the same on TV so just because the sport doesn't draw tv ratings doesn't mean that buildings have plenty of empty seats as well. Wings have sold out every game since '96 which is the longest current streak in the league and that's with the Pistons leading the NBA in attendance as well.

2004 Top Home Team Attendance Figures Per Game:

1.Montreal - 20,555
2.Detroit - 20,066
3.Toronto - 19,376
4.Philadelphia -19,375
5.Vancouver - 18,636
6.Minnesota - 18,530
7.St.Louis -18,560
8.Dallas -18,350
9.NY Rangers - 18,073
10.Colorado - 18,007
11.Los Angeles -17,855

Looks like plenty of capacity as 8 of 11 are from the states. As far as that hockey on a football field, they did that at East Lansing,Michigan a couple years ago and it drew the biggest hockey crowd anywhere ever at 74,000+.

booze · Jun 1, 2005

JackStraw77 said:
Why should the books take a risk and continue to book a sport which will have little or no TV coverage. The only action they get would be from sharps or bettors in Canada. The recreational bettor has to be able to see the game on TV.

most books limits are $500 on a side and $200-300 on a total as it is. i doubt ESPN's lack of coverage will make any impact there

Aquatic · Jun 1, 2005

Since hockey isn't on tv in many off shore offices it doesn't matter what the sport's national television package looks like. TV Coverage many times just effects halftime betting at some books on college sports.

Plenty of 2 dime/side & 1 dime/total hockey outs available to bet with.

SportSavant · Jun 1, 2005

when hockey comes back, ESPN will have the games, trust me.

royalfan · Jun 2, 2005

SportSavant said:
when hockey comes back, ESPN will have the games, trust me.

Yep, they don't like having ESPN bowling night and Days of Thunder instead of playoff hockey. They were simply wise to not take the option when they can negotiate a much lower price.

JackStraw77 · Jun 2, 2005

SportSavant said:
when hockey comes back, ESPN will have the games, trust me.

Don't be so sure, ESPN now has MNF. Hockey is not important to ESPN. If their getting good ratings with replacement programming why should they care.

WildBill · Jun 2, 2005

They didn't show games on Mondays, that has always been a big night of college hoops. They will show it again because the NHL will be desperate to take whatever they can get to have national exposure. They likely will try to get an NBC type deal with just revenue split and no guaranteed fee.

Shameless1 · Jun 2, 2005

some one will pick it up. just for the playoffs i would think

Aquatic · Jun 2, 2005

Cbc

Thank God for CBC being on the basic Comcast cable throughout Southeastern Michigan. There coverage is also on the first couple rounds of the playoffs on the Directv package. It's because of BellexpressVu and Starchoice that CBC isn't made available as an international channel on Directv and Dish Network and shown all the time by a national U.S. providor.
Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best on CBC and they always show the anthem before the game to get the blood pumping. :103631605

SportSavant · Jun 2, 2005

being that CBC is canada's National Channel, it is too bad it is not shown everywhere in the USA with cable/satelite packages.

could be a different perspective on NEWS etc etc for you yank's.

Aquatic · Jun 2, 2005

I watch the CBC Evening news from time to time with Peter Mansbridge and get a different view of the world from an outside the U.S perspective which is refreshing. It was very good during the past elections and all the Iraq BS through '04. The people who complain that our media only reported the bad in Iraq should have seen how the bad (or reality)the neutral countries reported it.

Sportsbooks will cut hockey betting limits

Search

JackStraw77

Member

SPunlimited

New member

Aquatic

New member

Brock Landers

Cui servire est regnare

Aquatic

New member

booze

New member

Aquatic

New member

SportSavant

New member

royalfan

New member

JackStraw77

Member

WildBill

New member

Shameless1

New member

Aquatic

New member

SportSavant

New member

Aquatic

New member

Forum statistics

Share this page