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Originally Posted by Finger Cookin
Isn't Sportsnet still largely hobbled by its origins as a regional network with regional TV deals? It's contractual stuff preventing games from being broadcast nationally. Not technology or lack of benevolence or anything. At least as I understand it?
Are regional TV deals for teams going away for other NHL teams? For teams in other pro sports leagues in North America? Or around the world? I don't know.
It will be interesting to see if these deals are updated with the Flames, Oilers, Canucks, etc when they come up for renewal with Sportsnet. Only time will tell.
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The teams want the regional deals. It's better to get 100% of the money from a regional broadcast than 1/31 (soon to be 1/32) of the money from a national broadcast.
There are very few nationally televised games in the US at all. NBCSN shows one or two games per week; the main NBC network shows one or two games a week, mostly after the Super Bowl; and NHL Network picks up a handful of games throughout the season too. Some teams appear on national broadcasts quite often, such as the large-market teams like Chicago and the Rangers, most teams are hardly ever on national broadcasts.
MLB and NBA broadcast deals are very similar to the NHL's. A small number of national games, mostly featuring the high-drawing teams, with the rest available through a regional broadcaster.
The NFL is the only North American league where every game is under a national network contract. Even then, the availability to subject to regional availability.
All of the leagues offer some sort of out-of-region subscription package like NHL Center Ice.