NHL TV ratings are down across the board on average for Rogers

[djsFlames]

The league media outlets will suffer insanely ratings wise when it's an all american playoffs.

No one up here cares about 'Murca. Especially watching the same 2-3 teams that have competing for the cup the past 5+ years.

[Benched]

one of the things that made some of the panelists on TSN noteworthy is when they were speaking they'd say things like

"my sources inside the organziation tell me that X could be on the move in the summer" or something similar. Inside access or thoughts that were new, and being reported or hinted at for the first time.


The SN panelists have such in-roads in the league. They offer no new insights. When I make the mistake of listening to them for a few minutes, it's all re-hashed ideas or very obvious commentary of the game. "They need to play harder. Then they have a chance to get more goals and win the game". Thanks Mr. Generic advice.

The comments, discussions, and thoughts from people here are more in insightful.


And any time you have Eric Francis as your go to guy in between periods....I mean you need to look at yourself in the mirror and ask what sort of product you're putting out there.


Yes - Canadian teams doing poorly = ratings will be down
Yes - new video technology platforms = TV ratings across the board are probably down

But I still think their product is sub-par and it shows.



PS. "Hometown Hockey" makes me physically nauseous with embarrassment on behalf of hockey and Canada.

[CliffFletcher]

Sportsnet ratings are down because:

A) The Canadian teams are all playing poorly.
B) More Canadians are cutting the cable cord and finding alternative ways to follow sports.
C) Sportsnet airs a cut-rate broadcast that's inferior to previous broadcast alternatives.
D) All of the above.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Afternoon games suck because afternoon games suck. And if you have to "make them more affordable", you are doing so only because you are hosing demand in your own product.

Sorry Girly. I get that you like to be a contrarian, but this is just a bad idea that the market doesn't want.

GirlySports sounds like the Lawyer in Jurrasic Park ".. and we could have some sort of coupon day" prattling off ideas.

[Zarley]

Originally Posted by East Coast Flame

How old are you? I'm 30 and everyone I know in real life loves the guy - we all pretty much grew up with him. The only bad things I have ever heard about him have been on this board. He is great.

I'm 26 and remember him from Much Music as well. The consensus view seems to be that he lacks hockey knowledge and acts and dresses way to young for his age. His whole "too cool for school" shtick was engaging to us as teenagers, but now it's just uncomfortable and awkward. It's also unfortunate to see Ron McLean (who is a better host) reduced to doing human interest crap on Sunday nights.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Afternoon games suck because afternoon games suck. And if you have to "make them more affordable", you are doing so only because you are hosing demand in your own product.

Sorry Girly. I get that you like to be a contrarian, but this is just a bad idea that the market doesn't want.

Why do afternoon games suck? Hockey seems to be the only sport that has this problem.

After the game you have the entire night ahead of you.

[LanceUppercut]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Why do afternoon games suck? Hockey seems to be the only sport that has this problem.

After the game you have the entire night ahead of you.

I couldn't tell you a specific reason, but I cannot get into afternoon games nearly as much as evening games. Even eastern start games (5-5:30 pm in Calgary) strain to get my attention at the beginning. Afternoon games just feel wrong to me.

[codynw]

I hate afternoon games.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Haha, this thread shows why he maybe had the stigma he had when Sportsnet hired him. He's been referred to as a non sports guy and "the guy from Muchmusic", which fails to mention that he started out in sports and hosted a successful talkshow for years after leaving muchmusic, before being hired for HNIC.

This wasn't a "get that young hip guy the kids watch on the music channel" hire, lol.

How does this thread show that? Seems like that's your perspective on him.

I don't care about his past as a music guy or whatever and honestly didn't even know about that. He's awful at his job and makes me cringe whenever he opens his mouth. Brings absolutely nothing to the table regarding hockey. Ron Maclean was 100 times better at his job.

[Grimbl420]

Originally Posted by Zarley

I'm 26 and remember him from Much Music as well. The consensus view seems to be that he lacks hockey knowledge and acts and dresses way to young for his age. His whole "too cool for school" shtick was engaging to us as teenagers, but now it's just uncomfortable and awkward. It's also unfortunate to see Ron McLean (who is a better host) reduced to doing human interest crap on Sunday nights.

Do you think Mclean was as good a host in his 2nd year as he is now?

I personally like Strombo more. He knows his stuff, does quite well leading the panel, and is probably the best interviewer in the business. If you know anything about the man then you would know he's one of the hardest working people in Canadian media and is totally deserving of the host spot on HNIC.

I loved him on Much Music, thought the Hour was one of the best talk shows ever, and think the Strombo Show might be the best thing CBC radio has at the moment. I don't get people who don't like him for superficial stuff like the way he dresses.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Afternoon games suck because afternoon games suck. And if you have to "make them more affordable", you are doing so only because you are hosing demand in your own product.

Sorry Girly. I get that you like to be a contrarian, but this is just a bad idea that the market doesn't want.

Actually, I'm not sure it's as bad as a idea. I don't have proof to back it up so I could be wrong, but afternoon games here seem to have a bit of increase in kids being part of the crowd.

Big market American teams have a lot of afternoon games on the weekends of holidays. And other leagues like the NBA embrace that timeslot as well. What makes Canadians, and the NHL so much different that it couldn't work? I don't think there would be any negative effective if the Flames, and other Canadian teams had a few more 1PM/3PM MST on Saturdays here and there.

As for the subject of the thread, I find sportsnet biggest weakness is how outdated the graphics/production still looks. It doesn't come close to matching up with the US networks, and it makes the product look cheap.

For the most part, the personalties aren't that bad. Elliot is obviously their centrepiece and the more he talks, the better. But hearing from Cox or Glen Healy does waver my interest whenever they're on TV. I would rather they were not part of the panel.

Ultimately though, with all Canadian teams poised to miss the playoffs, fans aren't going to tune in as much when there's much better things that could be done. These days, even if the Flames were doing great, I wouldn't be watching as many games as I did in the past because of my schedule and lifestyle adjustments. So could imagine it's the same for many others across the nation.

But it's on Rogers to figure out ways to make their games to watch when they are sitting at home. Upping the graphics/production into 2016 would be a good start.

[CliffFletcher]

I don't hate Strombo, but his whole schtick is very much a pop culture celebrity schmoozer. He's great at massaging the egos of celebrities and getting them to talk about themselves. The guys seems to know his hockey, but the way he talks about it is as a gushing fanboy - which is the way he talks about actors and musicians. Maybe that's the way sports broadcasting is going, where it's all about promoting the stars and getting them to open up about themselves. That approach doesn't do much for me, though.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Benched

PS. "Hometown Hockey" makes me physically nauseous with embarrassment on behalf of hockey and Canada.

Thanked for this.

Could you imagine ESPN/football dedicating a full day to the folksy storytelling of a small town in Iowa. Visiting a new small town every week. Complete with the life story of a retired player from that community who was an ok linebacker 15 years ago. The people who green-lighted this concept do not get the modern sports fan. And are lame.

[PeteMoss]

The top rated game in the US by a country mile is the Jan 1st outdoor game which is played in the afternoon. Not sure how it does in Canada.

I suspect if it was a common thing, people would get used to it and like it. Its rare now so it seems weird when it happens.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I don't hate Strombo, but his whole schtick is very much a pop culture celebrity schmoozer. He's great at massaging the egos of celebrities and getting them to talk about themselves. The guys seems to know his hockey, but the way he talks about it is as a gushing fanboy - which is the way he talks about actors and musicians. Maybe that's the way sports broadcasting is going, where it's all about promoting the stars and getting them to open up about themselves. That approach doesn't do much for me, though.

No doubt he's good at interviewing. Very, very good. Problem is he comes off as a fan boy like u said when talking about hockey with anyone. Even if he does know hockey he sounds like someone is explaining offsides to him for the first time and he's all giddy to learn what offsides are. He just comes off as a tool IMO and isn't good at his job which is being the host for HNIC. There definitely is a place for him on HNIC but the host shouldn't be that place.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by saillias

Thanked for this.

Could you imagine ESPN/football dedicating a full day to the folksy storytelling of a small town in Iowa. Visiting a new small town every week. Complete with the life story of a retired player from that community who was an ok linebacker 15 years ago. The people who green-lighted this concept do not get the modern sports fan. And are lame.

Isnt that college gameday?

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Isnt that college gameday?

They are in a town but I don't think they do a whole broadcast about the school and city

[GirlySports]

They do. The show is 3 hours long

Football fans want football all the time. Even at 9am. They love those small town features.

Rogers cant find a way to get hockey fans to eat up hockey all the time

[Joborule]

They eat it up because it's the beginning of a whole day of college football.

Of course for hockey you can't get to that extent since hockey goes on every night. But I don't find Hometown Hockey special at all either. If they can consistently find a way to make HNIC a tripleheader every Saturday, it may be better for them to make the touring concept be done on that day, and find something different for Sunday night.

Afternoon can start on tour, and the primetime and late night game can continue from the studio. Or they can do it on site all day.

[skeena1]

Originally Posted by saillias

Thanked for this.

Could you imagine ESPN/football dedicating a full day to the folksy storytelling of a small town in Iowa. Visiting a new small town every week. Complete with the life story of a retired player from that community who was an ok linebacker 15 years ago. The people who green-lighted this concept do not get the modern sports fan. And are lame.

Well, Americans have already "borrowed" the ideas of Hockey Day in Canada and Kraft Hockeyville, so yes.