Fox "is leaning toward making a counteroffer" to
Disney's bid for NHL TV rights "in an effort to at least
drive up the costs that its archrival will have to pay,"
according to Hofmeister & Elliott of the L.A. TIMES, who put
Disney's bid at $250M for ABC broadcast rights and $350M for
ESPN cable rights. Fox "recently passed" on its right to
extend its NHL contract by two years and one exec said that
"it let its rights pass so it could bid on the broadcast and
cable rights as a package." Sources say that Fox TV Chair
Chase Carey "is particularly keen on damaging the cable
stronghold of ESPN," and at "the least," Carey is said to be
eager to force ESPN to pay up for cable, alone, without the
benefit of games on ABC that can be used as a promotion
platform to build viewership for ESPN through cross-
promotion." Hofmeister & Elliott wrote that Fox and the NHL
"are in disagreement over the company's deadline to bid."
Fox says it has 10 days from the time it is informed of
Disney's bid by the league. Although it has been informed
of Disney's broadcast offer, Fox is "awaiting verification"
from the NHL of Disney's cable bid "to determine whether it
can afford to present its own joint bid" (L.A. TIMES, 8/8).
MORE BID REAX: In Boston, Jim Baker called Disney's
offer "staggering considering the NHL's dreadful and
declining ratings" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/9). Blues President
Mark Sauer said that while the bid is "encouraging" and
"helps," it is "not the cure for all the industry's ills"
(ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/9). In St. Paul, Charley
Walters' sources said the deal will be "worth considerably
more" than the reported $600M (PIONEER PRESS, 8/9).