The NHL Board of Governors approved a five-year, $600M
contract with ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 on Thursday for exclusive
broadcast and cable-TV rights starting with the '99-2000
season, according to Elliott & Hofmeister of the L.A. TIMES.
The approval "signaled an imminent end to the NHL's brief
and bumpy relationship" with Fox, which is "expected to dump
[its] final year to avoid becoming a lame duck," with ABC
the "likely buyer." The league is expected to formally
announce the deal next week. The Board of Governors voted
on the matter "despite a letter from Fox last week disputing
the deadline for it to counter Disney's offer." Fox said
its 10-business-day deadline to match should have been
extended because it claims the NHL "initially disclosed the
value of only the broadcast portion of Disney's offer and
omitted the cable portion." Without the full information,
Fox said it "was at a disadvantage." But league and Disney
sources told the L.A. TIMES that Fox "was never eager to
renew," and said the letter was "merely a legal ploy for Fox
to cite later, should it want to contest the contract with
Disney" (L.A. TIMES, 8/21). DAILY VARIETY's Cynthia
Littleton reports sources who said that in a survey of Fox's
170-odd broadcast affils, the "station managers voted
overwhelmingly to dump hockey rather than pay a huge rights
fee increase" (DAILY VARIETY, 8/21).
THE ABC'S OF THE FALL SCHEDULE: USA TODAY's Rudy
Martzke reports that talks are underway between the NHL and
Fox, with the net "possibly being granted some concessions
to step aside a year early." ABC would have "to adjust its
sports schedule for the coming season. ... But an agreement
could be reached by next week." The new deal calls for
annual payments of $50M by ABC and $70M by ESPN. ABC
Sports/ESPN President Steve Bornstein: "This is good for the
sport, great for ABC and ESPN. It gives ABC young audience
programming for the month of June" (USA TODAY, 8/21).
