Viewers "will see more commercials on ESPN's telecasts
of NHL games next year" as part of Disney's new TV rights
deal with the league, according to Jeff Jensen of AD AGE.
NHL Senior VP Steve Solomon said that ESPN "will add an
unspecified number of commercial units." Solomon: "It's too
early to say how many (ad units there) will be or what the
format will look like." Jensen reports that ad buyers
"received the news of rate increases and added inventory --
and the promise of profits -- with some skepticism." Disney
and the NHL "are banking on more aggressive promotion to
boost ratings," and Solomon said that Disney's deal "marks
the first time the NHL requested a specific commitment of
promotional support from a broadcast network." Solomon: "I
don't want to break out a value on what Fox gave us, but in
aggregate what ABC will provide will be larger." Jensen
notes that it "has yet to be determined" if the added
promos, which will be produced by ABC and ESPN, will come
within NHL broadcasts or in non-NHL programming,
"especially" in primetime. The NHL "will retain two units
in every telecast to use for its own league advertising,
produced in-house" (AD AGE, 8/31 issue).
SMART DECISION OR FOX HUNT? In his weekly DENVER POST
column, The Bonham Group CEO Dean Bonham wrote that Disney's
NHL TV deal was "designed to reduce the number of sports
holdings currently under the Fox umbrella." Disney Chair
Michael Eisner "has carefully picked his time and place to
take a stand and deliver the message that [News Corp. Chair
Rupert] Murdoch is not going to have it all his way." He
added that while Disney "will probably show a loss" on the
deal, "those who step back and take the big picture into
account will come away with the firm belief that Eisner and
his lieutenants knew exactly what they were doing" (DENVER
POST, 8/30). One TV "insider" told William Houston in
Toronto that Disney's offer "was based less on business than
emotion. Disney wanted to knock off Fox and I think Michael
Eisner's love for hockey had a lot to do with the price that
was paid" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/29). In Miami, Barry Jackson
called the deal "one of the most mystifying TV sports
business decisions in years" (MIAMI HERALD, 8/30).
