Ducks Unable To Get Versus On Time Warner Basic Service

Ducks Unable To Get Versus On Time Warner's Basic Package For Western Conference Finals

A “last-ditch effort by the Ducks on Friday to expand the reach” of Versus in the L.A. market for the Western Conference finals failed, though Time Warner did agree to add the net to its HD package for the rest of the series, according to Larry Stewart of the L.A. TIMES. Ducks Senior VP & CMO Bob Wagner “tried to persuade” Time Warner to put Versus on a basic channel, which would have made it available to all 1.9 million of the MSO’s L.A.-market subscribers (L.A. TIMES, 5/12). Wagner said that the team understands the network is the league’s partner and believes the more it grows, the more exposure the team and league will have in L.A. He added, “We’re taking a very aggressive stance on working with Versus [to grow distribution in the market] because it helps our business plan to work with them to grow this long term.” The market has 3.5 million cable HHs, of which Versus reaches only 50% (Ourand & Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal).

NEW YORK MINUTES: Ratings for playoff hockey in the N.Y. market “are at least twice as high as they were for the regular season,” and Versus “reported its highest viewership” in the market this month. Still, more homes in the Buffalo area watched each game of the Sabres-Rangers Eastern Conference semifinals than in the N.Y. area. For example, the April 29 game, won by the Rangers in double overtime, was watched in 192,000 HHs in Buffalo compared to about 133,000 HHs in N.Y. (N.Y. TIMES, 5/13).

OOPS: In Philadelphia, Tim Panaccio noted Versus during the first period of last Monday’s Red Wings-Sharks Western Conference semifinals Game Six “ran a promo on the [Devils’] quest for the Cup, encouraging fans to follow the Devils’ run on Versus and NBC.” The Devils had been eliminated from the playoffs two days earlier (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 5/13).

ON THE AIR: Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said of in-game TV interviews, “I don’t want to see anybody when I’m behind the bench.” Carlyle added of player interviews, “If they want to do those interviews, I’ll never stop a player from doing them. I think it’s about the players. If the game has got to go in that direction for that to open it up to the fans, then so be it” (L.A. TIMES, 5/13).