DirecTV May Carry Versus Without Deal As NHL Season Nears

DirecTV VP/PR Darris Gringeri said that the "possible effects of incurring the wrath of NHL fans might be enough for the satellite provider to put Versus back on its listings, even if a new agreement isn't reached" when the NHL season starts on Thursday, according to Adrian Dater of the DENVER POST. Gringeri: "If we don't have a deal with Versus by the time hockey season starts, DirecTV would certainly be open to putting these games up for our customers while we continue to negotiate. Obviously, Versus has to allow us to do that, but we'd certainly be open to doing that. At the end of the day, it would be their decision." But a Versus spokesperson in response said, "Why would it be our decision when DirecTV is the one who took us down in the first place?" Dater noted the rhetoric between the two sides "has been and continues, by and large, to be heated," with Versus "slamming DirecTV" in newspaper ads. Versus President Jamie Davis said that the ads are "working, that DirecTV is losing subscribers to other cable providers primarily over its decision to drop" the network. Davis: "Dish Network has added 9 million new subscribers for Versus that weren't there before Sept. 1, and another million from other cable operators around the country. So we've made up the vast majority of the lost Versus subscribers on DirecTV, and when we looked at our viewership numbers from the first three weeks of September 2009, to last year at the same time -- when we were on DirecTV -- our ratings on primetime and total day (have) been up nearly 30[%]." However, Gringeri contends DirecTV has lost just a "handful" of subscribers as a result of the dispute (DENVER POST, 9/26).

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER: The NHL on its Web site published an open letter to fans regarding the DirecTV-Versus situation, stating, "We have met with DirecTV and Versus, both of whom are our business partners, and have emphasized that we -- and NHL fans everywhere -- want them to resolve their carriage dispute as quickly as possible. ... We encourage you to tell DirecTV that you want Versus back so that you don't miss any NHL games this season" (THE DAILY). The Bruins play the Capitals Thursday night on Versus to begin the season, and Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs said, "Right now, it does not look good that it will be broadcast." He added DirecTV and Versus are "moving at glacial speed" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/29). NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said, "It's a problem. ... We hope they get this resolved." In DC, Corey Masisak writes aside from the DirecTV dispute, "there are the big-picture problems with Versus itself." While more viewers "tuned in to the network to watch NHL games during the playoffs than ever before," the net "still doesn't carry nearly the brand recognition or provide the same level of potential that [ESPN] does." Yahoo Sports NHL columnist Greg Wyshynski: "The problem remains that no one watches Versus during the day unless they are a buck hunter. There's your problem, and that's what you lose by not being on ESPN" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 9/29).