NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday said that the six-year partnership with MLBAM "will allow the NHL and MLB to do more than ever before when it comes to digital content," according to Jared Clinton of THE HOCKEY NEWS. Bettman during a press conference unveiling the deal said, "By combining our resources we believe the possibilities are endless. This type of partnership never has been tried before and we believe the opportunities are both unprecedented and unlimited. We’re dreaming bigger and broader to create the best possible fan experience" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 8/4). Bettman added MLBAM has an “incredible capacity to deal with all of the digital platforms, and by using our content, we think we can provide a better experience for fans in both sports and really work together to grow both games.” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said it is the league's intention to separate MLBAM “from our pure baseball content." Manfred: “Advanced Media has been a leader in terms of the use of digital platforms to give fans access to our games in the way that they want them, and we're going to provide that same kind of quality experience for NHL fans" ("Closing Bell," CNBC, 8/4). SPORTSNET.ca's Elliotte Friedman cited sources as saying that the deal was "first presented" to the NHL BOG at a June meeting in Las Vegas. NHL COO John Collins said that the league talked about a similar deal "with other providers, including DirecTV and Comcast." A source said that the NHL and Comcast "considered extending their current television deal as part of the conversations." There are six years remaining on the current pact. However, MLBAM "was the most aggressive bidder." Collins also said that the league wants MLBAM "to develop an app similar to MLB.com At Bat" (SPORTSNET.ca, 8/4).
CHANNEL CHANGES: USA TODAY's Kristen Shilton noted the first major changes fans will see "will likely be to NHL Network,'' which since its inception has been based in Toronto but now will be moved to Secaucus, N.J. The rest of the alterations "will be rolled out over time, with most taking effect" by early '16. Bettman: "We'll be fully operational (by the season's start), but my guess is, we'll get better over time. Whatever you see opening night will be good, whatever you see a month later will be better. And, as we go through the season, it will be better yet" (USATODAY.com, 8/4). In N.Y., Pat Leonard notes the improvement of NHL Network "is clearly important to hockey’s higher-ups." The NHL's website "is informative, interactive and packed with information and highlights, but its television network is not as well respected or established." Collins said that he "sees 'three cornerstone shows:' NHL Live, On the Fly and NHL Tonight." But Collins said, “Beyond that, we’re looking to MLB on how to improve the network. It’s something we have a lot of pride in but something we also recognize there are significant opportunities to improve. This allows us to focus on content" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 8/5). In Toronto, Mike Zeisberger writes NHL Network "could use a makeover, at least from a technical standpoint." The actual presentation "lagged far behind that of the MLB and NFL Networks respectively." The net "wasn’t even available in HD in hockey-mad Canada while the primarily white set for the NHL Tonight highlight program looked tacky." Given the resources of MLB Network, the upgrade "should be noticeable by the time the agreement fully kicks in" on Jan. 1 (TORONTO SUN, 8/5).
BETTER STREAMING OPTIONS: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Clinton noted when it comes to changes to the NHL's live streaming GameCenter Live, "one of the things fans using the service could expect is some of the integration that has made MLBAM’s MLB TV the gold standard in streaming sports." MLB’s streaming games "include on the fly stats and it could be something the NHL toys with when the service gets rolled out." One hope "would be truer live streaming capabilities." Currently, fans using the service "have been subject to streaming hiccups, such as a delay between live game action and the streaming video." Bettman added that with this partnership, "if you want GameCenter Live with one team for the season, it will become an option" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 8/4).
BAM GROWING BIG: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Shalini Ramachandran cites baseball and hockey execs as saying that as MLBAM’s valuation "is firmed up in the spinoff process, the NHL stake could end up worth" as much as $500M. Sources said that depending on "where the sides end up, the deal could value" MLBAM between $3-5B. The MLBAM tech unit brought in more than $100M in revenue last year and "was growing at a double-digit percentage pace." As a whole, "including baseball-specific operations like MLB.com and ticketing," MLBAM took in $800M last year. The NHL deal "positions MLBAM to play a bigger role in online video." The baseball unit "could eventually create a bundled streaming offering of professional sports." MLB President of Business & Media Bob Bowman said, "That’s something that obviously we discussed.” But he added there is "significant upside in building out” online video offerings via the a la carte model (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/5).
BOON TO TEAMS: SPORTSNET.ca's Friedman noted the agreement will "provide a revenue boost at a time the salary cap is flattening." An anonymous team governor said for the purposes of the salary cap, “We were told to expect $120M per year in added revenue ... $4M per team." Another source indicated that this "is double what the league previously earned for these rights" (SPORTSNET.ca, 8/4).
