ESPN and ESPN2 are "planning a major promotional effort
for their weeknight hockey telecasts beginning in early
January in order to drive viewers to weekend games that will
air on ABC beginning in March," according to John Consoli of
MEDIAWEEK. Media buyers said the new ABC/ESPN sales force
is "projecting ratings" about 14% higher on ABC than Fox's
1.4 Nielsen average last year (around 1.6), although "no
ratings guarantees are being offered." Under its new five-
year, $125M per year deal, ABC will broadcast 16 games --
four per weekend regionally from March 18 through April 9.
Whether ABC/ESPN can "recoup their investment cannot be
easily determined because the NHL is being sold across the
networks in packages, and as value-added for buys on other
sports programming." Media buyers said that some spots on
ABC's telecasts are "being tacked on as value-added buys to
deals cut for ESPN programming other than hockey." A Fox
exec said that 30-second spots on Fox's NHL telecasts last
season averaged "about" $20,000 (MEDIAWEEK, 11/29 issue).
