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Canes' TV deal has big holes
Submitted by ldecock on 08/29/2008 - 09:48
It's a shame only 35 of the Hurricanes' 41 road games will be on TV, but that's not the big problem.
After all, three of those missing games conflict with Versus exclusive games. There's no way around that.
But the other three are missing because FSN South didn't want them, and wasn't required to carry them. That's the big problem.
You have to wonder why the Canes so quickly re-upped with FSN South for a deal that covers only 35 road games and 65 total games. Sure, it was better than the preposterously low 55-game deal that preceeded it, but couldn't the Canes have done better?
With MASN entering the market on cable -- any day now -- there was, for the first time since the team moved here in 1997, a realistic second bidder for the Canes' rights. The Hurricanes would have been a must-get for MASN to force Time Warner Cable's hand. Even if they ended up back on FSN South, surely any leverage is better than no leverage.
Yet the Hurricanes renewed the FSN South deal before any other bidders were even allowed to talk to the team. (FSN South had exclusive negotiating rights until the deal expired.)
There are only three explanations: Either the Canes got a ton of money in rights fees, making the deal too good to turn down (possible, but doubtful), they sounded out MASN secretly and weren't impressed (doubtful, but possible) or they took the safe route by default.
What they're left with is a deal with an Atlanta-based network that appears to place a higher value on the come-lately Bobcats and definitely places a higher value on ACC basketball -- and while that could someday change, the Canes haven't forced the issue. If the Canes play on a Sunday night during basketball season, they're not going to be on local TV. End of story.
Given that one of the Hurricanes' biggest marketing issues is getting out from under the shadow of the ACC, as long as they're on FSN South they're unlikely to make any headway in that department.
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Luke DeCock
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at 829-8947 or luke.decock@newsobserver.com.
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Comments
All I have to say is God
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 16:57 — Jared (not verified)All I have to say is God help the people like myself who live outside of the Triangle but still want to see Canes games on FSN South. I live about 90 minutes south of Raleigh, and often it seems like I miss out on games that others are getting because of not just ACC College Basketball, but SEC College Basketball as well.
Canes.TV
Mon, 10/13/2008 - 09:57 — Anonymous (not verified)I was informed that Canes.TV can be acquired through sedo.com.
 Â
MASN is awful
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 16:28 — Anonymous (not verified)Luke may be right about the terms of contract, but I have to agree with JoshC's post concerning the poor quality of coverage provided by MASN. I lived in the Maryland suburbs of DC for 3 years and could barely stand to watch Orioles games on MASN. It's almost embarassing how poor the coverage is. FSN may not cover all the games, but at least they do a good job. For those few games that won't be televised, I'll be more than happy to listen to Chuck K call the games on the radio. Quality over quantity any day.
Lack o'love
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 13:01 — Anonymous (not verified)I agree with Luke. It seems like the team took the easy money to avoid negotiating. Also, as a professional sports team they shouldn't have to be second banana to college sports. On a separate but related note...what's with the lack of love for Montreal. Only one of our games against them is going to be aired. The Habs are a storied franchise not without history with the Canes. I know 2 of those games are on Tuesdays, are those games' rights held by Versus? If so, does that mean they wouldn't be on Center Ice either?
The heck with TV. I listen
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:52 — ctillThe heck with TV. I listen to Chuck K on radio.
MASN
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:41 — JoshC (not verified)As a Washington Nationals fan in Virginia who's been stuck watching MASN, I would not have wanted to see the Canes go that route. Their baseball coverage has been technically incompetent from day one with very little improvement, and that's an operation close to their Baltimore home base; marketing and advertising have been essentially non-existent. It's not just NC that lost baseball coverage after the MASN takeover of the Orioles' broadcast rights -- vast swathes of Virginia, including parts barely an hour from Washington, didn't have MASN until the week before the 2008 season started.
It's bad news that the Canes couldn't get full road coverage, but 35 games on FSN with full market penetration is better than 38 on a channel with limited presence and lousy technical quality.
My thoughts exactly
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 15:24 — Original Caniac (not verified)I have seen some stuff on MASN and it's horrible.  Look at it from a realistic standpoint.  This team hasn't made the playoffs for 2 years.  They have more games on the schedule than last year.  Stick with the company that knows the team, knows the setups and knows how to put on a quality broadcast.  Look what's happened to hockey since it went to Versus.  Granted, Versus has gotten a little better, but it was nothing of ESPN quality, and likely never will be.  FSN has much better quality than MASN.  It's not the best deal, but it's far better in the long run to stick with FSN - especially if the Canes can make a run this year.
Be resourceful
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:24 — Anonymous (not verified)With all the online venues carrying NHL games for free, games missed are not unavoidable for anyone with a high speed hook up.
get 'em Luke
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:07 — wufpirateI enjoy getting to see these sides of your opinions, Luke. You've never been one to hold much back. Now you can really rip people new ones if you want.
Canes TV Schedule: A short PS
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:05 — sds70 (not verified)Luke might not remember the early days of this team when the Canes could barely get 40 games on cable between FXSS & HTS!!!!!!! I wonder why it would be so hard for the Canes to get the local CW or MY NETWORK affiliate in the Triangle to pickup 8-10 to air on TV ? I mean, it would be perfect original local programming which would get good ratings (some station up there I'm sure airs the Bobcats free-TV games, which I know y'all don't really give a flip about :-) !!!!!!!)
local TV does not cover
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 13:22 — SubwayScoundrelcomment deleted by The Scoundrel
65 games on FSN-South this Season . . . What's the issue?
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 12:01 — sds70 (not verified)How come the Canes can't get a local station to air 8-10 games (i.e. games that fall on holidays, weekends)? To get 65 games on FSN South in a market where ACC basketball rules, I think that is very good deal for the team!!!!!!! Until MASN gets into more households in the Carolinas (and only time can tell about that) then the Canes best bet will be to stay with FSN-SOuth. Look what happened to the Bobcats when they tried to start a new cable network from scratch (C-SET) . . It died after barely a year!!!!!!! It took the Bobcats 4 years to finally do the smart thing and move their games to FSN/SportsSouth (and I'll bet you they had to crawl all the way down to Atlanta to get the deal now, after Bob Johnson blew them off to start C-SET instead when the Bobcats first started).
THE BOTTOM LINE: When MLB comes to Charlotte (next 5-10 years probably), then that will be the right time to start a Carolinas centered regional sports network. Charlotte ___________ during the spring and summer months with the Canes & Bobcats taking up the fall & winter with ACC/ECU/UNCC/Southern Conf. sports to fill the schedule out.
NBX suxs
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 11:44 — Anonymous (not verified)NBX suxs
I agree with the HD
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 11:38 — Anonymous (not verified)I agree with the HD commenter. The game is much more enjoyable in HD.
HD HD HD HD HD
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 11:04 — vdotuI'd like to see a league study of HD games broadcast by team. If the canes can't get HD in this market, which was the first to have News in HD (WRAL), then something is seriously wrong..
what about. on dish where
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:52 — cpjuengewhat about. on dish where there alternate channels and for different local showings.
does that mean ill get the canes anyway?
T.V. coverage
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:36 — Robert Gilday (not verified)It is a shame that more games aren't being televised locally. It's somewhat understandable with the home games, but not the road games. The long term upshot of this could be that we lose one of the best play-by-play people in John Forslund to the network(s). By the way, MASN is coming to cable here soon? I'll believe it when I actually see it.
FSN South contract
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:34 — ldecock (author)The new contract runs through 2013.
TV Package ?
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 10:09 — esteban1949Well Luke...i has to agree with ya on this...it seems a bird in the hand and a sure thing is alot better than If .....Possibly & a Maybe...and seeing what the " average" blue collar working stiff has to pay out these days...The Canes did what they had to do... by the way...when is the FSN Contract up anyway ?
have a safeweekend Luke...Go Canes !!