(From The Philadelphia Inquirer)
THE NHL and COMCAST have reached a two-year deal worth over $100 MILLION for the league's CABLE BROADCASTING RIGHTS, according to sources cited by PANACCIO AND STEINBERG of THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.
One source said that ESPN retains the right to MATCH THE OFFER if it is approved by the NHL BOG.
The deal calls for COMCAST to televise two games a week, and the company plans to air them on OUTDOOR LIFE NETWORK (OLN).
COMCAST would "retain exclusivity in U.S. markets as the only game available" for one of the nights the games air. The league would retain the right "to exit the agreement at the end of the two years," contingent upon COMCAST "fulfilling certain responsibilities related to advertising-revenue growth and reaching a specific number of homes." If the NHL chooses to stay, COMCAST has a one-year option, followed by a three-year option.
The deal also calls for an unspecified number of games to be broadcast in HIGH DEFINITION (HD).
NHL Commissioner GARY BETTMAN, NHL Deputy Commissioner BILL DALY, COMCAST Programming President JEFF SHELL, COMCAST CABLE President STEVE BURKE and COMCAST Attorney ALAN SINGER participated in the negotiations.
LHB SPORTS President LEE BERKE said of the NHL partnering with COMCAST, "You have the world's largest cable company –- that’s a big plus." Berke added that COMCAST "will be able to pair NHL telecasts with its HDTV and Video On Demand (VOD) capabilities."
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