Versus and NBC are going to be working as a team to keep the NHL television rights within their grasp.
Hockey fans may have noticed that the Versus and NBC broadcasts have become increasingly similar as of late. The reason behind that is a new $30 billion joint venture between Comcast and General Electric, which puts Versus programming under the control of the newly reorganized NBC Sports Group, SI.com reports.
Comcast and General Electric finalized the $30 billion joint venture transaction on Jan. 28. The deal certified Comcast 51 percent and General Electric 49 percent owners of NBC Sports Group.
A familiar face at NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol, was hired last November to run the group and he has already made several changes since the joint venture was officially announced. One of his first moves was to install a three-man group to run Versus, including president Jon Litner, executive president Sam Flood, and president of programming Jon Miller, according to the New York Times.
The new joint venture now puts NBC and Versus in a prime position for the NHL's U.S. television rights deal, SI.com reports. As the rights head to negotiation again, the gossip mills have started turning out rumors of where the NHL broadcasts will land, but a source reports that they are staying with Versus and NBC for the next four to seven years.
Since evolving from the Outdoor Life Network, Versus has seen significant improvements. Now that NBC and Versus are working together as a joint venture, the negotiating of NHL rights is more alive and believable since they have the numbers to back them up.
Since the 2004-05 lockout, Versus now averages 300,000 viewers per game, up from fewer than 200,000 in 2006-07. In addition, the Versus broadcast of the 2011 All-Star Game drew in 1.5 million viewers, a 33 percent increase and largest audience ever for the All-Star game. Plus, the viewership of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals were the highest in 13 years, proving that the added production of the Winter Classic and seasonal award shows help boost the year-round numbers.
Though there may be debates about the NHL leaving Versus, it looks like they've established a strong partner and presence in broadcasting the sport, and it's clear hockey has benefitted from it.
