October 05, 2005
Comcast To Stream 300 NHL Games To Cable Internet Customers
Back in August, when the NHL announced its new television deal with OLN/Comcast, I had this to say:
[O]n-demand highlight packages and Web-streaming are two products that Comcast would want to leverage in order to keep customers buying their cable and broadband Internet services. For some time now, I've been considering a move from Comcast to DirecTV. But if the NHL Network isn't available on DirecTV, that might give me pause. And we already know that due to technical limitations, satellite television simply can't deliver on-demand programming of any type.
This morning, Comcast made the following announcement:
COMCAST CORP. WILL MAKE AN unprecedented free offering to its 7.7 million Internet customers, giving them up to 300 regular season NHL games, which will be streamed live complete with re-broadcast national and/or local TV advertising. This is the second part of its big deal with the NHL. Six weeks ago Comcast struck the first part of the deal, inking a $207.5 million three-year-deal for the cable TV rights for its OLN network. The first regular season game of the deal will start tonight. OLN will air 58 games this season. Comcast will stream the games either from OLN or local TV or regional sports networks. Local blackout restrictions will be in effect for all games.
Great news -- and something that ESPN could never offer to hockey fans. I can't believe I'm saying this, but, thank you Comcast.
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07:20 AM