The long rumored extension between the NHL and NBC came to fruition yesterday.
NBC will continue airing NHL games through the 2008-09 season. The network will televise 10 regular season “Games of the Week”, which will now have a consistent start time of 12:30 PM. This season, NBC aired 9 games of the week, with all but three starting at 1:00 PM or earlier.
During the playoffs, NBC will air up to 15 games, mostly on weekend afternoons.
Despite keeping crucial national exposure, the NHL had to make a major concession in the deal. NBC will only cover Games 4, 5 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals — meaning that for the first time since FOX covered games in the late 1990s, the majority of the Stanley Cup Finals will air on cable.
Primetime coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals has hurt NBC in the past; last year, Game 3 between the Ducks and Senators tied as the lowest rated prime time program in the network’s history.
