NBC has made a couple of changes to its Stanley Cup playoff schedule. In other news, the SEC on CBS will get an earlier start this year, and Tennis Channel will not sub-license U.S. Open coverage from ESPN.
NBC Adds Blackhawks/Ducks Game 7, Gives Cup Final Belmont Lead-In
- Saturday’s Game 7 of the Blackhawks/Ducks NHL Western Conference final has moved from NBCSN to the NBC broadcast network, as has Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final the following week. The former will be the first non-final Game 7 on broadcast since the current TV deal began in 2005. The latter will have a potentially large lead-in from The Belmont Stakes, which carries the possibility of a Triple Crown winner. NBC made the same scheduling change last year, with the Belmont boosting Rangers/Kings to the NHL’s largest Saturday night audience since 2001. (NBC Press Group Press Box, nbcumv.com)
Earlier Start For SEC on CBS
- No longer having to work around the U.S. Open, CBS will air SEC college football coverage in the first two weeks of the season — a departure from previous years, when it debuted in week three. The network will carry the Louisville/Auburn Kickoff Game on September 5 and Georgia/Vanderbilt the following week, both through a sub-licensing agreement with ESPN. Other announced games on the network’s schedule include Auburn/LSU on September 19, Georgia/Florida on October 31, and Missouri/Arkansas on the day after Thanksgiving. (CBS Sports)
Tennis Channel Will Not Sub-License U.S. Open From ESPN
- Tennis Channel has declined to sub-license coverage of the U.S. Open from ESPN, Sports Video Group reported Tuesday. The network had a previous sub-licensing agreement with ESPN in which it carried coverage on weekday mornings and Labor Day weekend. ESPN has rights to the entire U.S. Open starting this year, and shifting some hours to Tennis Channel would have likely reduced any conflict with its college football schedule. (Sports Video Group via Fang’s Bites)
