Sabres will have 14 national TV games, also 12 time changes to schedule

[PromoTheRobot]

Here’s the Sabres' full national broadcast schedule, subject to change (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Oct. 21 vs. PHI: 7:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Tuesday, Oct. 27 at SJS: 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Thursday, Oct. 29 at ANA: 10 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (streaming exclusive)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 vs. TBL: 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Friday, Nov. 27 vs. PIT: 8 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Friday, Dec. 18 vs. MTL: 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (streaming exclusive)
Tuesday, Jan. 5 at BOS: 7:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Sunday, Feb. 21 at DET: 3:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Wednesday, Feb. 24 at PHI: 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Saturday, March 6 vs. NYR: 3 p.m. on ABC
Sunday, March 14 at MIN: 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Thursday, March 18 vs. WSH: 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (streaming exclusive)
Sunday, March 28 at STL: 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Wednesday, April 7 vs. BOS: 7:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max

The NHL also announced the following time changes on the Sabres’ schedule:
Tuesday, Oct. 6 vs. MIN: 7 p.m. (was 8)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 vs. TBL: 7 p.m. (was 7:30)
Friday, Dec. 18 vs. MTL: 7:30 p.m. (was 7)
Thursday, Jan. 14 vs. COL: 7:30 p.m. (was 7, changed for Sabres HOF induction)
Monday, Jan. 18 vs. MTL: 2 p.m. (was 1)
Monday, Feb. 15 at NYR: 6 p.m. (was 3)
Saturday, Feb. 20 at NJD: 1:30 p.m. (was 3)
Sunday, March 7 at OTT: 3 p.m. (was 5)
Thursday, March 18 vs. WSH: 7:30 p.m. (was 7)
Sunday, March 28 at STL: 8:30 p.m. (was 9)
Thursday, April 1 vs. BOS: 7 p.m. (was 7:30)
Wednesday, April 7 vs. BOS: 7:30 p.m. (was 7)

Edited August 26 by PromoTheRobot

[PromoTheRobot]

This does not include games NHL Network might hijack.

[Eleven]

Thanks PTR.

[Night Train]

Good. I have all of those channels/streams.  Plus MSG. 

[shrader]

53 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

This does not include games NHL Network might hijack.

I was wondering about that.  They claimed so many extra ones late in the year.  I'm hoping I don't have to scramble around to find last second trial streaming memberships to watch those games.

[msw2112]

I live out of market for the Sabres, and I have YouTubeTV with the "full" package.  As of very recently, ESPN Unlimited (formerly known as ESPN+) is included as part of the package, so I will have service without a separate ESPN subscription.  That will include just about all of the Sabres games for me.  The only ones I won't get are the dreaded NHL Network games and the ones that are blacked out, which happens in my part of the country.  Las Vegas, Utah and Colorado games are often blacked out based on regional sports package rules and it sucks when the Sabres are playing those teams.

I can sort of understand the local blackout rules (although I despise them), but I can't understand the NHL Network thing.  A large percentage of streaming or cable packages do not include that channel, so those games are not available to a whole lot of viewers. You'd think that the NHL would want as many eyeballs on their product as possible, and I assume that advertisers would pay more for those eyeballs.  As such, they should either a) lower the rights fees for NHL Network so that all major streaming and cable platforms would include the channel, OR b) allow those games to be shown on the ESPN streaming platform.  For what it's worth, YouTubeTV, the largest streaming platform, INCLUDES NBA TV, but not NHL Network.  That seems to me like something the NHL would want to fix.

[Eleven]

5 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I live out of market for the Sabres, and I have YouTubeTV with the "full" package.  As of very recently, ESPN Unlimited (formerly known as ESPN+) is included as part of the package, so I will have service without a separate ESPN subscription.  That will include just about all of the Sabres games for me.  The only ones I won't get are the dreaded NHL Network games and the ones that are blacked out, which happens in my part of the country.  Las Vegas, Utah and Colorado games are often blacked out based on regional sports package rules and it sucks when the Sabres are playing those teams.

I can sort of understand the local blackout rules (although I despise them), but I can't understand the NHL Network thing.  A large percentage of streaming or cable packages do not include that channel, so those games are not available to a whole lot of viewers. You'd think that the NHL would want as many eyeballs on their product as possible, and I assume that advertisers would pay more for those eyeballs.  As such, they should either a) lower the rights fees for NHL Network so that all major streaming and cable platforms would include the channel, OR b) allow those games to be shown on the ESPN streaming platform.  For what it's worth, YouTubeTV, the largest streaming platform, INCLUDES NBA TV, but not NHL Network.  That seems to me like something the NHL would want to fix.

They're idiots.  They were the first league to make internet streaming of ALL radio broadcasts free, back in the 90s, using the ill-fated RealAudio player ("buffering...buffering...").  But they knew that it would keep people involved.

Now it's just a cash grab, and it's not just the NHL.

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Here’s the Sabres' full national broadcast schedule, subject to change (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, Oct. 21 vs. PHI: 7:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Tuesday, Oct. 27 at SJS: 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
Thursday, Oct. 29 at ANA: 10 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (streaming exclusive)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 vs. TBL: 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Friday, Nov. 27 vs. PIT: 8 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Friday, Dec. 18 vs. MTL: 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (streaming exclusive)
Tuesday, Jan. 5 at BOS: 7:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Sunday, Feb. 21 at DET: 3:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Wednesday, Feb. 24 at PHI: 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Saturday, March 6 vs. NYR: 3 p.m. on ABC
Sunday, March 14 at MIN: 7 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max
Thursday, March 18 vs. WSH: 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ and Hulu (streaming exclusive)
Sunday, March 28 at STL: 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
Wednesday, April 7 vs. BOS: 7:30 p.m. on TNT and HBO Max

The NHL also announced the following time changes on the Sabres’ schedule:
Tuesday, Oct. 6 vs. MIN: 7 p.m. (was 8)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 vs. TBL: 7 p.m. (was 7:30)
Friday, Dec. 18 vs. MTL: 7:30 p.m. (was 7)
Thursday, Jan. 14 vs. COL: 7:30 p.m. (was 7, changed for Sabres HOF induction)
Monday, Jan. 18 vs. MTL: 2 p.m. (was 1)
Monday, Feb. 15 at NYR: 6 p.m. (was 3)
Saturday, Feb. 20 at NJD: 1:30 p.m. (was 3)
Sunday, March 7 at OTT: 3 p.m. (was 5)
Thursday, March 18 vs. WSH: 7:30 p.m. (was 7)
Sunday, March 28 at STL: 8:30 p.m. (was 9)
Thursday, April 1 vs. BOS: 7 p.m. (was 7:30)
Wednesday, April 7 vs. BOS: 7:30 p.m. (was 7)

This sucks.

I need what? 4 services to watch all games

 

[shrader]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

This sucks.

I need what? 4 services to watch all games

 

Is there any service for you locals with MSG that doesn’t have TNT and ESPN? After that, you just need ESPN+ and then potentially something for the NHL network games. 

[JoeSchmoe]

Little do they realize that every time they force paying subscribers to scramble to find the game elsewhere, they increase the chances that subscriber finds a cheaper, less legitimate way to watch the game.

How many of us know that story?

[Jävə Keith]

16 hours ago, shrader said:

Is there any service for you locals with MSG that doesn’t have TNT and ESPN? After that, you just need ESPN+ and then potentially something for the NHL network games. 

I use Fubo for MSG to watch Sabres. However, they do not carry TNT and often ESPN+ games are blacked out b/c "in-market". Been forced to find a stream on the interwebs on my laptop for those games. Also even though I have HBO/Max it forces me to pay an extra monthly amount if I want to see the games streamed there. NHL needs to get their act together and simplify this expensive chaotic mess that makes it so painfully hard to watch games of your local team in your local market.

As a business executive, I can say this is the result of poor leadership and brand management. Need to shift to "Customer(Fan)-Centricity" core value & strategy over chasing individual business deals that are a bright shiny object with the illusion of more $. A brand that truely focuses on the customer and is intimately in touch with the "Voice of the Customer" is what drives long term growth, sustainability, and value as a business model, and ultimately shareholder/owner value.

Edited August 27 by Jävə Keith

[Hawerchuk]

21 hours ago, msw2112 said:

but I can't understand the NHL Network thing.  A large percentage of streaming or cable packages do not include that channel, so those games are not available to a whole lot of viewers. You'd think that the NHL would want as many eyeballs on their product as possible, and I assume that advertisers would pay more for those eyeballs.

THIS! We want to grow the game but let's make it extremely difficult to offer NHL Network Channel. So ridiculous!

[LTS]

I would venture a solid guess that there are plenty of people who have indicated they subscribe to the NHL network so they can get coverage of games that are not anywhere else.

The NHL obviously does this as its the "NHL Network" and they have a majority stake in the ownership (NBC Universal has the other). So, their intent is to get people to add the NHL Network to their package. It's purely promotional and an attempt to grow subscriptions to the channel.

I don't think the viewpoints of those here are fully representative of the world at large. A lot of people are not going to look for an illegal stream. A lot of people will look at bumping up their linear TV service package to include the NHL network and just pay it. 

If the strategy wasn't working I would not expect it to continue. Perhaps it is not and they haven't shut it down yet, but my guess is they will if it doesn't drive revenue.

As for the rest of the networks, well, that's how it goes. The NHL wants to more TV revenue to grow salaries and so they need more networks to cover games. You don't need multiple services to get all the games but it might be that you do depending on what packages/streaming services you choose, where you live, etc.

Remember the days when you had one choice and everyone clamored for "a la carte". I know I keep saying it, but this is "a la carte" at its finest.

 

[PromoTheRobot]

14 games seems like a lot but it ranks 12th in the league. Bruins and Pens lead with 20. Canadian teams, as you'd expect, are mostly ignored. Oilers get 8 while Flames, Sens and Canucks get 0.

Edited August 28 by PromoTheRobot