I like the staggered times of the Games 7 on Thursday, but I’m not a fan of how the NBC Sports Group will be handling the broadcasts. This is similar to how Versus handled games last year.
Game 7 of Ottawa and the New York Rangers will be aired on NBC Sports Network in its entirety starting at 7 p.m. ET. Also airing the game will be CBC and RDS in Canada and MSG in New York.
Then at 8:30 p.m., Game 7 of the New Jersey Devils at Florida series will air in Canada on TSN/RDSI in Canada, locally on MSG Plus and Fox Sports Florida in the home markets. Here’s where it gets weird. NHL Network starts airing the game live on 8:30 p.m. nationwide, then gives way to NBC Sports Network when Sens-Rangers is finished.
Why not have the game on CNBC in its entirety? Because CNBC wants to air its heavily promoted “Costco Craze” special on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.
So we have this crazy hodgepodge scheduling for the NBC Sports Group. So this is what the schedule looks like for Thursday:
Game 7: Ottawa at New York Rangers — CBC/RDS/NBC Sports Network/MSG Network, 7 p.m.
Game 7: New Jersey at Florida — NHL Network (US)/NBC Sports Network (joined in progress)/TSN/RDSI/MSG Plus/Fox Sports Florida, 8:30 p.m.
A bit crazy. But at least the entire game will be accessible to fans in the U.S. who have both NHL Network and NBC Sports Network.
UPDATE, 1:15 p.m.: NBC Sports Group has sent a press release on this and we have the scheduling plus announcing assignments.
PROGRAMMING ALERT: NHL PLAYOFF GAME 7 DOUBLE-HEADER ON NBC SPORTS NETWORK THURSDAY NIGHT
PROGRAMMING ALERT – April 25, 2012 — The NBC Sports Network will air a Conference Quarterfinal Game 7 double-header on Thursday night with support coverage provided by the NHL Network. The NHL announced the schedule for the final two games of the Conference Quarterfinals earlier today.
Coverage of the Ottawa Senators-New York Rangers Game 7 from Madison Square Garden in New York City will begin at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network. Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick (play-by-play), Eddie Olczyk (analyst) and Pierre McGuire (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the game.
Senators-Rangers will be shown nationally in its entirety, except for the New York market, which will be covered by the Rangers local carrier. For all Conference Quarterfinal games, local carriers retain exclusive rights to air their team’s game in their respective local markets. The NBC Sports Group has NHL playoff exclusivity beginning in the second round.
Game 7 of the New Jersey Devils-Florida Panthers series from BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET on NHL Network. Once the Senators-Rangers game ends, coverage of Devils-Panthers will move to NBC Sports Network until its conclusion. Extended live look-ins of Devils-Panthers will also be shown during intermissions of Senators-Rangers on NBC Sports Network.
Coverage in the New York and Miami markets will be provided by the Devils and Panthers local carriers, who have exclusive rights to air their team’s game in their respective local markets during the first round. Dave Strader (play-by-play) and Brian Engblom (Inside-the-Glass analyst) will call the game nationally on NHL Network/NBC Sports Network.
The staggered start times of 7 p.m. ET for Senators-Rangers and 8:30 p.m. ET for Devils-Panthers will allow hockey fans to watch the conclusion of both Game 7s on the NBC Sports Network.
NBC Sports Network is also televising Game 7 of the Washington Capitals-Boston Bruins series tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET. Calling the game will be Emrick (play-by-play), Olczyk (analyst) and McGuire (Inside-the-Glass analyst).
NHL Live begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network tonight and Thursday night.
Through 13 days, the Conference Quarterfinals on NBC Sports Network are averaging 699,000 viewers, up 18% vs. the comparable time period last year (590,000).
All set.
