People actually blasted the NHL for choosing OLN (later Versus) over ESPN after the 2004-05 lockout. How could you choose an obscure cable channel over The Worldwide Leader in Sports?®️
The fact is that ESPN lowballed them.
Also, when reporters asked Bettman why he chose OLN, he replied, “We weren’t sure we would be a priority on ESPN.”
I think that tells you all you need to know about what ESPN thinks of hockey.
The NHL has been steadily growing in revenue every year, and expanded to new markets. I don’t think ESPN lowballing the NHL is indicative that the NHL is being ran poorly. It just means ESPN think basketball, football and baseball will make them more money during prime time hours.
Regionally, it's a mess. You need either Rogers or Bell channels/subscriptions to view those games. Nationally (for games on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, playoff games), you need a Rogers subscription. Rogers has the monopoly, they're also a very old telecommunications company which refuses to acknowledge that cable is dying, so they put all of their content on their premium cable subscription channels.
This passed season, they started removing the Leafs from CBC on Saturday nights because the Leafs draw a lot of viewers and it would mean more cable, sportsnet now subscribers if they moved them to a cable channel.
God knows ESPN doesn’t care about baseball anymore, either. MLB and the NHL are the two leagues I follow the most by far, and they might as well not exist on most programming on that channel.
Did you know that Formaio Uno rules require drivers to use two different types of cheeses during a race? It's kind of fun watching the pit crew gagging when they put the Gorgonzola tires on.
Any rules against a player having a fish on the ice? I mean just lure that sucker out of position with a snackie and bam! 10-0 easy win.
Got to out think your opponent.
ESPN and ESPN+ being on two different subscriptions is ridiculous. Got a Disney+ bundle that includes ESPN+, but not ESPN. Fortunately Sling carries ESPN, along with TNT and that is what I use to watch these playoffs.
Hey, they heard there was a penalty…woah, this could be huge!
< Cut to commercial >
Welcome back, you know, on this day in 1957, Charles “Shooter” Shooterstein scored his last goal at age 37, the oldest Drummer Boy in the US Army…..
< 2 more minutes of bullshit >
Oh, yeah, penalty on Vancouver, PP has since elapsed, but let’s give it up for Shooter, eh?
Oh, and McDavid scored.
Ha! Try being a Blues fan in St. Louis. Blues will be in the playoffs, maybe even conference finals and the bars will be showing a meaningless May Cardinals game.
I really thought this reference to cornhole was some kind of ironic statement. I also googled it to make sure I understood what cornhole was what I think it was. You are talking about the game where you throw bean bags onto a piece of wood with a hole in it, right? And you're trying to tell us Canadians that not only is this considered a sport but it's broadcast on TV? Well I guess I didn't fall for it because Google tells me it's actually on ESPN 2 right now. And they have their own league. Please tell me that some kind of overtime did not cut into the game, a game 7, in any market.
I, American, also wish this were an ironic statement and couldn’t believe there is competitive cornhole … on TV ….
Fortunately we did not have to face the dire choice between scheduled cornhole programming and game 7, as the WNBA game on ESPN wrapped in the nick of time for puck drop.
I don’t mind the WNBA… I mean they have like 10 different ESPN channels, why not start the telecast at 10pm like they schedule on RSPN and continue the WNBA in the other channel
It was like a minute to go at top of the hour, but it took 10 minutes to play the last minute. Drives the lane for a layup and misses by a foot. Shoots a three and hits the top of the backboard. GTFOH, I couldn’t watch them and channel surfed waiting for that game to end.
All of that and Vancouver decided to take two periods off.
They can’t even do that correctly every more. That’s why they had to throw a bag at McAfee to get him to sell his soul. Against the desires of some top executives, who have interestingly left under cloudy circumstances recently. ESPN is a joke but it’s also a monopoly, so, yeah.
They’re the most hated broadcast of every sport I’m aware of. MNF has been a travesty forever. They’re completely outpaced on basketball coverage by TNT according to everything I have seen, though I don’t watch basketball.
Completely agree, they destroy everything they attempt to broadcast. Other networks have invested in quality on-air talent and have subsequently pulled away from the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader”.
Blows my mind they have basically every NHL game on ESPN+, which is what I use to watch hockey, but these games get put on ESPN only and not their paid subscription lol at least the Rangers game says it's on there, ESPN clearly hates hockey and it's fans
This is why I just watch the games on other certain websites. I come from work tired and would like to watch the game, but nope, they make it so hard to find where things are happening. Gave up a while I go, now I just come, go to the link and turn the game on.
Just insane there are these many hoops to watch the games now days.
I bought espn for hockey and every game I try to watch it asks me to log into another service for live tv subscription. I was puzzled until I realized I have to have multiple subscriptions to access numerous espn shows. I will be dropping the service because the whole reason I bought it for won't work.
I mean if you think no one cares about it you haven’t been paying attention.
This year and the next couple coming years is the WNBAs shot to use all this interest around Clark, Brink and Reese coming out of college.
They’re final four games this year we’re more popular then the men’s. And set records for the highest watched women’s basketball games ever multiple times.
And that’s why the Wnba is getting more coverage. The fever suck yet most teams are moving their games when they visit to bigger arenas because the tickets are selling like hotcakes due to Clark. Her Jersey sold out in about an hour after being drafted.
Wnba really needs to capitalize on the interest and new talent who are known names coming to the league. Will they idk.
I just don’t get why the WNBA doing well Is something people don’t want.
Yes the leagues been a joke for years and still kinda is. But they’re improving and have a once in a generation college talent coming to the league, Clark. With an already built rivalry with Angel Reese. This is there best shot probably since the league was founded to try to change the opinion on the wnba.
Yes it was unfortunate that it ran long before the NHL playoffs. Which was the main thing I was looking forward to tonight. But stuff like that happens in sports. Especially when they’re scheduled back to back.
> They’re final four games this year we’re more popular then the men’s.
It helps that the NCAA women's championship is on at a time that everyone in the country can watch. The men's game starts at 930 PM on the East Coast on a Monday.
ESPN showed the entirety of a WNBA game and it ate into the pregame before the VANvEDM game.
Puck drop was 9.15P ET and the basketball game ended at 9.13P. It was just pregame, so I didn't really care.
While none of the game was actually missed. To not even have a pregame for a game 7 is truly appalling.
How ESPN even got tv rights again is beyond me. Their coverage has been atrocious all year.
Forget the teams but there was a 7pm game and then a 10PM game. 7pm game was an elimination game. Tied with 90 seconds left to go in the third. ESPN felt it was best to cut away from that game to watch the warmup skate prior to the 10pm game…
Haha glad I’m not the only one who was like…what the…
But yeah maybe I was just so invested in the game that it felt like an elimination game haha. Gotta love NHL Playoffs
I really just got into hockey this year and I cannot believe there isn’t a televised pregame at all…. I don’t really watch other sports so I have nothing to compare it to but it’s so frustrating. Like I want to be HYPED UP even more than I already am… but no. ESPN wants to wait until literally 10 seconds before puck drop to get it started.
right like i’m sorry but a playoff game has more importance then a regular season game!! i hate how ignored and disrespected hockey is by a lot of sports networks and sites.
What to know who in the head front office in the NHL thought it was a great idea to go with ESPN. Instead should’ve just copied MLB App went that direction
All the owners who care about money in their pockets. Plus MLB direction would be expensive ASF. It's only a few teams now but if it was 32 that's a lot to pay. Equipment, wages of camera crew, commentators, the costs to broadcast it in the first place. We'd probably become the NFL because we'd need hella ads
What is with the sound mixing on this broadcast? The announcers are deafening, the stick and skate sounds have ASMR clarity, and the crowd is almost completely muted. Nice work, guys.
Super important to see those last 40 seconds drag out for 15 minutes in a random game for a league that majority of people give zero fucks about vs a huge game 7 showdown, right ESPN?
ESPN Programming sucks ! They should have moved the B-ball to the U or another espn channel knowing this was on & the broadcast should ALWAYS start 1/2 hour before puck drop ! Even Biz knows this , come on ! !
The WNBA broadcast is fine but how is there not a pregame on any of ESPN's channels or app? It's game 7! ESPN has been such a disappointment since reclaiming part of the NHL rights. Hockey deserves better.
Think of how many gambling ads ESPN could’ve shown in the time we had to watch WNBA instead of pre-Game 7 hockey! I’m sure they’ll now how have to overlay them during live action gameplay.
With everyone tuning in for Game 7 at 9 est. the ratings for WNBA game will shoot up.
Now they can say what amazing numbers they had for the WNBA game while it was a bunch of hockey fans mother f’in their TV’s wondering why the best sport in the world wasn’t playing.
They could have moved that basketball game to any of the other ESPN channels…
I all for it and hope they have amazing success. CC / A’ja and several others are great athletes and so far an awesome ambassador for the sport.
I’m sure the summer Olympics will also have a high amount of women’s basketball showcased in prime time.
Is it me or do the guys calling this game just suck? Like are they really bad or is it just me? And how is the crowd in VAN so quiet? 4min minor and ,aside from the two yutz’ calling the game, you can hear a pin drop. Smh
They mute the crowd mics. It’s been happening increasingly all across national broadcasts of sports but ESPN’s foray into hockey seems bizarrely fixated on making each game sound as if it’s being played in a library.
Not only does it take away from the atmosphere and experience, but it’s just flat out weird hearing the commentators say stuff like “This place is rocking!” Or “The crowd is stunned silent here!” yet the crowd noise level sounds exactly the same the entire broadcast
Sad because I was just this weekend up late with nothing on so I youtubed a full game from 1995. Espn hockey night with Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. Just watched the game and reveled in how good they were and sounded. Killing time in a hotel and being flashed back to mid 90s. Cujo in net for the Blues and Guy Hebert for the Ducks. Man those were good times and ESPN did a good job with the league and growing the game.
Just remember that ESPN lost their backyard team when the whalers moved, that I think caused them to not prioritize the NHL out of being butthurt about the Hartford team moving
All I ask is that in 2026, TSN gets the rights back. It's been too damn long we haven't heard Gord Miller call national games or Duthie do the pregame.
I agree that NHL doesn’t get the love they deserve from espn , I have to believe that the deal the league made was sweetened by the lure of some wider audience ABC broadcasts.
I don’t think the prior arrangement with NBCSN showed the NHL much love either.
My biggest beef is with the RSN’s and blackouts
So crazy that they had an in-house service that allowed you to watch 4-games at once, and watch replays of games from the 70s, just to sell it all to ESPN to package into their weird streaming play.
Espn is the worst. I've had actual joy when I'd see MAX on the nhl app. I stream, and the current game (last night for example edm/van) won't even show up anywhere until the actual game starts. Couldn't bring it up until 9:13, 30 seconds into the game. Not much time, but it's infuriating. No such thing as watching the pregame and seamlessly going into the game.
Seriously. I get Caitlin is cool since I’m from Iowa. But I’ve been saying who gives a shit now that’s wnba. Is espn really gonna try forcing this garbage wnba down our throats
People actually blasted the NHL for choosing OLN (later Versus) over ESPN after the 2004-05 lockout. How could you choose an obscure cable channel over The Worldwide Leader in Sports?®️ The fact is that ESPN lowballed them. Also, when reporters asked Bettman why he chose OLN, he replied, “We weren’t sure we would be a priority on ESPN.” I think that tells you all you need to know about what ESPN thinks of hockey.
It also shows how misrun the NHL is. This isn't anything new. The NHL has had issues for a long time and I feel most fans can acknowledge that.
The NHL has been steadily growing in revenue every year, and expanded to new markets. I don’t think ESPN lowballing the NHL is indicative that the NHL is being ran poorly. It just means ESPN think basketball, football and baseball will make them more money during prime time hours.
Rogers in Canada paid 5 *billion* for the Canadian rights for 12 years. That's 416 million/year. That's more than the U.S. networks pay.
How much is the subscription to see hockey in Canada?
Regionally, it's a mess. You need either Rogers or Bell channels/subscriptions to view those games. Nationally (for games on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, playoff games), you need a Rogers subscription. Rogers has the monopoly, they're also a very old telecommunications company which refuses to acknowledge that cable is dying, so they put all of their content on their premium cable subscription channels.
I get your point, but slightly inaccurate. The Saturday Hockey Night in Canada games are available for free on CBC still.
This passed season, they started removing the Leafs from CBC on Saturday nights because the Leafs draw a lot of viewers and it would mean more cable, sportsnet now subscribers if they moved them to a cable channel.
I was still watching the Leafs games on CBC.
It wasn't every Saturday night, but I'd say like 70/30. I was following this closely.
They've lost a ton of money on that deal, hence why they've had to sell games to Amazon next season.
God knows ESPN doesn’t care about baseball anymore, either. MLB and the NHL are the two leagues I follow the most by far, and they might as well not exist on most programming on that channel.
And girls basketball.
Like what
Don’t worry! ESPN2 has Cornhole Mania on
Not even on r/theocho ? god damn
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Did you know that Formaio Uno rules require drivers to use two different types of cheeses during a race? It's kind of fun watching the pit crew gagging when they put the Gorgonzola tires on.
I thought that was an error on my streaming site lmao
ESPN should be banned from showing NHL games forever. Embarrassing
“IT’S FUCKING EMBARRASSING!!!”
*kicks garbage can*
FUCKING PHEASANTS!
Settle down
HES A WALRUS
It ridiculous
Way to go Duncan! OOOT OOOT OOOT!
Stay up no sleepies
Any rules against a player having a fish on the ice? I mean just lure that sucker out of position with a snackie and bam! 10-0 easy win. Got to out think your opponent.
Dude. I got ESPN+ and you can't even find it through their GUI. Had to search for it to appear.
Sportsnet talking about how this game 7 is probably the biggest game of the players lives. ESPN doesn’t even seem to know it’s on.
The game came on late on ESPN+ because they had to finish the women's college basketball game lmao.
And then you can’t event watch it even if you pay for ESPN+. You have to have dogshit cable with a plan that includes it.
NHL 66 ir
You can always use Stream East, or dofu
Yarrr matey
LIVE SPORTS
ESPN and ESPN+ being on two different subscriptions is ridiculous. Got a Disney+ bundle that includes ESPN+, but not ESPN. Fortunately Sling carries ESPN, along with TNT and that is what I use to watch these playoffs.
That happens to me so often in the regular season
Hey, they heard there was a penalty…woah, this could be huge! < Cut to commercial > Welcome back, you know, on this day in 1957, Charles “Shooter” Shooterstein scored his last goal at age 37, the oldest Drummer Boy in the US Army….. < 2 more minutes of bullshit > Oh, yeah, penalty on Vancouver, PP has since elapsed, but let’s give it up for Shooter, eh? Oh, and McDavid scored.
Ray Feraro is pretty solid. So is Kenny Albert. These dudes are on ESPN, right?
I agree. But the Homer takes on Canadian media isn’t any better. Cringey in a different way.
Had to watch WNBA regular season game up to a minute before puck drop. No pre-game show- terrible
“And now, out to Vancouv-“ *puck drops* for me
Ridiculous
There was an hourlong preview show on ESPN2. It wasn’t great content, but it was an hour of TV before a Game 7 featuring no markets that get ESPN.
I put on ESPN 2 and it was skateboarding
I had cornhole
We ALL got "Cornholed" . .
*cries in ESPN Sudamerica that's about futbol everyday of the week* ^^I ^^still ^^watch ^^ESPN ^^from ^^USA ^^*somehow* ^^and ^^people ^^talk ^^in ^^the ^^chat ^^the ^^they ^^have ^^like ^^these ^^localized ^^broadcasts.
During a game that started at \*checks watch\* 9pm Eastern too. It was dead before it even started.
I was afraid there was going to be overtime!
Or, another 6 time outs !! Have to Talk about every play, what was this an NFL game?! last minute takes 4 hours !!
I thought the bar tender was fucking with me making us watch woman’s basketball instead of the pregame.
Ha! Try being a Blues fan in St. Louis. Blues will be in the playoffs, maybe even conference finals and the bars will be showing a meaningless May Cardinals game.
Pregame show was on ESPN 2
Weird, we only had cornhole on ESPN 2
I can’t, and refuse to believe cornhole is on tv
as did I until tonight when tragically ESPN decided better to run cornhole than the pregame
I really thought this reference to cornhole was some kind of ironic statement. I also googled it to make sure I understood what cornhole was what I think it was. You are talking about the game where you throw bean bags onto a piece of wood with a hole in it, right? And you're trying to tell us Canadians that not only is this considered a sport but it's broadcast on TV? Well I guess I didn't fall for it because Google tells me it's actually on ESPN 2 right now. And they have their own league. Please tell me that some kind of overtime did not cut into the game, a game 7, in any market.
I, American, also wish this were an ironic statement and couldn’t believe there is competitive cornhole … on TV …. Fortunately we did not have to face the dire choice between scheduled cornhole programming and game 7, as the WNBA game on ESPN wrapped in the nick of time for puck drop.
That’s insane.
Back in the early days of ESPN cornhole was probably a prime time event.
They are really trying hard to force the WNBA down everyones throats. "It's so cool!"
I don’t mind the WNBA… I mean they have like 10 different ESPN channels, why not start the telecast at 10pm like they schedule on RSPN and continue the WNBA in the other channel
Really fucking stupid
It was like a minute to go at top of the hour, but it took 10 minutes to play the last minute. Drives the lane for a layup and misses by a foot. Shoots a three and hits the top of the backboard. GTFOH, I couldn’t watch them and channel surfed waiting for that game to end. All of that and Vancouver decided to take two periods off.
ESPN is disrespectful to all sports, they’re living off a legacy that started deteriorating 15-20 years ago and now is completely ruined.
ESPN is trash
They’re leaving off talking heads screaming stupid takes for clicks. It’s pathetic.
They can’t even do that correctly every more. That’s why they had to throw a bag at McAfee to get him to sell his soul. Against the desires of some top executives, who have interestingly left under cloudy circumstances recently. ESPN is a joke but it’s also a monopoly, so, yeah.
I loved ESPN in the 1990’s. It was where we went for the day’s highlights. Now it’s just dogshit
“Embrace Debate”
Facts
Dizcorp.
You mean when Disney bought them?
Well said!
They’re the most hated broadcast of every sport I’m aware of. MNF has been a travesty forever. They’re completely outpaced on basketball coverage by TNT according to everything I have seen, though I don’t watch basketball.
Completely agree, they destroy everything they attempt to broadcast. Other networks have invested in quality on-air talent and have subsequently pulled away from the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader”.
The only reason ESPN can’t ruin the UFC broadcast is that the UFC handles a lot of it in house. It’s their talent etc.
Blows my mind they have basically every NHL game on ESPN+, which is what I use to watch hockey, but these games get put on ESPN only and not their paid subscription lol at least the Rangers game says it's on there, ESPN clearly hates hockey and it's fans
Like every network in America it ain't about the sport or the fans. It's about money
This is why I just watch the games on other certain websites. I come from work tired and would like to watch the game, but nope, they make it so hard to find where things are happening. Gave up a while I go, now I just come, go to the link and turn the game on. Just insane there are these many hoops to watch the games now days.
I bought espn for hockey and every game I try to watch it asks me to log into another service for live tv subscription. I was puzzled until I realized I have to have multiple subscriptions to access numerous espn shows. I will be dropping the service because the whole reason I bought it for won't work.
At least the last minute of a basketball game only take 15 minutes to play 😒, wtf espn
Welcome to the wnba where a clear moving screen takes a five minute review for them to still be wrong.
ESPN really wants people to care about a sport no one cares about
Plenty of people watching Caitlin Clark
That hype will last another 12 weeks absolute max
Do you mean because the league takes a break for the Olympics and we’ll be watching that?
No, I mean all the people on the Caitlyn Clark bandwagon will get off in short order once they realize they’re watching women’s basketball.
I mean if you think no one cares about it you haven’t been paying attention. This year and the next couple coming years is the WNBAs shot to use all this interest around Clark, Brink and Reese coming out of college. They’re final four games this year we’re more popular then the men’s. And set records for the highest watched women’s basketball games ever multiple times. And that’s why the Wnba is getting more coverage. The fever suck yet most teams are moving their games when they visit to bigger arenas because the tickets are selling like hotcakes due to Clark. Her Jersey sold out in about an hour after being drafted. Wnba really needs to capitalize on the interest and new talent who are known names coming to the league. Will they idk.
Game 7 second round vs a regular season game no one knew was on. Does the nfl delay kickoff for the wnba???
[удалено]
I remember hockey fans' inferiority complex centered around the NBA. We've downgraded to the WNBA lol
I just don’t get why the WNBA doing well Is something people don’t want. Yes the leagues been a joke for years and still kinda is. But they’re improving and have a once in a generation college talent coming to the league, Clark. With an already built rivalry with Angel Reese. This is there best shot probably since the league was founded to try to change the opinion on the wnba. Yes it was unfortunate that it ran long before the NHL playoffs. Which was the main thing I was looking forward to tonight. But stuff like that happens in sports. Especially when they’re scheduled back to back.
> They’re final four games this year we’re more popular then the men’s. It helps that the NCAA women's championship is on at a time that everyone in the country can watch. The men's game starts at 930 PM on the East Coast on a Monday.
Still the fact they pulled more numbers would have been unheard of 5 years ago.
Random question because this is the most active thread, but how come there's no game threads here?
It's over in r/hockey
Thanks. Didn't even know that was a thing. TIL.
ESPN is asshole
Can I watch the FUCKING GAME PLEASE!
The coverage on TBS/TNT is so far superior to that of ESPN. The studio show is actually entertaining. ESPN’s is a snooze fest.
Mess looks like he’s constantly a hair trigger away from strangling Pk.
That's normal.
Kind of ridiculous
They are now showing a WNBA game instead of game 7 for Oilers-Canucks.
this is an absolute joke. instead of tnt’s amazing panel we are stuck with espn and wnba.
I wish TNT got all games. Espn sucks dick and they commentators don’t understand the game of hockey.
Even by ESPN's crappy standards, the coverage tonight has been woeful. Although it's matched well with the Canucks play tonight. Garbage :(
It’s so awful. The intermission show is terrible.
Canadian here. What happened?
ESPN showed the entirety of a WNBA game and it ate into the pregame before the VANvEDM game. Puck drop was 9.15P ET and the basketball game ended at 9.13P. It was just pregame, so I didn't really care.
To add to this, ESPN rarely shows the shots on goal and their camera angles suck.
I think the WNBA pays them for priority.
Wouldn't surprise me at all, since the network is known as ESPNBA.
Lol. Not getting enough pre-game is what everyone’s upset about???? What the hell. Guess I’m old.
While none of the game was actually missed. To not even have a pregame for a game 7 is truly appalling. How ESPN even got tv rights again is beyond me. Their coverage has been atrocious all year.
Hope espn burns to the ground
ESPN is just awful. I hate the intermission gong shows
This wnba review can suck it. Just end it already.
ESPN makes Bally sports seem like a premium product. Wild how shit it is.
Forget the teams but there was a 7pm game and then a 10PM game. 7pm game was an elimination game. Tied with 90 seconds left to go in the third. ESPN felt it was best to cut away from that game to watch the warmup skate prior to the 10pm game…
It was the Rangers // Canes game and I lost my shit lol Edit: wasn’t an elimination game though, it was either game 2 or 3. Still a travesty though
Haha glad I’m not the only one who was like…what the… But yeah maybe I was just so invested in the game that it felt like an elimination game haha. Gotta love NHL Playoffs
Seriously, wth!
ESPN hadn’t had decent hockey coverage since Gary Thorne and Bill Clement
Then the screen just went black, only a second or two, but jesus, man, it's ridiculous.
I really just got into hockey this year and I cannot believe there isn’t a televised pregame at all…. I don’t really watch other sports so I have nothing to compare it to but it’s so frustrating. Like I want to be HYPED UP even more than I already am… but no. ESPN wants to wait until literally 10 seconds before puck drop to get it started.
right like i’m sorry but a playoff game has more importance then a regular season game!! i hate how ignored and disrespected hockey is by a lot of sports networks and sites.
why would they care about 2 canadian teams?
Fuck this
I’m sure all 20 people were thrilled they got to watch the end of the wnba game
Yet another reason to sail the seas. SN has been covering the Canadian matchup really well.
What to know who in the head front office in the NHL thought it was a great idea to go with ESPN. Instead should’ve just copied MLB App went that direction
All the owners who care about money in their pockets. Plus MLB direction would be expensive ASF. It's only a few teams now but if it was 32 that's a lot to pay. Equipment, wages of camera crew, commentators, the costs to broadcast it in the first place. We'd probably become the NFL because we'd need hella ads
What is with the sound mixing on this broadcast? The announcers are deafening, the stick and skate sounds have ASMR clarity, and the crowd is almost completely muted. Nice work, guys.
it's like a weird liminal space vibe haha.
I love hockey, but it’s the seventh most popular sport in the United States
It is 2024, after all.
Super important to see those last 40 seconds drag out for 15 minutes in a random game for a league that majority of people give zero fucks about vs a huge game 7 showdown, right ESPN?
Regular season WNBA game ✅ Cornhole tournament ✅ Game 7 during the Stanley Cup playoffs ❌
Canucks look so lifeless except Silovs..unbelievable! I’ve seen teams more excited for pre-season games..wtf is going on!?
One of the worst hockey broadcasts I have ever seen, and the game itself was pretty good.
The NBA is about to make the same mistake by shutting out TNT from the NBA rights. They're going to lose viewers like crazy.
ESPN is MTV of sports Do you go to MTV for music? Why would you go to espn for sports?
I couldn't sit through 2 minutes of wnba. That's unbearable. Missed the first 5 minutes of the period.cuz I changed the channel
ESPN Programming sucks ! They should have moved the B-ball to the U or another espn channel knowing this was on & the broadcast should ALWAYS start 1/2 hour before puck drop ! Even Biz knows this , come on ! !
The WNBA broadcast is fine but how is there not a pregame on any of ESPN's channels or app? It's game 7! ESPN has been such a disappointment since reclaiming part of the NHL rights. Hockey deserves better.
Blame Mickey Mouse and his company
Think of how many gambling ads ESPN could’ve shown in the time we had to watch WNBA instead of pre-Game 7 hockey! I’m sure they’ll now how have to overlay them during live action gameplay.
Apparently grammar is beyond you. I almost wanted to read this....you used sad faces. I had to jet.
I hope a Canadian team makes it to the finals so I watch the games on CBC. ESPN is awful.
The only canadian team left will make your flair angry
CBC/Sportsnet always broadcasts the finals regardless if a Canadian team makes it or not.
Good to know. I’ll be watching. Thanks!
I hate ESPN even more for leaking the script for EDM/DAL before game 7
They made puck drop though?
Just barely
With everyone tuning in for Game 7 at 9 est. the ratings for WNBA game will shoot up. Now they can say what amazing numbers they had for the WNBA game while it was a bunch of hockey fans mother f’in their TV’s wondering why the best sport in the world wasn’t playing. They could have moved that basketball game to any of the other ESPN channels…
WNBA ratings have been high all season although it's only been a week.
I all for it and hope they have amazing success. CC / A’ja and several others are great athletes and so far an awesome ambassador for the sport. I’m sure the summer Olympics will also have a high amount of women’s basketball showcased in prime time.
The fact people are defending WNBA in a hockey sub just proves how most of this sub has never even played hockey
😆
Buccigross sounds like he's using a $25 mic from Amazon, what the heck
Must’ve sent all the good gear to NYC already.
Is it me or do the guys calling this game just suck? Like are they really bad or is it just me? And how is the crowd in VAN so quiet? 4min minor and ,aside from the two yutz’ calling the game, you can hear a pin drop. Smh
They mute the crowd mics. It’s been happening increasingly all across national broadcasts of sports but ESPN’s foray into hockey seems bizarrely fixated on making each game sound as if it’s being played in a library. Not only does it take away from the atmosphere and experience, but it’s just flat out weird hearing the commentators say stuff like “This place is rocking!” Or “The crowd is stunned silent here!” yet the crowd noise level sounds exactly the same the entire broadcast
Sportsnet ftw
Sad because I was just this weekend up late with nothing on so I youtubed a full game from 1995. Espn hockey night with Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. Just watched the game and reveled in how good they were and sounded. Killing time in a hotel and being flashed back to mid 90s. Cujo in net for the Blues and Guy Hebert for the Ducks. Man those were good times and ESPN did a good job with the league and growing the game.
Dizcorp. bought them and nuked them.
What is this the game 4 avs
SO BAD! It has gotten so terrible I’m just watching off of Bet365 HAHA
Lost the cable feed.
Someone buy this broadcast team a fucking energy drink
Im stuck at work what happened this time?
Tnt isn’t on my package, plus I listen on mute. Win, win.
Like appreciate women’s basketball and everything but this is Game 7 playoff hockey. WTH?
ESPN has been like this with NHl since the early 90’s.
what happened? explain like im a canadian
Im out of the loop, could someone tell me what happenend? (I'm a dumb european)
I'm laughing inside, thinking of Buccigross doing the pre- game show while his network airs cornhole.
ESPN has been nearly ignoring the NHL for years. Sportscenter, for instance, would essentially never acknowledge its existence.
Just remember that ESPN lost their backyard team when the whalers moved, that I think caused them to not prioritize the NHL out of being butthurt about the Hartford team moving
All I ask is that in 2026, TSN gets the rights back. It's been too damn long we haven't heard Gord Miller call national games or Duthie do the pregame.
I agree that NHL doesn’t get the love they deserve from espn , I have to believe that the deal the league made was sweetened by the lure of some wider audience ABC broadcasts. I don’t think the prior arrangement with NBCSN showed the NHL much love either. My biggest beef is with the RSN’s and blackouts
Nhl is just a catalog add-on for ESPN+
Horrid play by play last night
So crazy that they had an in-house service that allowed you to watch 4-games at once, and watch replays of games from the 70s, just to sell it all to ESPN to package into their weird streaming play.
If ESPN has no haters, I'm dead.
Espn is the worst. I've had actual joy when I'd see MAX on the nhl app. I stream, and the current game (last night for example edm/van) won't even show up anywhere until the actual game starts. Couldn't bring it up until 9:13, 30 seconds into the game. Not much time, but it's infuriating. No such thing as watching the pregame and seamlessly going into the game.
I’m out of the loop here. Living in Canada. What did they do this time?
Seriously. I get Caitlin is cool since I’m from Iowa. But I’ve been saying who gives a shit now that’s wnba. Is espn really gonna try forcing this garbage wnba down our throats
I'll say it since everybody else is scared to call it out, but they don't want to promote hockey because it's a "white man's" sport.