News | Celebrities | TV Ratings | TV Listings
 
Site Logo

TV Sports Ratings & News

DirecTV Subscribers To Miss First Versus NHL Telecasts As Squabble Continues

Categories: TV Sports Ratings & News

Written By

September 30th, 2009

Robert has covered this in the past, but the first real programming milestone in the squabble between Versus and DirecTV is tomorrow's first Versus NHL telecast of the new season.

I don't view either side as being "right" or "wrong", this is a business negotiation, but the brinkmanship continues.

Versus plans to televise an NHL doubleheader Thursday. First up is Washington, with reigning player of the year Alexander Ovechkin, against Boston at 4 p.m. PDT. Next is San Jose and Colorado at 7, featuring a retirement ceremony for Colorado's Joe Sakic.

But an estimated 18 million DirecTV subscribers won't be able to watch unless the contract dispute that caused the satellite provider to pull Versus off its menu Sept. 1 is resolved.

via LA Times

(27) Comments - Add Yours!

If you'd like to personalize your comments left on TVbytheNumbers with your picture or other avatar, please visit www.gravatar.com. Just use the same e-mail address here that you used when registering your gravatar.com account and the picture you selected will show up next to your comments.
  1. Robert Seidman
    Posted September 30, 2009 at 10:14 AM

    I don’t think our boy Ted L. is very happy about it:

    http://www.tedstake.com/2009/09/29/versus-vs-directv/

  2. Chris
    Posted September 30, 2009 at 10:48 AM

    How much of Versus’ revenue is generated from DirecTV subscribers? The possibility of being seen in 18 millions less homes would seem like a rather large turn-off to advertisers.

  3. AZTop
    Posted September 30, 2009 at 10:57 AM

    I read Ted’s post he does seem cranky! I’m glad I only watch Versus for the cycling coverage. This is off season.

  4. romo
    Posted September 30, 2009 at 11:55 AM

    I dont think all 18M of Directv were getting Versus.

  5. 1idPete
    Posted September 30, 2009 at 12:08 PM

    As a displaced Bruins fan in SoCal, I am saddened to miss the opener tomorrow on Vs.

  6. Derek Lutz
    Posted October 1, 2009 at 2:51 PM

    I subscribe to DirecTV and get such great channels at BET-J, Lifetime Movies, Style, 18 different cartoon channels but I don’t get Versus and NHL.

    The league needs every viewer it can get and needs to mediate an end to this dispute….oh wait, I forgot Gary Bettman is the commissioner. Never mind.

  7. k
    Posted October 1, 2009 at 5:36 PM

    I can’t even watch my local team, the Avs play the season opener!
    Wanted to watch the Bruins too. And all the local sports bars have DirecTV, so can’t even go out to watch them.

  8. Bill Gorman
    Posted October 1, 2009 at 5:38 PM

    k, “Wanted to watch the Bruins too. And all the local sports bars have DirecTV, so can’t even go out to watch them.”

    I hadn’t thought of that. Yikes.

  9. AJ
    Posted October 2, 2009 at 2:21 PM

    BUMMER! Being able to watch NHL games on Versus was one of the main reasons we originally opted for Direct TV service. May have to consider others.

© 2009 TVbytheNumbers, all rights reserved. Zap2it Partner