Why The NHL Needs A Red Zone Broadcast

Why The NHL Needs A Red Zone Broadcast

Vendetta Sports Media is a pro hockey site. I love watching the sport and only hope to help bring more coverage to it. Gary Bettman may or may not be the worst commissioner in sports. He might be the worst at marketing outside of MLB. Shifting the TV rights to ESPN so we can all watch every single night on ESPN+ was a smart move. Now it’s time to take it to the next level. An NHL Red Zone broadcast is needed.

The NFL is already killing the red zone game. I wish Scott Hanson would shut his mouth sometimes and stop speaking during game action but we know that’s never going to change. I know that one is off the table. However, It goes without saying that Red Zone is a huge product that a lot of people watch.

The ESPN+ deal has been so huge for watching all the games throughout the regular season. You were never getting anything more than one or two games a week via basic cable packages. The ESPN+ streaming platform has been legitimized after they won the UFC and NHL TV rights. You can’t watch the UFC PPVs legally without it.

Having the NHL on there has been huge just getting access to all the games. For me, it’s come at the perfect time as I’ve really gotten into fantasy hockey. There is just another level the NHL can climb and it starts by getting that red zone package done.

Call the NHL’s version whatever you want. I just know that you could do something with this that you wouldn’t really be able to pull off in the NBA. Because of the powerplay, you’re automatically buzzing to games that have a five on four advantage. During normal weekday 7 pm windows, you could stagger the start times to where you’re never left with a game on without a commercial. The best part is you wouldn’t have to make it every day. Just two-three times a week to make sure fans come tune in. Figure out how to do it with the schedule.

Fans that want all the offense would get all the offense. Imagine all the crazy goals of the night in rapid succession. Then some kind of highlight reel to close out the night from all the best moments. That’s something that could get right to YouTube and become a must watch the next morning for the subs.

Still not convinced? Think about the automatic switchability you could have with this. Sick goals aren’t enough for you? Fights aren’t as frequent as they used to be but you’re still cutting to them live when they happen. You can also get a reel of the best hits from the night too. Its part of the sport and contact sells in more ways than one.

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If you got someone really funny to host this, you would have a banger on your hands. Would attract a ton of new viewers. It’s something to think about while you have the TV rights. Is ESPN smart enough to do it? That’s the real question.