Late Wednesday Links

I’ve been checking out the NHL Network on DirecTV (added today) and already I’m hooked. Canadians who it already know of its value, but I do enjoy NHL on the Fly, similar to ESPN’s Baseball Tonight with highlights and live look-ins, it’s a fast paced show. In addition, the channel shows some classic hockey games so for a puckhead like me, it’s already one of my favorites. Produced by TSN in Canada, this channel comes into the US with a history having been created in the 2001-02 season. Most of the Canadian content produced for the NHL Network will be seen on this channel. And it will also carry regular season games which will be a boon to viewers who don’t have Versus. I already love NFL Network and I look forward to the creation of the MLB channel in 2009. Down the road, we’ll see if these channels will have more influence in the TV contracts of their respective sports.

To some links now.

Business First of Buffalo reports that the NHL Network and Versus have been added by Time Warner Cable to its digital tier. Adam Proteau of the Hockey News writes for ESPN.com that the NHL Network doesn’t have to show hockey all of the time.

Neil Best of Newsday blogs that HBO will offer a documentary next month on the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Just the day before he died last year, HBO producers talked with the late Wolverines coach Bo Schembechler. I do look forward to seeing it. In addition, Best links to an article by Josh Levin in Slate about how to fix Sports Illustrated. Very good article. And Best says the article is very thorough and I agree.

Glenn Dickson of Broadcasting & Cable writes that subscribers to Verizon V Cast Mobile Phones will be able to watch live NBA games through ESPN.

Michael David Smith of the AOL Fanhouse blog reports that NFL TV partners ESPN, Fox and NBC will all see lower ratings in this season. Only CBS, which has had the Patriots-Cowboys and will have Patriots-Colts, has seen an increase in viewers.

Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated says CBS expects to set a ratings record with the Patriots-Colts.

Dave Del Grande of the Oakland Tribune catches up with Bay Area native, Bob Mansbach, who produces NFL and college basketball games for CBS Sports.

Mike Knobler of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes that Georgia Tech gets some national exposure Thursday thanks to ESPN televising its game against Virginia Tech.

Andrew Wagner of OnMilwaukee.com says the Big Ten Network and Time Warner Cable are making fans pay by not allowing them to watch the Ohio State-Wisconsin game this Saturday.

Chris Pursell of TV Week says the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame will induct its first class on December 11. The list of inductees is rather impressive.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Nike is the sole sponsor of the NBA doubleheader tonight on ESPN360.

Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star says Raptors fans will have five, count ’em, five TV outlets broadcasting its games this season. But William Houston of the Toronto Globe and Mail says fans in the Atlantic region of Canada will not be able to see this Sunday’s Celtics-Raptors game on CBC because of a figure skating conflict.

And Zelkovich says new NHL ads have debuted on TSN and the NHL Network this week.

Terry Poulton of Media in Canada says Rogers Sportsnet has launched a new campaign for its new city-specific multimedia highlights service.

I think I’ll end the links for tonight. You certainly had a lot of them over this entire day. I’ll be back on Thursday.