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Bettman screws the fans for unprincipled reason

GrandWazoo said:
Where did you get that info? Most reports I've seen was that the Olympics had almost no impact on NHL viewership, let alone attendance.

The only thing that might have an impact is whether the US is in the finals or winning the gold. And most people don't give a shit whether the players on the team are professionals or amateurs. If using amateurs gives the US a better chance at winning the gold, then that's probably what's going to be best for the NHL.
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source?
 
BKerr said:
http://awfulannouncing.com/nbc/nhl-olympics-nbc-ratings.html

"Ratings did increase, just by 11 to 17 per cent for NBC broadcasts (and three per cent for NBCSN predecessor Versus broadcasts), not the level some had hoped for. So there were some advantages for the league in having players there (and in not competing against the Olympics for attendance and viewers), and there will be some disadvantages for them in not going."

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/...]=4316&cHash=2ef3232e7ee863027c963b45b503b997

"The NHL reports upward trends on basically all activity after the 2010 Olympics; increased web-site visits, more merchandise sold, higher attendance and improved TV-ratings."
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From your same link they refer to this article which supports my point:

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/SB-Blogs/On-The-Ground/2014/02/SochiSiteNHLbump.aspx

“An NHL ratings bump from the Olympics has never happened before,” said Horizon Media research director Brad Adgate. “They have two different allegiances. The Olympics is event programming: a live sporting event that’s on a global stage with national pride at stake. The NHL hasn’t reached that level yet.”

But NHL games on NBC and NBCSN, which was then called Versus, registered only a small subsequent lift — immediately and years later — from those games. The year before the 2010 Olympics, NHL games on NBC during March and April averaged a 0.7 rating; in the months after the Vancouver Games (in March and April 2010) they averaged a 0.8 rating. NBCSN posted similar numbers: In March and April of 2009, NHL games averaged a 0.1 rating; in March and April of 2010, they averaged a 0.2.

Adgate described those ratings increases as relatively insignificant, and some in the ad buying community expected the bump to be much higher at that time after such a popular gold-medal game.

“The feeling is that if the U.S. Olympic team does well, then the NHL does well,” said Jeremy Carey, U.S. director for Optimum Sports. “But that doesn’t always translate. We’re always hopeful that there’s some impact.”
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Your second link was from right after the 2010 Olympics, which was pretty much a best case scenario, an NA Olympic with a US-Canada finals. I certainly would expect a boost right after the Olympics but this was just a short term bump with no lasting effects.
 
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There have been small bumps after each games. Nhl popularity and revenues as a whole are also up since 1998.

Some of that is not related to the olympics. But its very hard to souse out the parts that are.

Overall growing the game in more countries and exposing the product to more fans should be seen as long term gains for the league.

Clearly they want in the asian market. They are holding exhibition games in china. But they are willing to sit out the next two olympics in asia. It makes no sense
 
It's very hard to attribute any type of growth to any specific events but the NHL is adamant in saying that there has been negligible impact in NA, and I believe them. It might get some new fans for a couple of weeks every two weeks but the vast majority of them will go back to ignore it right after, the same way we all go back to ignoring swimming events after the Olympics.

Also, will the Asians be able to tell the difference if the NHL players are not at the Olympics? I mean as a fan and for the players, it's great, we get to see a best on best tournament. For the non-fan, I'm not sure they can really tell the difference, and they probably will watch the finals anyway. It's not like there won't be any hockey at the Olympics.
 
Asians? The avg American I work with can't tell the difference...and this is the Northeast hotbed of hockey.
 
Hockey is the first sport of how many countries other than Canada? Zero maybe? You can add Russia but then again it is between Soccer and Hockey.
The reality is other than very few countries with hockey tradition the sport will remain selective with or without nhl players there.
There are many countries who don't even have ice hockey teans. Imagine!!! Some even don't know whats the sport about..
Hockey still has a long way to go to become a world famous sport and probably will never happen for various reasons such as it is pretty expensive sports compare to others, and is generally for cold weather countries so the conditions and facilities are not ready in many countries.
 
Per Gord Miller the ownership vote was 23-7 in favor of not participating at the Olympics.

7-being made up of 6-Cdn franchise owners, (Sens owner being exception) and Caps owner
 
Sal_Butera said:
Per Gord Miller the ownership vote was 23-7 in favor of not participating at the Olympics.

7-being made up of 6-Cdn franchise owners, (Sens owner being exception) and Caps owner
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So in other words the six Canadian teams that can easily afford to shut down for a month (Ottawa, the city with the most pathetically weak fanbase being the lone Canadian exception) and Ted Leonsis who bends over backwards to keep Ovechkin happy.

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