Tag Archives: Twitter

12:30 start times can’t be helping

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Ratings on NBC Sports are not trending well for the NHL. 

The Caps vs. Rangers game pulled a 1.0 rating. 

The network has shown only 5 games to date this season. With some big match ups. Read this article. The schedule has been helter skelter. 

The games start at 12:30 on a Saturday or a Sunday. That seems pretty early – it is 9:30 on the West Coast! And to go 5 weeks between broadcasts of the first game to the second game in just poorly executed programming and scheduling technique. 

If the network is serious about how it broadcasts and presents the games – it must show games with regularity – later in the day on weekends – or in prime time; it must promote the games with more vigor as to tune in; it must produce the games with a more “event” like feel; it must “reimagine” its game day presentation to have a more relevant and youthful feel; it is NOT taking advantage of how wired our fan community is – and the broadcasts do not embrace Twitter – Facebook; social video sharing; real time and interactive platforms. 

It must also celebrate the game and its stars. It must present in a more embracing and friendly main stream and youthful and modern manner. 

I am happy to see the national spotlight on hockey this coming weekend and I do believe NBC does great work with the Winter Classic. 

Comcast – which owns NBC – and the regional sports networks and some NBC affiliates – must do a more coordinated job of promotion, and create some appointment viewing. Comcast owns NBC -the DC local NBC affiliate and Comcast Sportsnet that owns the cable rights to the Washington Capitals; did you sense any cooperation and big time promotion around our last two games on NBC here in the DMV to drive ratings or viewership? Same in NYC? 

Soon – Apple Computer – Google and other new media concerns will be bidding on sports events and programming. Sports programming has very high value but doesn’t do well in a TIVO like environment. It must be seen live. It is also highly regarded by new media networks. Remember – the Super Bowl broke all records with 150 million people tuning in to watch around the world; that represents less than half the people that get onto Facebook on a daily basis! 

The world is changing. Consumer viewing habits are changing. The major networks need to be nudged to do a better job of presenting our game – we are in it together – we want the NHL to be a great experience for all on network television.

Whoa!!!!!!!!

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This is getting way out of hand.

I encourage our players to be interactive and to be transparent. I want them to be on Facebook or to Tweet away. To respond to emails; to be out and about; to sign all autographs; and to be approachable.

Thirteen years ago, I gave all of our players’ laptops and email addresses to jump start the effort. It was the first time in professional sports that happened.

Just so you know, I blog every day and I am on Facebook and Twitter. All of our players are as well. It is generational.What I did say in an interview was that while most people like interactivity, some fans have told me they don’t like seeing some players’ Tweets or posting personal photos and that seeing behind the curtain sometimes makes a fan lose some respect for the player.

Interactivity can cut both ways.

I hope this provides some perspective and context here as this is the third article I have read that makes it sound like I don’t encourage our players to be online and in social networks. Thank you.

Embed or Retweet and We Give $1 to a Worthy Cause

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Memorial Day is a-coming.

A time to show gratitude and a time of reflection.

We want to help. You want to help.

We have made it easy.

Watch a film and share it; embed it; put it onto Facebook; post to Twitter; and we will give $1 to this great cause.

Info is within. SnagFilms has created a great library of films in support of our military and we want to raise money for a great cause.

Thank you for your help here.

I Remember Fondly

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I still use AIM. Do you? See this article.

I have some fun once in a while on AIM Fight.

I sure wish AIM Pages had worked.

Twitter feels like AIM status messaging to me introduced in 1996.

AIM was the first online product to dazzle and delight people.

AIM was fun. Light. Easy to use.

It worked. It scaled.

At its height, 14 million people around the world were using it at the same time!

It was an inspiration to many.

The first social network.

The first virally marketed product.

Kudos to the pioneers behind this great product and service from AOL. The good ole days!

Nostalgia is good but I still use AIM. I am proud to say that, too.

Blurring the Lines

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What is a blog vs. a tweet vs. a website vs. a Facebook newsfeed or a Facebook wall posting?

It is all starting to blur, isn’t it?

This is a terrific article on NYTimes.com. Read this one.

It augers well for people who use a service such as TweetDeck where for example my blog posts also get turned into tweets and into Facebook newsfeeds to reach a wide audience of friends and interested parties.

It also hints that blogs that are a part of a great network of other like-minded sites will do well and morph into major media properties and that singular blog sites will struggle as islands with no where to go and servicing a shrinking audience.