NHL switches channel to OLN

Until now, OLN has been famous for airing Lance Armstrong's yellow jersey. But after yesterday's announcement of a deal that landed OLN the NHL's national broadcast rights for the next two seasons, the network could become just as well known for the yellow third jersey of the Bruins.

Comcast, which owns OLN -- formerly known as Outdoor Life Network -- will pay the NHL $65 million this season and $70 million for the 2006-07 season. The deal was finalized after ESPN, which had previously carried NHL games, declined to match Comcast's offer Wednesday. With the signing, the NHL instantly becomes OLN's cornerstone sports franchise.

OLN will air at least 58 regular-season games Monday and Tuesday nights this season, with the first taking place Oct. 5, featuring the Rangers against the Flyers (Comcast owns the Flyers). OLN will also carry the All-Star Game, beginning next season (this season's game has been scrapped to allow players to participate in the Olympics at Turin, Italy), select playoff matches, and the first two games of the Stanley Cup finals. NBC is under contract to air seven regular-season games, six playoff games, and Games 3-7 of the Cup finals. OLN is currently available in approximately 64 million households; ESPN claims more than 89 million households and more than 87 million households for ESPN2.

''I think it's pretty good," Bruins president Harry Sinden said of the deal. ''We're getting back on a network that's not as big as the one we were on, but it's pretty close."

Sinden said he has not been informed which, if any, Bruins games will be aired on OLN. Sinden said the network can claim up to eight games this season, and those contests would be blacked out on NESN if aired on OLN.

Each NHL club will receive 1/30th of the TV revenue, but Sinden said national exposure was more important than any share the teams will claim.

''Holding aside the money for the moment, it's the presence that's most important," said Stephen A. Greyser, a Harvard Business School professor specializing in sports management. ''It's very important for any league to have a regular TV presence from the standpoint of its viewers. And it's more important for the National Hockey League to have that kind of presence simply because they've been away for 16 months."

While OLN does not have ESPN's brand recognition or multiple outlets such as ESPN2, ESPN Radio, and ESPN Classic, OLN president Gavin Harvey said most viewers should not have trouble finding the channel. Viewers should also expect Comcast to increase promotions on its other channels to raise awareness of the NHL's presence on OLN.

''OLN is very, very widely distributed on basic cable," Harvey said. ''It's over 90 percent on basic analog. There are only a few places where you'll find us on expanded digital. In those places where we have to address shortcomings of distribution, you can bet that as of 11 a.m. [yesterday], we've started the job to roll this out."

In addition to the Tour de France, OLN also broadcasts the Boston Marathon, America's Cup, and professional bull riding. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in 2006-07, the NHL will not schedule games on Mondays and Tuesdays other than those on OLN, making the channel the primary destination for hockey fans. On ESPN, the league often had to contend with the network's other franchises.

''When we go to OLN, they'll make it the prime content of that channel," Sinden said. ''That's really beneficial to the league. So often we had to take a back seat to whatever was going on. Right now, it appears that we're going to get most favored nation treatment."

Bettman said the OLN broadcasts will feature in-game interviews. Players and coaches will also wear microphones during the games. There will be a wrap-up show after each game, and Harvey said the network is in negotiations with broadcasters and producers for the upcoming season.

The deal also includes additional platforms to complement the Monday and Tuesday OLN games. Harvey said select games will be available in high definition, and Comcast will offer video on demand, where viewers can watch highlights from current games and access clips from historic NHL moments. Within the next two years, Comcast will also launch the NHL Network, a 24-hour channel that will be available on digital cable.

One feature still being studied is Internet streaming, in which fans can watch games online. Sinden said online streaming of Bruins games will not take place this year in areas where NESN is available.

''Streaming is something that everybody's trying to figure out," Sinden said. ''I think it's something we're going to have to get into."