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VERSUS to Televise Stanley Cup Playoffs Action
Tuesday, Apr. 8th, 2008
Stamford, CONN. — VERSUS, the exclusive cable television home of the NHL, will televise wall-to-wall Stanley Cup Playoffs action starting April 9 with the Conference Quarterfinals as the Ottawa Senators begin their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 PM ET followed by Game 1 of the series between the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks at 10 PM ET. VERSUS will kick-off the night with “Hockey Central” at 6:30 PM ET. The network will air all of the rounds leading up to and including the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. Each night during the playoffs, VERSUS will televise one or two playoff games as well as the studio wrap-up show, “Hockey Central.”
Now in its third year televising the NHL, VERSUS has seen a substantial increase in total viewership and ratings for the 2007/08 regular season compared to the 2006/07 campaign. At the conclusion of this year’s regular season, national household ratings were up 50 percent (.3 vs. .2), total viewership showed an increase of 28 percent (272,417 vs. 212,366), household impressions were up 20 percent (192,675 vs. 160,134) and viewership for Men 25-54 was up 45 percent (99,753 vs. 69,018).
In the Conference Quarterfinals, which begin on April 9, VERSUS’ coverage is non-exclusive and subject to local blackouts. In the Conference Semifinals, which are scheduled to begin April 23, VERSUS has two exclusive games per series. During the Conference Finals, which are scheduled to begin on May 8, the network will have exclusive coverage of both series. The total number of playoff games will vary depending upon the length of each individual series. VERSUS’ Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage will culminate with the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, currently scheduled for May 27 and 29. All VERSUS-produced games in each series will be produced in hi-definition. VERSUS will, when feasible, simulcast games from Canadian networks to give viewers the unique perspective of other networks' coverage.
“As the exclusive cable television home of the NHL, it is our goal to super-serve hockey fans during both the regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs,” said Gavin Harvey, President of VERSUS. “Our best-in-class production and hours of in-depth coverage, coupled with our tremendous presence online, on demand and on mobile, makes VERSUS the ultimate destination for both the casual and hardcore hockey fan.”
The complete schedule for the NHL Playoffs Quarterfinal round follows (subject to change):
Code:
DAY DATE TIME GAMES CONFERENCE Wed April 9 7 PM ET Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Game 1 Eastern 10 PM ET Calgary at San Jose, Game 1 Western Thu April 10 7 PM ET Nashville at Detroit, Game 1 Western 10 PM ET Dallas at Anaheim, Game 1 Western Fri April 11 7 PM ET Philadelphia at Washington, Game 1 Eastern 9:30 PM ET JIP Colorado at Minnesota, Game 2 Western Sat April 12 7 PM ET Boston at Montreal, Game 2 Eastern 10 PM ET Dallas at Anaheim, Game 2 Western Sun April 13 7 PM ET New Jersey at NY Rangers, Game 3 Eastern 10 PM ET San Jose at Calgary, Game 3 Western Mon April 14 7:30 PM ET Detroit at Nashville, Game 3 Western 10 PM ET Minnesota at Colorado, Game 3 Western Tue April 15 7 PM ET Washington at Philadelphia, Game 3 Eastern 10 PM ET Minnesota at Colorado, Game 4 Western Wed April 16 7 PM ET New Jersey at NY Rangers, Game 4 Eastern 9:30 PM ET JIP Detroit at Nashville, Game 4 Western Thu April 17 7 PM ET Washington at Philadelphia, Game 4 Eastern 10 PM ET Calgary at San Jose, Game 5* Western Fri April 18 7:30 PM ET Nashville at Detroit, Game 5* Western 10:30 PM ET Dallas at Anaheim, Game 5* Western Sat April 19 Time TBD Ottawa at Pittsburgh, Game 5* Eastern Time TBD Minnesota at Colorado, Game 6* Western Sun April 20 Time TBD New Jersey at NY Rangers, Game 6* Eastern Time TBD San Jose at Calgary, Game 6* Western Mon April 21 Time TBD Washington at Philadelphia, Game 6* Eastern Tue April 22 Time TBD Game TBD TBD
HOCKEY CENTRAL:
The network’s studio show, “Hockey Central,” is hosted by Bill Patrick with Brian Engblom and Keith Jones and will provide extensive insight and commentary of the games and what’s happening around the Stanley Cup Playoffs each night. VERSUS will also, on occasion, bring players and coaches into the studio to serve as celebrity guest analysts. From April 10 through April 14, Manny Legace, goaltender for the St. Louis Blues, will be the first guest to join the VERSUS studio crew.
Among the regular segments of the studio show are the following:
* Keith Jones' Odd Man Rush, Keith’s unique look at the plays and players who have put themselves in the spotlight, whether for good or bad
* Brian Engblom's Reality Check, Brian's personal opinion on NHL issues
* Highlights from games not airing on VERSUS, as well as Plays of the Week
* Parting Shots; where Engblom and Jones debate bullet point debate topics in rapid fire fashion
* Live-Look-Ins wherever possible, bringing viewers live action from games being played concurrently during VERSUS’ telecast
* Features on NHL players away from the ice
* Historical recaps which spotlight the defining and greatest moments in NHL Stanley Cup history
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:58 AM.
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