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NHL Getting Close to a 5-Year Contract With ESPN

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Bruce McNall, the chairman of the NHL Board of Governors, said Wednesday night that a five-year, $80-million TV contract with ESPN is just about ready to be signed.

“It has to be finalized and there are still a few little things to deal with but it’s almost done,” McNall, the owner of the Kings, said from his LA office. “I’m ecstatic; if we can get this concluded it’ll give us some great exposure in the United States.”

McNall, who took over as chairman from Bill Wirtz in June, said the deal gives the NHL what it craves most -- widespread exposure in large U.S. markets.

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“That’s always been our biggest issue,” he said. “It’s not just the money, but the kind of exposure we really need.”

The average of $16 million per year is $1 million less than the league reaped during its contract with SportsChannel America from 1988-91. After months of fruitless talks that also involved ESPN, the NHL signed a one-year deal with SCA last season that was worth just $5.5 million, angering most owners.

Though the one-year contract with SportsChannel America has expired, there apparently are some clauses which remain in effect concerning rights negotiations.

For example, The Associated Press learned that the NHL has an obligation to bring any deal with another network to SportsChannel America, giving SCA a chance to make a counter-offer. The old contract also includes a clause that says whatever the NHL asks of another network must be similar to what it asked from SportsChannel America.

One of several sources close to the negotiations, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the NHL had talked to ESPN about an agreement of 4-6 years at $12 million to $16 million a year. The NHL apparently talked about similar dollar amounts with SCA, but for only 1-2 years.

ABC, which owns ESPN, also might telecast 4-6 games a year under the agreement. NHL spokesman Gary Meagher said Wednesday that the NHL would buy the time and sell its own advertising under any arrangement with ABC.

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ESPN, which reaches 60 million American homes, refused to discuss the negotiations, other than to say they were ongoing. ABC also said Wednesday it could not confirm the reports.

SportsChannel America president Jeff Ruhe, whose network reaches 20 million-25 million homes, said he was unaware of any deal between the NHL and ESPN. Asked if his network still was negotiating with the NHL, he said: “As far as I’m concerned, we are.”

He said SCA had no representative at the league’s meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Tuesday and that the NHL had not contacted him since.

“Right now, we are dealing with reports, and although they come from obviously legitimate publications, I really don’t know whether they’re rumors or facts,” Ruhe said. “We’ve received no communication about this issue.”

Ruhe refused to comment on any contract obligations the NHL might still have to SportsChannel America. But when asked if he expected to hear from the NHL if it made a deal with another network, he said: “I would assume so.”

The NHL hasn’t been seen regularly on U.S. network television since 1976, and ESPN carried NHL games from 1985-88.

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NBC owns the rights to the NHL All-Star game for one more year.

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