The University of Denver and ROOT SPORTSTM announced today that the network will broadcast six regular season Denver hockey games, six men's basketball games and one women's basketball game this season.
This marks the 13th consecutive year, and 20th season overall, that the network has been the official television partner of the Pioneers.
Root Sports televised six DU hockey games in 2012-13, seven games in 2011-12, twelve games in 2010-11, eighteen games in 2009-10, sixteen games in 2008-09 & fourteen games in 2007-08.
Root Sports televised six DU hockey games in 2012-13, seven games in 2011-12, twelve games in 2010-11, eighteen games in 2009-10, sixteen games in 2008-09 & fourteen games in 2007-08.
DU 2013-14 RSRM TV Schedule
Western Michigan - Nov. 15
Air Force - Nov. 23
Brown - Jan. 3
St. Cloud State - Jan. 10
North Dakota - Jan. 25
Miami - March 7
14 comments:
Around 2005 or 2006 something like 20-24 DU games were shown on FSN-RM, FSN-North and various other cable channels.
Internet feeds are basically the present and definitely the future. In-home cable and satellite connections are definitely in decline and I think DU's TV schedule is just a reflection of this trend.
Your official home of the Denver Pioneers. What a fuckin joke. And the University allows them to quote that. Typical gutless stance
The network is a business, if they can put something on that draws more people, they will. Obviously DU hockey is not that big a draw. We should be happy they still pay us whatever they do to say "official home of the pioneers". For small audience sports (which college hockey is pretty much EVERYWHERE in comparison to hoops) I think 5:39 is correct. So what I would like to see and DU probably controls is continued improvement of internet broadcasts
Its a very complicated situation.
Not sure the details of DU's current Root Sports deal, but in the past DU had to buy advertising on Root Sports and before that FSN-RM. So DU isn't making money on this.
If you check Root Sports-RM guide most weeks they have very little Colorado based original programing. The Rockies, high school football, regional college football and basketball.
Root Sports shares the market with Altitude which has the Nuggets & Avs.
Finally Root Sports is owned by DirecTV and the only way to watch the channel outside of the regional territory is to subscribe to DirecTV or Dish Network. AT&T U-verse and local cable companies aren't an option.
Overall, the addition of DU games from new national cable networks such as NBC Sports Network and CBS Sports Network have softened the impact of less games on Root/FSN.
Overall though, I think DU is also choosing to elevate basketball exposure at the expense of fewer hockey games. Six hoops games on Root is probably a new record.
The reality is that the fan base for all who follow DU sports is probably about 20,000 people or so in total, 80% of whom live on the Front Range. 10,000 of them are attending the hockey games (3,000 Friday Fans, 5,000 Saturday Fans and perhaps 2,000 who go to both both weekend games. Add another 10K who follow the team in the paper, internet, radio, or TV but who don't go to the games regularly in Denver.
With a total fan base of 20,000 people, we're lucky to have any TV at all. Remember, DU hockey is about team #12-15 in importance in our own city, and hoops is probably about team #20 or so...
Forget hockey and basketball. The big draw is football. DU needs to bring back the football program!
What makes you think Denver people would come out for DU football?
The big D-I teams (CU, CSU and AFA) can't sellout and those are big schools.
We'd be lucky to draw 10,000 for football against the Summit, WAC or Big Sky teams we'd be playing. Perhaps 15,000 if we were able to land in the MWC. No BCS teams would play DU on the road. We'd be like Rice or Northern Colorado at best...
Having football would also suck money from our other sports, too.
Plus, high school football in Colorado is bad....
Who thinks Denver people will come out for basketball? Ever been to a game? It's sad. Very, very sad.
This is not about Hockey versus basketball. It is not an either or proposition. Hockey has had 60+ years to build their brand while playing major universities. Basketball does not have the heritage or tradition so it is going to take some time. Twenty- two wins the last two seasons is a start and some league stability would help.
As a pioneer fan, I want both to do well.
And football too! We can have it ALL!!!! Let's Go DU!
These are the times we truly miss Dan Ritchie’s negotiating skills. Whoever negotiated this year couldn’t negotiate their way ___(fill in the blank)__.
At this rate DU should forget about broadcasting games on Root Sports and go back to the days when they were on PBS channel 12. That's how I liked watching DU hockey growing up.
Dan Ritchie had nothing to do with negotiating DU's sports TV.
It's a tiny fan base in a minor sport in a saturated market. We are lucky to get the TV we can pay for...
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