A Spirited Perfect Ten

[njDizFan]

i doubt they care about SNF when they have MNF.

also, it's a little different, considering ESPN actively told the NHL to kick rocks after the first lock up, citing lack of viability and interest in the product in america. which, of course, is silly.

NBC is airing their hockey games on a Saturday night. That should tell you the viability of the sport in America. The overnight was like a 1 share. Networks often broadcast reruns on Saturday because it is the least popular night for television by far. Sporting events are relatively cheap to produce(much cheaper than scripted television) and they take up 3 hours of programming.

NBC can eat up a lot of broadcast hours on the cheap. But they are only going to attract the hardcore/regional fans. They are not building a new audience. Maybe the finals or the snow games can grow fanbase but this is a dead end slot in the week and are perhaps hopeful it will get more eyes than a rebroadcast of their Thursday night line up or a reality show.

EDI: I see they also have Sunday afternoon games also(on the main network)

 

[PhotoDave219]

NBC is airing their hockey games on a Saturday night. That should tell you the viability of the sport in America. The overnight was like a 1 share. Networks often broadcast reruns on Saturday because it is the least popular night for television by far. Sporting events are relatively cheap to produce(much cheaper than scripted television) and they take up 3 hours of programming.

NBC can eat up a lot of broadcast hours on the cheap. But they are only going to attract the hardcore/regional fans. They are not building a new audience. Maybe the finals or the snow games can grow fanbase but this is a dead end slot in the week and are perhaps hopeful it will get more eyes than a rebroadcast of their Thursday night line up or a reality show.

EDI: I see they also have Sunday afternoon games also(on the main network)

Once can draw parallels between Gary Bettman's growth strategies (expansion! Higher Prices!) with Bob Iger's growth strategies (expansion! Higher Prices!)

Both are niche. Both make headlines only when something bad happens. (Small World Scrim Fire, Ottawa vs Philadelphia 2004)

 

[Blueliner]

I was speaking with a client of mine a few days ago and he just returned from Shanghai actually. He was telling me about the spitting issue. He said it was crazy, they just spit right in front of you but its not meant to be rude. He said it takes some getting used to.

In addition to the spitting, there is a different mentality regarding personal space, as well. My first experience was waiting for our luggage at the airport in Beijing, literally our first moments in China. Folks kept bumping into me from behind, and I thought maybe they saw their bag on the carousel. Nope! They just wanted to be in the exact spot where I was.

This theme continued throughout our two weeks in China, split between Beijing, Changsha, and Guangzhou. However, it was most prevalent on buses, in subways, at street corners, or anywhere you had to queue up for something (how will this mesh with theme park attractions?). The one exception was on Shamian Island (in the Pearl River within Guangzhou). That was a very quaint park-like setting with limited vehicle traffic.

The most depressing thing for me during our trip was the air quality. We saw blue skies maybe one morning in Changsha and one or two days in Guangzhou. No blue skies in Beijing to be found.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

i doubt they care about SNF when they have MNF.

also, it's a little different, considering ESPN actively told the NHL to kick rocks after the first lock up, citing lack of viability and interest in the product in america. which, of course, is silly.

I think ABC still misses being out of the Super Bowl rotation. Hockey can't make up for that.

 

[BrianLo]

In addition to the spitting, there is a different mentality regarding personal space, as well. My first experience was waiting for our luggage at the airport in Beijing, literally our first moments in China. Folks kept bumping into me from behind, and I thought maybe they saw their bag on the carousel. Nope! They just wanted to be in the exact spot where I was.

This theme continued throughout our two weeks in China, split between Beijing, Changsha, and Guangzhou. However, it was most prevalent on buses, in subways, at street corners, or anywhere you had to queue up for something (how will this mesh with theme park attractions?). The one exception was on Shamian Island (in the Pearl River within Guangzhou). That was a very quaint park-like setting with limited vehicle traffic.

The most depressing thing for me during our trip was the air quality. We saw blue skies maybe one morning in Changsha and one or two days in Guangzhou. No blue skies in Beijing to be found.

Definitely had an all out shoving experience at the forbidden palace trying to buy tickets. It was organized chaos, you had to just keep pressing and force your hand through the window to get it. I'm pretty sure I was laughing throughout the entire ordeal, as I had a solid foot over everyone else and a solid vantage of all the 60 year old Chinese woman who really were the most aggressive.

Happy Valley Beijing there was very little issues with queuing for the rides, even unprotected portions of the lines people were not aggressively shoving their way into. The actual park operations were atrocious (one train ops everywhere), but it wasn't a horrible experience from a six-flags esque setup. I kind of decided most of the Chinese parks really aren't worth it, but it was operations, not the guests that were off putting.

 

[Blueliner]

Definitely had an all out shoving experience at the forbidden palace trying to buy tickets. It was organized chaos, you had to just keep pressing and force your hand through the window to get it. I'm pretty sure I was laughing throughout the entire ordeal, as I had a solid foot over everyone else and a solid vantage of all the 60 year old Chinese woman who really were the most aggressive.

At 5'11" I also was a giant, and I agree that the full contact queues generally were more amusing than bothersome.

 

[Cesar R M]

I dont know, but after rewatching the great "THE NAKED GUN".. I almost feel like this scene fits what is happening in china right now with Bob.

 

[ford91exploder]

I dont know, but after rewatching the great "THE NAKED GUN".. I almost feel like this scene fits what is happening in china right now with Bob.

OT on China but did you know the Studios wanted to make Leslie Nielson a leading man in the Clark Gable model, And he was in Forbidden Planet as a leading man.

AS well being one of Walt's road company of "Davy Crocketts" to tie this to Disney
http://www.waltdisney.org/blog/leslie-nielsen-one-walt’s-“road-company-davy-crocketts”



Glad the Studios did not get their way as he was a comedic genius!

 

[Eric1955]

Once can draw parallels between Gary Bettman's growth strategies (expansion! Higher Prices!) with Bob Iger's growth strategies (expansion! Higher Prices!)

Both are niche. Both make headlines only when something bad happens. (Small World Scrim Fire, Ottawa vs Philadelphia 2004)

Old but still great.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I think ABC still misses being out of the Super Bowl rotation. Hockey can't make up for that.

Hockey is not on ABC. It is on NBC & NBCSN. Comcast (via NBC) is the rights holder.... which is interesting because Comcast owns the Philadelphia Flyers. I believe the terms are $200M/year(ish) through 20-21.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Hockey is not on ABC. It is on NBC & NBCSN. Comcast (via NBC) is the rights holder.... which is interesting because Comcast owns the Philadelphia Flyers. I believe the terms are $200M/year(ish) through 20-21.

I was responding to the point that ESPN/ABC wasn't hurt by giving up SNF and moving MNF to ESPN which removed them from the Super Bowl rotation because they still have MNF.

 

[ABQ]

i doubt they care about SNF when they have MNF.

also, it's a little different, considering ESPN actively told the NHL to kick rocks after the first lock up, citing lack of viability and interest in the product in america. which, of course, is silly.

I'm not sure how true that is about them not caring about the SNF broadcast as the MNF broadcast rights cost them a huuuuuuge amount more than what NBC paid for SNF. NBC paid something like 3.6 billion (these are 2013 numbers) while ESPN paid 8.8 Billion for MNF. Ad costs are 600k plus for 30 seconds on Sunday and 400k for MNF.
So NBC paid less and gets more in ads then ESPN.
Also, as a football fan, it just seems to me that NBC gets much better games too. And with the flex rights a few times over the year, more opportunity for even better games regardless of when the schedule is created.

As for the world cup of hockey, I'm a fan of hockey myself, but won't be following the world cup all that closely. I care for the Olympics, but none of the other weird world cup like tourneys as many of the better players don't seem to even bother. And I hate international hockey rules. Stupid huge rink.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I was responding to the point that ESPN/ABC wasn't hurt by giving up SNF and moving MNF to ESPN which removed them from the Super Bowl rotation because they still have MNF.

Oh ESPN bid when the rights contract came up back in 10-11. They just didnt win it.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Oh ESPN bid when the rights contract came up back in 10-11. They just didnt win it.

I'm referring to their decision in the mid-00's to give up the rights to SNF, which was more or less an afterthought on ESPN, and move MNF to ESPN.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm referring to their decision in the mid-00's to give up the rights to SNF, which was more or less an afterthought on ESPN, and move MNF to ESPN.

Wasnt Oswald the throw-in on that deal?

 

[BrerJon]

Hey look, a 30 second ad for the Cinderella movie where only ten seconds are footage of Cinderella.



Shows where Disney marketing's priorities lie.

I suspect we'll start to see this more, with shorts being used as band-aids to boost the box office of films that are screening badly. Not just animated shorts, but live action too - Imagine if they'd stuck an Iron Man short before John Carter and focused the John Carter adverts on Downey Jr... that sort of thing.

It's also a good way to gauge interest in a project, as they did with Tron 2 at Comic-Con. Instead of blowing 250M on a dud picture that nobody wants, make a short as a preview first and watch the reaction. It's even possible that this Frozen one is them putting a finger in the air to test whether the kids still love Anna and Elsa.

I would certainly put money on Cinderella's opening weekend being full of Disney PR stories of Frozen fans lining up round the block, and then Frozen 2 will be officially announced a few days later to make it seem like they're reacting to public demand, instead of a well orchestrated PR campaign.

 

[GoofGoof]

Once can draw parallels between Gary Bettman's growth strategies (expansion! Higher Prices!) with Bob Iger's growth strategies (expansion! Higher Prices!)

Both are niche. Both make headlines only when something bad happens. (Small World Scrim Fire, Ottawa vs Philadelphia 2004)

That was an instant classic game. Maybe GM Bob Clarke trying to get into the Senators locker room after the game to fight their coach was a little over the top 400+ penalty minutes. By the end of the game each team only had a couple of players left on their benches. I think the replay of the game the next night was the highest rated non-playoff Flyers game that year.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I suspect we'll start to see this more, with shorts being used as band-aids to boost the box office of films that are screening badly. Not just animated shorts, but live action too - Imagine if they'd stuck an Iron Man short before John Carter and focused the John Carter adverts on Downey Jr... that sort of thing.

It's also a good way to gauge interest in a project, as they did with Tron 2 at Comic-Con. Instead of blowing 250M on a dud picture that nobody wants, make a short as a preview first and watch the reaction. It's even possible that this Frozen one is them putting a finger in the air to test whether the kids still love Anna and Elsa.

I would certainly put money on Cinderella's opening weekend being full of Disney PR stories of Frozen fans lining up round the block, and then Frozen 2 will be officially announced a few days later to make it seem like they're reacting to public demand, instead of a well orchestrated PR campaign.

I'm not entirely sure I can get behind that idea even if the rationale, from Disney's perspective, makes sense. Pixar has made these post feature shorts since Monsters Inc. with "Mike's New Car" to further boost interest/sales for the home video release and give the filmmakers a unique venue to play with the characters. After all, the crew is still mostly on the payroll at that point and you have these exisisting assets in the forms of the character and the sets so why not try to do something fun? It's pretty much tradition at Pixar to make these shorts and it extended into the Cars Toon and Toy Story Toon series, many of which have been attached to live action Walt Disney Pictures releases. The precedent also exists at Feature Animation with the three Roger Rabbit shorts they made in Flordia at TPFKaTDMGMS.

"Frozen Fever", much like "Tangeled Ever After" before it, is an attempt by Feature Animation to do a post feature short with the same creative team as opposed to the old days of cheap direct to video sequels. As video sales have declined in this country, someone at Disney decided these shorts might be a better fit for the live-action releases to spur further interest in them even though I think you are overestimating their impact on attendance. Consumer Product has also found a way to hook this into a new line of Frozen crap... I mean products.

So while there are things around this Frozen short I don't like, remaking animated classics as opposed to developing new stories or stripping bonus features away from the home video releases, there's nothing wrong with this. However, I would like to see them do have animated shorts attached to all Disney live-action releases with an emphasis towards hand drawn shorts with the fab five in the vein of "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater" and more personal shorts, some of which could be attached to the films Touchstone releases for DreamWorks.

 

[Nubs70]

Bettman is the king of brand dilution.

I want the NBAification of the NHL banished.

I have a pretty good AHL team in town but I can't stand watching a game. There is so much crap going on that the actual hockey is secondary to pneumatic tshirt and hotdog launchers and other associated BS.

 

[Mike S]

I'm not entirely sure I can get behind that idea even if the rationale, from Disney's perspective, makes sense. Pixar has made these post feature shorts since Monsters Inc. with "Mike's New Car" to further boost interest/sales for the home video release and give the filmmakers a unique venue to play with the characters. After all, the crew is still mostly on the payroll at that point and you have these exisisting assets in the forms of the character and the sets so why not try to do something fun? It's pretty much tradition at Pixar to make these shorts and it extended into the Cars Toon and Toy Story Toon series, many of which have been attached to live action Walt Disney Pictures releases. The precedent also exists at Feature Animation with the three Roger Rabbit shorts they made in Flordia at TPFKaTDMGMS.

"Frozen Fever", much like "Tangeled Ever After" before it, is an attempt by Feature Animation to do a post feature short with the same creative team as opposed to the old days of cheap direct to video sequels. As video sales have declined in this country, someone at Disney decided these shorts might be a better fit for the live-action releases to spur further interest in them even though I think you are overestimating their impact on attendance. Consumer Product has also found a way to hook this into a new line of Frozen ****... I mean products.

So while there are things around this Frozen short I don't like, remaking animated classics as opposed to developing new stories or stripping bonus features away from the home video releases, there's nothing wrong with this. However, I would like to see them do have animated shorts attached to all Disney live-action releases with an emphasis towards hand drawn shorts with the fab five in the vein of "How to Hook Up Your Home Theater" and more personal shorts, some of which could be attached to the films Touchstone releases for DreamWorks.

I would love more Goofy "how to" shorts.