Hockey fans it all starts tonight!
VERSUS, will air exclusive coverage of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final when the Western Conference Champion Anaheim Ducks face-off against the Eastern Conference Champion Ottawa Senators. VERSUS’ coverage of the Stanley Cup Final games will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET with the pre-game Hockey Central studio show LIVE from the Honda Center in Anaheim and will be hosted by broadcast veteran Bill Clement, who will be joined by VERSUS analysts Keith Jones and Brian Engblom. Mark Messier, who won five Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and then led the Rangers to Stanley Cup victory in 1994, will join the studio team on-site as a celebrity guest analyst. Mike “Doc” Emrick is the series’ play-by-play voice and will be joined in the booth by analyst Eddie Olczyk. Bob Harwood and Christine Simpson will serve as on-site reporters and will have unprecedented access to coaches and players allowing for all of the exclusive interviews during the game.
As VERSUS heads into the Stanley Cup Final, the network saw growth in HH Impressions, among key male demos and in total viewer impressions for its 2007 Stanley Cup Final Conference Final round over year-ago figures. HH Impressions were up 26 percent (521,385 vs 415,015) and total viewer impressions were up 25 percent (727,787 vs 580,479). Viewership for Men 18-34 was up a total of 97 percent (126,372 vs. 64,167) and viewership for Men 18-49 was up 49 percent (272,538 vs 183,022). The HH rating for the round saw 17 percent growth (.7 vs .6).
To present viewers with the best possible game experience, VERSUS will have access to 40 cameras and will be utilizing 25 replay machines during game play. Both games will be produced in hi-definition and can be seen on VERSUS HD where available.
VERSUS has aired extensive coverage of the Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Conference Final rounds. Each night VERSUS featured a playoff match-up, the network delivered a condensed highlight version of the game that was distributed via the network’s VOD platform. VERSUS.com will continue to provide exhaustive information about the NHL including editorial coverage from some of the most knowledgeable hockey sources. The network’s website includes daily coverage of highlights from all of VERSUS’ games as well as daily insider video featuring VERSUS’ NHL talent on the network’s broadband channel “The Player”. Each night after the studio show, VERSUS’ talent will film Web-exclusive content that will give the inside scoop on what has happened to-date in the playoffs.
