The National Hockey League drops the puck on its 2009-10 season on Oct. 1 and In Demand will extend a free preview of the circuit's out-of-market package, replete with a number of enhancements, for three weeks to cable customers..
Distributor In Demand Networks said the NHL Center Ice out-of-market subscription package will skate into its longest-ever free preview, from Oct. 1 until Oct 24, 2009.
Among the cable operators offering the package distributed by In Demand this year are: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Bright House Networks, Cablevision Systems, Bresnan Communications, Midcontinent, plus a number of independent MSOs.
Dish Network. the No. 2 DBS provider, also will be providing the NHL Center Ice freeview through Oct. 24.
Digital-cable customers will have free access to NHL Center ICe, which gives fans who live away from their favorite team an opportunity to follow the games, and superfans a way to follow the whole league. The package provides up to 40 live out-of-market games per week across 14 channels, and includes a number of enhancements to enrich the viewing experience. Customers, who order by Halloween, will save with the early bird price of only four installments of $40.95 each, according to InDemand.
Among the enhancements available:
* Multiscreen Mosaic: The rotating multiple screens show all the live-action games being played around the league, along with score, time clock and channel location. The multiscreen mosaic can be found on the first channel of the system's package lineup;
*Same-day replays: For the first time, NHL Center Ice customers will have access to encore telecasts of the games, as the package will re-air each current day's game beginning approximately one hour after the live game concludes. Each game will replay in its entirety, repeated continuously overnight and the next day, on the same channel, until the following day's live games begin;
*Dual feeds: The package will again feature "dual-feed" telecasts to deliver home team announcers. Whenever possible, In Demand will deliver both local market broadcasts of the same game so that fans can choose which telecast they want to watch;
*Stat channel: As part of NHL Center Ice Extra, customers have access to a live source for scores, statistics, game previews, game recaps and schedule information. This can be found on the second channel of the system's package lineup; and
HD games: Up to dozen games each week will be presented in the high-definition format; availability varies by system.
More information about NHL Center Ice is available at www.gethockey.com. Residential customers as well as commercial establishments can order by calling 1-888-SPORTS-iN, or their local cable provider
