XM Satellite Radio has expanded their NHL offering from six NHL play-by-play channels to nine channels, allowing for fans to hear every game for every NHL team wherever they are.
Games can be heard on XM channels 204-209 and channels 237-239. Why didn't XM just do a reshuffle of the channel numbers to group them together? That's a darn good question.
Either way, the 2007-2008 NHL season starts this weekend as the Anaheim Ducks begin defense of their first Stanley Cup championship against the Los Angeles Kings. The Ducks and Kings will play Saturday and Sunday at the O2 Arena in London, making this the first time that a NHL regular-season game was played in Europe. The games will air live on XM channel 205.
XM and the NHL have a $100 million long-term relationship that extends through 2015. Their broadcast partnership went exclusive earlier this summer.
How does XM have room for all these channels; does the audio sound like a tin can? I'm sure its easier since baseball heading to a conclusion, but there is some overlap.
preempt other channels, that's what I heard.
XM has begun pre-empting channels on Saturday nights to make room for these games. Usually it's just three or four. When hockey starts, baseball will be in the play-offs, so XM will be able to use the bandwidth they normally allocate for baseball to use on hockey.
Wait till Feb 5th, when there are 12 NHL games playing simultaneously!
But they mentioned on Home Ice one day a few weeks ago that on that day, they will be using 204-209 and 235-240!