Login / RegisterCanucks' woes have potential to harm major broadcasters
The poor playoff performance of the Vancouver Canucks could end up hurting the bottom lines of some large companies.
Bell Media owns the radio voice of the Canucks, TEAM 1040, which enjoys a boost in ratings during the playoffs.
If the Canucks bow out in the first series, the station will probably see a decline in audience share.
The same will be true of the sports-talk show on CKNW Radio, which is owned by Corus Entertainment.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is certain to see a drop in TV ratings if the Canucks get knocked out early. Keep in mind that Hockey Night in Canada is a major profit centre for the Crown-owned broadcaster.
The local CBC produces The Stanley Show, which will get a whole lot less interesting if the Canucks aren't competing for the cup.
The CBC will really suffer financially if the Ottawa Senators also go down to defeat against the New York Rangers. If this happens, it will mean there will be no Canadian teams left in the playoffs.
Combine that with the likely loss of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the loss of marquee player Sidney Crosby from the playoffs, and it's enough to drive any CBC executive to drink. This is particularly so in light of the recent large federal cut to the parliamentary grant.
Another big corporate loser will be the Aquilini family. For the Canucks' owners, there will be fewer tickets, jerseys, and food and beverage sales if their team heads to the golf course after Wednesday's game in Los Angeles.
As things stand now, Blackhawks defender Duncan Keith's elbow to the face of Daniel Sedin is starting to look like a pretty expensive head shot.
And we haven't even begun discussing the impact of Keith's blow on bar owners and servers across the province.
Go Whitecaps Go!
Just look at Toronto. MLSE is a cash cow, despite the fact that they haven't produced a winning team in decades. Why would they care? Seats are full, corporate boxes are full, TV revenues are sky-high, sponsors are lined up ... winning is very much secondary.
We should all enjoy the game 4 as much as possible. Know what I mean?
As for bar owners, media outlets etc., this is what happens when a market puts all their eggs in one team's basket. If I owned a bar, I would start planning promotions around the Whitecaps, Euro 2012, and the Summer Olympics rather than moaning about the local underachieving puck concern.
I wasn't even aware that we had a hockey-based economy.