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National Broadcasts and the Devils |
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Good afternoon Devils fans. September has arrived, symbolizing the final stretch before the season begins. As we approach the preseason and camps, the Devils will start to see what pieces fit together in the roster and who would be better suited to distant channels. This will be the first preseason camp that will feature new arrivals Timo Meier, Tyler Toffoli, Tomas Nosek, and Colin Miller. Having these players around at this point in the year will help craft strategies and systems, a major benefit for coach Lindy Ruff and his staff. GM Tom Fitzgerald will also appreciate the chance to look out possible tryouts and youth players, either with the mindset of organizational depth or acquisition management with other teams looking to trade.
Per Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com, the Devils have released their schedule for national broadcasts. The games include:
10/12/23 - DET @ NJD (ESPN+, HULU)- moved from 7:00 to 7:30
10/25/23 - WSH @ NJD (TNT)
11/7/23 - NJD @ COL (TNT)
12/7/23 - NJD @ SEA (ESPN) - moved from 7:00 to 7:30
*12/13/23 - BOS @ NJD (TNT - blacked out in NJ; game available to MSG Networks)
12/21/23 - EDM @ NJD (ESPN+, HULU)- moved from 7:00 to 7:30
*1/3/24 - NJD @ WSH (TNT - blacked out in NJ; game available to MSG Networks)
1/25/24 - NJD @ CAR (ESPN+, HULU)- moved from 7:00 to 7:30
2/6/24 - COL @ NJD (ESPN+, HULU) - moved from 7:00 to 7:30
2/17/24 - PHI @ NJD (ABC, ESPN+)
*2/25/24 - TBL @ NJD (TNT - blacked out in NJ; game available to MSG Networks)
3/3/24 - NJD @ LAK (TNT)
3/7/24 - STL @ NJD (ESPN)
3/17/24 - NJD @ VGK (TNT)
3/26/24 - NJD @ TOR (ESPN+, HULU) - moved from 7:00 to 7:30
4/3/24 - NJD @ NYR (TNT) - moved from 7:30 to 7:00
From a purely business perspective, I understand why being on so many national broadcasts can be incredibly beneficial. The massively expanded audience can be great for brand exposure, which will in turn grow revenue from merchandise and possible new visitors to Prudential Center. However, from a selfish point of view, I prefer the services through MSG. Cutting the cable years ago, I’ve used internet TV to keep up with games on MSG, or usually MSG+. I’ve found that some of the broadcasters, those that don’t usually work for MSG, on services like ESPN or TNT don’t ring true when dissecting team tactics and dynamics. I also get a bit frustrated when trying to stream these services and find the quality of video lacking. That may just be my own experience, though.
What are your thoughts? Do you like the Devils having more national broadcasts? Are there benefits to keeping game broadcasts more localized?
Leave your thoughts and comments below. Raise Hell,
-Josh Biringer
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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