Once the Chicago Blackhawks began changing their broadcasts a few years ago, plenty of fans worried a simulcast was their ultimate fate.
Blackhawks president of business operations Jaime Faulkner examined the option to simulcast — broadcasting the TV audio feed on the radio — as the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings do.
With the broadcast landscape evolving, Faulkner wanted to explore all options. The Blackhawks have spent a lot of time dissecting the present and future of radio broadcasting, TV broadcasting, podcasting and so on. Simulcasts were part of that study.
“Teams will use that (simulcast) strategy if they can save money, if they’re in a market that radio doesn’t matter as much,” Faulkner said. “Is it a cost-saving driver? Is it that it’s not just needed or demanded in your marketplace? So when we were doing our research, we looked at it.”
Faulkner and the Blackhawks found that radio mattered a lot to the Chicago-area market.
Blackhawks fans near (who left the game early) and far (people from all over the world who access the game audio through the web or app) regularly listen to WGN Radio’s broadcast. And the team found the deep connection fans have with radio play-by-play announcer John Wiedeman and color analyst Troy Murray, who have been broadcast partners since the 2006-07 season.
For all those reasons, the Blackhawks have decided against the simulcast route and plan to continue to have separate radio and TV broadcasts.
“Generally, you hear that radio is dying, quote unquote,” Faulkner said. “And so, we really had to look, listen to our fans, look at the research, look at the radio data and realize it’s not that radio is dying, it’s just the Blackhawks needed an overall audio strategy, which is radio plus podcasts, plus a couple other things. But for us, radio is very much alive and thriving here as it relates to listening to Blackhawks hockey.”
Along with that decision, the Blackhawks are also committed to keeping Wiedeman and Murray together. The Blackhawks will officially announce Thursday they’ve re-signed Wiedeman and Murray to three-year contract extensions. The Blackhawks also have extended their radio broadcasting rights with WGN Radio for another three years.
“Radio is important because John and Troy are important to our fans,” Faulkner said. “They are legends. … So our decision to even stay on radio versus simulcast, which is an option several teams are moving to, was just not an option for us. They’re experts and the best at what they do. They’re the reason why we’re so successful. In addition to the great partnership, they contribute greatly to the success. And so part of the extension of the deal was just as important that we lock them up with an extension as well.”
Wiedeman and Murray are technically Blackhawks employees. The Blackhawks plan to use them mostly on the radio, but it does provide some flexibility if either can assist on the TV broadcast for a couple of games each season. Wiedeman recently filled in for Chris Vosters on TV, and Murray has done TV games this season when Darren Pang has had national TV duties.
Joe Brand, who is a WGN Radio employee, will also continue in his role with the pregame and postgame shows and during intermissions and as the host of the weekly “Blackhawks Live” show. Brand has also filled in for Wiedeman and Murray this season.
The Blackhawks have had a busy year in broadcast negotiations. Their radio and TV rights were set to expire this year. The TV side is still ongoing. The radio side talks were extensive but smooth. Faulkner described the negotiations as the easiest she’s ever been a part of and largely credited that to WGN Radio vice president and general manager Mary Sandberg Boyle.
“She is excellent at what she does,” Faulkner said. “A lot of the reason why we have had such an incredible partnership over the last couple years since I’ve been here is because of her and her leadership. … The best negotiations are when both parties leave feel like they’re benefitting. But it was because we started it with integrity. We had the fans at the front of what we were doing, and there was no place for ego in the negotiation. And we’ve ended up with an incredible partner, we’ve been able to secure two legends in the space and continue to hopefully deliver a great product for our fans.”
The evolution of partnership isn’t expected to change anything in the actual game broadcast, but the sides did discuss new advertising opportunities and ways for WGN Radio to help produce and distribute the Blackhawks’ podcasts.
“We’re really excited,” Sandberg Boyle said. “What I think was really cool was this wasn’t just a, ‘OK, here you go, we’re going to extend that.’ It was really thoughtful. What makes sense? What doesn’t make sense? How we can be better. The Blackhawks were great to work with on how they can be better and just being really good partners, and I think that’s going to lead to even more success than we’ve already had.”
Sandberg Boyle described listener numbers throughout the season as “really good” and consistent. She said the season opener was up 73 percent from last season based on Nielsen ratings and streaming data.
“I think we can attribute it to the (Connor) Bedard effect,” Sandberg Boyle said.
As Bedard likely gains in stardom, he and the Blackhawks are expected to be televised even more nationally in the coming seasons. While you may have to go searching for where the Blackhawks’ TV game is, the Blackhawks want to ensure you know where the radio broadcast will be.
“It is sometimes easier to find how to listen to our games, to find our games through radio than it is sometimes to figure out where it is on TV,” Faulkner said. “TV has become so complicated that sometimes the biggest challenge is, ‘How do I find the game?’ Radio is still pretty simple. They have just increased the ways we can distribute the product.”
(Photo of John Wiedeman and Troy Murray: Bill Smith / NHLI via Getty Images)
