The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced last week the webcasts will become pay-per-view this season. The provider, Telus, dumped 3.7 million dollars into the project the last few years to get equipment in all the arenas. The previous two years, the service has been free.
This isn’t new in junior hockey. The OHL, WHL, USHL, and the NAHL all show their games through pay-per-view. I have never seen a game on any of those webcasts.
Here are the prices for the season for the QMJHL
All you can watch (regular season and playoffs) $199.95
All you can watch playoffs (Every playoff series) 95.95
One Playoff Series 19.95
One Single Game 6.95
One Achieved Game 3.95
I can get the Center Ice package cheaper than the full season QMJHL package. At the same time the OHL’s package is 289.95 a season but their TV package is 29.95 a month and has 80 percent of every game. What the OHL and the WHL offer the QMJHL doesn’t is a season ticket holder package where season ticket holders can watch their team’s road games for $89.95
Now you think you spend that kind of money you get a half decent product, right? In the QMJHL you can get one well produced game or you can get a game with no sound like I did on Friday night during their free preview. I was watching the Lewiston Maineiacs game against Chicoutimi and I couldn’t get the Lewiston’s play by play guy.
The home team is in charged to make sure the video aspect of things go smoothly. Teams have their own way of doing things on the video side. Moncton uses multiple cameras in the past but most teams just use one camera which is fine by me. Some teams are good of making sure both radio feeds are provided.
If the QMJHL and Telus are going to charge the fans, media, and the teams (Yes they are making the teams pay for the service), the entire production need to be uniformed. I am not paying a dime for something I don’t know what I am going to get. One night I could be watching a TSN production but the next night I could have a Local Access TV production.
That’s My Take
