NCHC.TV: Good Enough Isn't Good Enough

The National Collegiate Hockey Conference began its inaugural season in October 2013. The NCHC was formed in response to the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference. After the announcement in the summer of 2011, the term " like-minded " was often thrown around. It became a buzzword that made some people ill, as was the phrase " fan experience." 

As we move to the next decade of the NCHC, some of the same tedious issues remain from the first 10 seasons. In year 11, a handful of member schools still can't produce what we consider a watchable webcast. It's not too much to ask schools to create a product worthy of paying a nominal yearly fee.  

This past weekend, UND traveled to Oxford, Miami, to take on the Miami University RedHawks in a pivotal two-game conference series. Miami has traditionally struggled with its webcasts, which are virtually impossible to watch without becoming nauseous or frustrated. This past weekend, they didn't disappoint. That's not a compliment. I tweeted this out.

Third period and we’ve gone 4 minutes without play-by-ply. Absolute gong show @MiamiOH_Hockey and @TheNCHC https://t.co/xqN6aEf2ES

— Eric J. Burton (@goon48) February 4, 2024

Biddco Tweeted out: you sure love discussing the broadcast this year. They're not all UND.

you sure love discussing the broadcast this year. They're not all UND

— Biddy 📐 🐶 (@Biddco) February 4, 2024

What is considered an acceptable standard? Are fans being unreasonable in expecting a decent product for which we play a significant amount of money? The league is making good money off of its streaming services. Where's the accountability from the league office? 

Is it unreasonable for us to expect the schools with substandard webcasts to up their game? I don't think it is. Having a decent streaming service is part of the "fan experience."

I am not the only one who complains about the quality. This past weekend on X, fans took to the platform to display their frustration with the Miami NCHC TV webcasts. Here's a great clip from the Lets Go DU fan blog posted in the summer of 2023. It hits on all of the arguments many of us are making. We're at the mercy of the member schools. 

Just like NCHC.TV production for SLN broadcasts will be the responsibility of each home institution and may include a digital-only telecast or the use of an institution's local TV partner (i.e., Altitude TV in Denver) production equipment/personnel. The issue here, much like NCHC.tv for hockey, will be the inconsistent production quality from program to program across the conference. (Link)

This blog post was a response to the Summit League Conference announcing a new streaming service this past fall, but the point remains. Fans value the products that their leagues put out. Fans want to see their favorite teams play when they're on the road. Streaming services are the reality in the post-COVID world. I have every streaming service under the sun and NCHC.TV is by far the worst product I have purchased. I am serious. I am considering moving from the DirecTV stream platform to Midco based on the number of UND hockey games they cover. 

On Saturday, I finally broke down yesterday and bought the Midco Sports Plus to watch the Summit League basketball game between NDSU and UND. The quality was excellent. The picture was clear; the webcast didn't make me nauseous. All for a yearly price tag of $79. For comparison's sake, an annual subscription to NCHC.TV is $116. Yes, I know, the game was produced by Midco Sports. So are North Dakota State, South Dakota, and South Dakota State's broadcasts. Should the NCHC fall under the Summit League? I am not there yet, but you could convince me and other fans that this might be a viable option. 

Poor streaming webcasts are a direct reflection of the school that produces them. Seriously, the biggest schools in the NCHC have the worst webcasts. These are MAC schools that have FBS football.