Smart move by all as NHL joins EPIX for all-access Winter Classic series

Less than a week after parting company with HBO, the NHL reportedly has found a new home for 24/7, its all-access Winter Classic series.

Problem is, you've probably never heard of the series' new home.

HBO pulling plug on 24/7 Road to the Winter Classic series

EPIX is a pay cable channel that stacks up against HBO about the same way the Toledo Walleye match up against the Red Wings. Launched in 2009 after several Hollywood studios parted ways with Showtime, EPIX is the sort of premium movie network that subscribers get with an all-inclusive package, rather than one they'd actively seek out.

That's because there's not much in the way of original programming on EPIX. It offers plenty of heavily hyped fare like The Wolf of Wall Street and World War Z, but beyond the occasional boxing or mixed martial arts event and a few comedy specials, it doesn't offer a lot in the way of original programming.

On the surface that seems to make it a lousy partner for the league, but EPIX does have two things going it for that HBO doesn't. First, this network desperately wants to do business with the NHL, and as the league proved with its controversial decision to go with OLN over ESPN back in 2005, being wanted is at the core of its agenda. The NHL doesn't want to be just another property. It wants to matter, to be a top priority. EPIX showed up for discussions with the league with flowers and candy.

The network apparently was also willing to assume the lion's share of production costs. HBO was looking to trim the show's budget before talks broke down, and the league had concerns about maintaining the quality of 24/7: The Road to the Winter Classic ... but not so much that it was willing to make up the difference. Scott Burnside has reported that each episode will be budgeted at around $400,000 apiece, a figure that's on the high end for television documentaries. That means not only will filming get done on someone else's dime, but that it will also get done to the Emmy-winning standards of the previous three series.

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All told, EPIX will broadcast four episodes of the untitled Winter Classic show leading up to the Jan. 1 game at Nationals Park between the Capitals and the Blackhawks. That's solid, but here's where the network really showed the love: It will also produce a four-episode series to lead into the Feb. 21 Stadium Series game Levi’s Field between the Sharks and the Kings.

That second series is a meaty hook, and for several reasons. It provides broad exposure for two significant teams, including the defending Stanley Cup champions, who often are overlooked because they're based on the West Coast. With two series, there's a chance to establish a real beachhead for hockey content on EPIX. The second show also lends prestige to the Stadium Series that simply wasn't there with the NHL's own production last season.

This is a smart move for a network that's looking to gain greater carriage through the nation's cable and satellite providers. While EPIX has grown considerably—from 9.5 million to nearly 50 million homes in just three years—it still lags well behind HBO and Showtime. Adding a property that will be viewed as must-see by an avid fan base could help expand its footprint. And, if nothing else, it's in bed with a major league, giving EPIX a chance to prove what it can do for other sports that might end up shopping for a new partner in the future.

And for the fans, there's this: as part of the agreement, all hockey fans in the United States will have access to the finished product. Details for this unprecedented blanket coverage will be revealed at a Sept. 23 press briefing.

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There's still room to question the NHL for bunking down with a lower-tier cable network, but history suggests that this deal deserves a chance. The OLN agreement was widely criticized at the time (including with a few harsh words from this corner), but in hindsight the deal was a masterstroke for the NHL. The netlet, after all, has evolved into the NBC Sports Network. Given time, the EPIX partnership just might work.

GALLERY: The NHL Outdoors

The NHL Outdoors

Heritage Classic

Since the NHL staged its first Heritage Classic, outdoor games have proved to be extremely popular with fans as well as players. And now let's take a look back at the seven spectacles the NHL has staged so far.

Nationals Park

Heritage Classic

Commonwealth Stadium hosted the NHL's first-ever outdoor game, with 57,167 hardy souls braving -20 degree temperatures on November 22, 2003. The event was intended to be a one-off.

Heritage Classic

Wayne Gretzky and Guy Carbonneau were among the Oilers and Canadiens greats who skated in an alumni game. The Great One's squad won, 2-0. Gretzky called the experience "memorable" and Habs Hall of Famer Guy LaFleur told the CBC, "It felt like we were 10 again, but with the legs of 50-year-olds."

Heritage Classic

Just chillin' in the stands: As if it wasn't cold enough, the wind chill made it feel like it was -28.

Heritage Classic

In the main game, the Canadiens prevailed over the Oilers, 4-3. Habs forward Richard Zednik (not pictured, that's Patrice Brisebois taking a tumble courtesy of Ryan Smyth) was credited with scoring the NHL's first open-air goal -- 39 seconds into the second period. It was the first of his two tallies on the night.

Heritage Classic

Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore, who made 34 saves in tne game, sported a toque in an attempt to stay warm.

Heritage Classic

The evening concluded with a fireworks display, and while the event went over quite well locally, it would be five years before the NHL would venture outdoors again.

Winter Classic

On New Year's Day, the NHL unveiled the first of its annual Winter Classics, billed as a return to the game's roots on frozen ponds. The match-up between the Pittsburgh Penguins and hometown Sabres attracted a league-record crowd of 71,217 to Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Winter Classic

It was perfect 33-degree weather for hockey as far as Buffalo's passionate fans were concerned.

Winter Classic

Snow flurries added a nice atmospheric touch, as did the teams' throwback uniforms.

Winter Classic

At times, the ice in the specially-constructed rink had to be repaired, which made for some lengthy delays. "The only tough part was snow buildup on the ice," said Sabres winger Jason Pominville. "At times there was a lot of snow, and it made it hard for guys to stickhandle and shoot."

Winter Classic

As he so often does, Sidney Crosby seized the big, nationally-televised stage and scored the game-winning goal by beating netminder Ryan Miller in a shootout. Final score: 2-1.

Winter Classic

The second edition of the Winter Classic was held in the cozier confines of a baseball stadium: Wrigley Field. The conversion to hockey required 20,000 gallons of water cooled by a huge refrigeration truck that was parked out on Sheffield Ave.

Winter Classic

The game between the Detroit Red Wings and the host Blackhawks drew a crowd of 40,818 on a slighly windy, 32-degree day. Fans also jammed the apartment rooftops across the street. Tickets went for as much as $400 apiece.

Winter Classic

The Blackhawks got Wrigley rocking by taking an early 3-1 lead, but couldn't hold it as the Red Wings roared back with five unanswered goals en route to a 6-4 win.

Winter Classic

The teams wore throwback uniforms and the atmosphere was festive on a Chicago winter's afternoon.

Winter Classic

"It was amazing -- the whole crowd, the whole atmosphere, it was really unreal," said Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane said after the game. "It's like it wasn't really happening. But it was really fun to be a part of."

Winter Classic

The game's retro feel continued with the next edition played at Fenway Park. A sellout crowd of 38,112 enjoyed almost balmy 40-degree weather as the Bruins did battle with the visiting Flyers. The snow and rain that was forecast never materialized.

Winter Classic

Fans were able to get up close and personal with the players.

Winter Classic

Flyers goalie Brian Boucher spent the game on the bench watching starter Michael Leighton stretch a shutout streak to 154 minutes 7 seconds before he was beaten by Boston's Mark Recchi with 2:18 to go in the third period. The goal tied the game at 1-1.

Winter Classic

Bruins coach Claude Julien rocked the Toe Blake look by donning a fedora.

Winter Classic

The crowd went home happy when Marco Sturm scored at 1:57 of overtime to give the Bruins a 2-1 win.

Winter Classic

Fenway's ancient scoreboard told the story.

Winter Classic

Fears about warm, inclement weather came to pass at Heinz Field as rain postponed the start of the game from 1 p.m. ET to 8 p.m.

Winter Classic

The game offered a marquee match-up of rivals: Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who didn't mind the delay in getting started. "I don't see anything wrong with playing under the lights here," he said. "I think that'd be pretty nice. We should all be enjoying ourselves no matter what the scenario."

The game was a wet, sloppy affair with rain frequently creating puddles on the ice.

Winter Classic

The home crowd didn't have much to cheer about as the Capitals won, 3-1.

Winter Classic

Despite the elements, the game drew a crowd of 68,111 and a national TV audience of 4.5 million.

Heritage Classic

Canada welcomed its second Heritage Classic on February 20, 2011, a showdown between the Flames and Canadiens in McMahon Stadium.

Heritage Classic

The Flames entered to a heroes' welcome from the crowd of 41,022. The event also featured an alumni game between members of Calgary's 1989 Stanley Cup championship team and some Montreal notables, as well as AHL and WHL games.

Heritage Classic

Like its predecessor in 2003, this affair was a freezer, with temperatures hovering around -6F. "The stands were full," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said after the game. "I expected some people to go home. I can't imagine how cold they were."

Heritage Classic

Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff was sharp, making 21 saves while posting a 4-0 shutout.

Heritage Classic

Ice conditions proved troublesome at times. The rink had to be flooded with a hose due to fears that the weight of the Zamboni would cause the brittle ice to crack and crumble.

Winter Classic

Citizens Bank Park hosted the fifth edition, drawing a boisterous crowd of 46,967 for an Atlantic Division rivalry match between the Flyers and New York Rangers.

Winter Classic

As happened in Pittsburgh, warm weather delayed the start of the game, this time from 1 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. Game time temperatures were a comfortable 41 with occasional snow flurries.

Winter Classic

Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky got the start over Ilya Bryzgalov, who became a star for his musings on the universe on HBO's

24/7 Road to the Winter Classic

series.

Winter Classic

Though Rangers coach John Tortorella famously complained about the officiating, he couldn't argue with the outcome: a 3-2 New York victory,

Winter Classic

The 2013 Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings at 107,500-seat Michigan Stadium would have been the game's largest edition yet, but it was canceled due to the lockout. The plan is to stage it in 2014

Hockeytown Festival

As part of the Michigan Classic, Detroit's Comerica Park will host a weeklong series of events, including college, OHL and AHL games.