Rogers takes Bell out to the woodshed regarding NHL rights

[Boges]

Remember when Bell and Rogers worked together to put out 2 Olympics and bought the majority share of the Leafs?

Well that comradery is done with.

Rogers has basically just bought 100% NHL rights in Canada.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2013/11/26/nhl_signs_12year_broadcast_deal_with_rogers_cbc_keeps_hockey_night_in_canada.html

The National Hockey League says it has reached a 12-year, $5.2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the league’s broadcast and multimedia rights.

As part of the deal, Rogers says the CBC will continue to broadcast its iconic Hockey Night in Canada broadcast and that the TVA network in Quebec has all of the Canadian French-language multi-media rights.

The league says the deal gives Rogers national rights to all NHL games, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Stanley Cup Final, on all of its platforms in all languages.

In addition, the NHL says the agreement guarantees that there will be no further regionalization of games or local blackouts. Rogers has three exclusive windows to broadcast any game involving a Canadian team — Wednesday nights, Saturday nights (including CBC) and Sunday nights.

TSN and Bell just got PWNED!!!! They go from the source for big mid-week hockey games to essentially nothing.

TSN used to be the only sports game in town but Rogers and their Sportsnet brand has basically taken over.

They do radio much better, they have a magazine, they just bought out the Score, (now 360) they have 4 regional channels and 2 national channels. Now they basically have an NHL monopoly.

CBC gets to keep some HNIC coverage but, from what I'm hearing, Rogers have the say in what gets broadcast. And they can take popular Leafs games off the CBC if they want. I guess if Rogers wants, they can use their Hockey Central guys instead of Ron Maclean and company.

[Black Dog]

Hopefully Rogers can step up the quality of their broadcasts. Of the three TV networks, they are a distant fourth in those terms. Real bush league stuff.

CBC is fucked. They pay nothing and get nothing from broadcasting those games. Half of MotherCorp's ad revenue is from hockey. IOW, Rogers did what the CPC could only dream of: they killed the CBC.

[Boges]

CBC still gets to broadcast the games but they have to answer to their new Rogers overlords.

Now TSN, they're fucked!

[Black Dog]

CBC still gets to broadcast the games but they have to answer to their new Rogers overlords.

For four years and, again, they get no revenue from it.

Now TSN, they're fucked!

Oh yes. The CFL/World Juniors network.

[Boges]

For four years and, again, they get no revenue from it.

Why would they pay for rights if they got nothing for it? They still get to sell ads I'm right. Cheetah Energy drink will still want to sponsor coaches corner. That is assuming Rogers still allows Don Cherry to do his thang.

Oh yes. The CFL/World Juniors network.

Don't forget Curling!

The amusing thing about this that TSN bought the classic HNIC theme song. Now what do they do with it? The new theme for CFL?

[Black Dog]

Why would they pay for rights if they got nothing for it? They still get to sell ads I'm right. Cheetah Energy drink will still want to sponsor coaches corner. That is assuming Rogers still allows Don Cherry to do his thang.

They aren't paying anything either.

Don't forget Curling!

The amusing thing about this that TSN bought the classic HNIC theme song. Now what do they do with it? The new theme for CFL?

That would be pretty awesome.

[cybercoma]

And the HNIC theme continues to be estranged from its home.

[Black Dog]

HNIC has been pretty terrible for a while, though. Just a real murderer's row of morons on that program (notable exceptions are Friedman and Ron MacLean)

[cybercoma]

I have no opinion on the matter. I don't watch sports, except for MMA.

[Boges]

I have no opinion on the matter. I don't watch sports, except for MMA.

Sportsnet 360 is the "HOME OF MMA"

[Black Dog]

TSN should try and start a rebel all Canadian pro hockey league.

[dre]

Too bad. I dont think having a single carrier monopolizing content is a good thing for anyone.

I have a hard time caring though because the NHL has become almost unwatchable. Powder puff pu**sy hockey.

[DFCaper]

HNIC has been pretty terrible for a while, though. Just a real murderer's row of morons on that program (notable exceptions are Friedman and Ron MacLean)

I agree. I think TSN has been far superior for years now. CBC is a bunch of refs and goalies talking about player's feelings... Just terrible...

I really hope that SportsNet improves drastically. I waste a ridiculous amount for time and energy watching/reading about the NHL, but skip SportsNet every time. The people on that channel are terrible. If you are not a leaf's fan, the your out of luck with today's format.

Doesn't Rogers have partial ownership of the leafs? Would this allow them to reduce coverage of small market Canadian teams? Allowing them to steer fans to there team, even more than what TSN & CBC do already? I just love anti leaf conspiracies

Edited November 27, 2013 by DFCaper

[Boges]

I agree. I think TSN has been far superior for years now. CBC is a bunch of refs and goalies talking about player's feelings... Just terrible...

I really hope that SportsNet improves drastically. I waste a ridiculous amount for time and energy watching/reading about the NHL, but skip SportsNet every time. The people on that channel are terrible. If you are not a leaf's fan, the your out of luck with today's format.

Doesn't Rogers have partial ownership of the leafs? Would this allow them to reduce coverage of small market Canadian teams? Allowing them to steer fans to there team, even more than what TSN & CBC do already? I just love anti leaf conspiracies

The reason Sportsnet was all about the Leafs was because it's largely a regional channel. If you watch Sportsnet Pacific they'd likely be talking lots of Canucks.

What this deal does is allow for more National games. So all the HNIC games will be shown on the Sportsnet channels, CBC and CityTV.

[The_Squid]

That's what bidding and competition is all about. Not sure why anyone cares which network the games are on, as long as they do a good job. They'll be outbid in the future, I'm sure...

[Michael Hardner]

This could kill hockey in Canada somehow.

[Black Dog]

This could kill hockey in Canada somehow.

How?

[Michael Hardner]

Well, if Rogers manages hockey the way they manage my bill then I will soon be leaving them altogether (as I did by going to Bell) and watching... um.... Arena Football ... NASCAR ... not sure ...

It won't be hard to leave hockey as I live in Toronto and it left me years ago...

[Boges]

Well, if Rogers manages hockey the way they manage my bill then I will soon be leaving them altogether (as I did by going to Bell) and watching... um.... Arena Football ... NASCAR ... not sure ...It won't be hard to leave hockey as I live in Toronto and it left me years ago...

You're not doing business with Rogers. These networks already exist and you likely get most of them with your cable package. You at least get CBC and CityTV Over the Air.

People acting like they'll be paying for this deal are just being pessimistic. You already pay extra for these sports channels, it's just that National games will no longer be shown on TSN, they'll be shown on Sportsnet and CityTV.

[Michael Hardner]

If I don't watch then I'm not patronizing their mediocrity.

[Boges]

If I don't watch then I'm not patronizing their mediocrity.

Do you only watch the Leafs when they're on CBC and TSN currently? Because most of their games are already on Sportsnet and/or Leafs TV.

[Black Dog]

You're not doing business with Rogers. These networks already exist and you likely get most of them with your cable package. You at least get CBC and CityTV Over the Air.

People acting like they'll be paying for this deal are just being pessimistic. You already pay extra for these sports channels, it's just that National games will no longer be shown on TSN, they'll be shown on Sportsnet and CityTV.

In four years, though, when the CBC deal expires, people who can't or won't pay massive amounts of money for a full cable package will be shut out of hockey.

Now, me, I pay $130 bucks for NHL Gamecentre and an extra $5 for a VPN blocker so I can watch games from any market. That's still a better deal than shelling out close to a $1,000 per year for Sportsnet and all the extra garbage channels they force you to take.

[Boges]

In four years, though, when the CBC deal expires, people who can't or won't pay massive amounts of money for a full cable package will be shut out of hockey.

Now, me, I pay $130 bucks for NHL Gamecentre and an extra $5 for a VPN blocker so I can watch games from any market. That's still a better deal than shelling out close to a $1,000 per year for Sportsnet and all the extra garbage channels they force you to take.

Who pays $1,000 for Sportsnet? Sportsnet Ontario and 360 are part of Basic Cable. You might have to pay extra for Sportsnet One depending on the service you get.

I can't conceive any legit sports fan doesn't have cable. You like sports yet you only watch one or two Network games a week?

It's quite easy to watch sports online, but I have yet to find a free service that even remotely approaches watching cable TV.

[Black Dog]

Who pays $1,000 for Sportsnet? Sportsnet Ontario and 360 are part of Basic Cable. You might have to pay extra for Sportsnet One depending on the service you get.

if you're not a Leafs fan, you'll have to pay for the SN regional channels to watch your team. If you're ok with standard def broadcasts, the full package will cost you "only" around $800 a year, no?

I can't conceive any legit sports fan doesn't have cable. You like sports yet you only watch one or two Network games a week?

What about poor people? $500 a year for basic cable is a bit of a luxury.

It's quite easy to watch sports online, but I have yet to find a free service that even remotely approaches watching cable TV.

I pretty much do without. I'd love to watch more soccer, but it's just not worth it for what it costs to get a cable package.

[Boges]

if you're not a Leafs fan, you'll have to pay for the SN regional channels to watch your team. If you're ok with standard def broadcasts, the full package will cost you "only" around $800 a year, no?

Currently those Regional channels blackout those games anyway, so you need Centre Ice if you want to watch them currently. Apparently with this new deal all regional games will be national on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. So if the regional games are on the other days of the week you're still S-O-L.

What about poor people? $500 a year for basic cable is a bit of a luxury.

One could argue, so is being a sports fan.

I pretty much do without. I'd love to watch more soccer, but it's just not worth it for what it costs to get a cable package.

That Sportsnet World (used to be Setanta) channel is a ripoff. I sometimes see Rugby or Cricket that I might be interested in watching but then see it's on Sportsnet World and am like UHHH NO!!! It's like $14. You get the best EPL games on TSN and Sportnet already.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Boges