Amazon acquires Monday night NHL package in Canada from Sportsnet - will broadcast games exclusively on Prime Video

[Masked]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Rogers has tried streaming the NHL and they've lost their shirt.

Prove that. And selling games to Amazon doesn't mean they've lost their shirt.

As for me, I couldn't care less about streaming - nor does any of my circle. We watch TV and the NHL only has 2 ways of getting sports to Canadians - TSN and Rogers.

When was the last time you left the retirement home? Or are you in one of those rural places that doesn't have high speed internet yet?

Again, if I were those 2 providers, I'd offer a dual, take it or leave it, package to the NHL - for much less than what Rogers paid 10 years ago.. Then I walk away and wait for Bettman's call.


1) They've offered dual packages to the NBA and MLS. No complaints.

2) Let the NHL sue TSN and Rogers under Canadian anti-trust. We'll see where that gets them.

Dual packages were for the rights to the teams co-owned by Rogers and Bell.

The NHL would absolutely sue and destroy them in court while making Amazon or Apple their new broadcast partner. Then the league would turn the screws on the Leafs in any way legally possible.

 

[ORRFForever]

TV has not been around for a century. Cable has been around for only about 50 years. Either way, tv stations as we know them are living on borrowed time.

Amazon and Apple can take away the CFL, the NFL, the World Juniors and March Madness just as easily as they can take away the NHL. The only properties they can't take are the ones owned by Rogers and Bell.

As for Rogers and Sportsnet working together to negotiate a deal? That's anti-competitive and illegal.

TV has been around for 100 years - please look it up.

History of television - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

We are talking about the NHL and TV. Amazon and Apple are not TV providers in Canada. If they want to start their own stations, feel free. In the meantime, the NHL has only 2 options if they want to get their product to Canadians on TV - that's Rogers and TSN. For this reason, TSN and Rogers have the leverage. Use it!

Re : "That's anti-competitive and illegal."

Rogers and TSN have offered dual bids for the NBA and MLS. They can do it here, as well.

As I said elsewhere, if Gary has a problem, take BCE and Rogers to court under Canadian anti-trust and we'll see where that gets him and the league.

My Guess : It won't turn out like the NHL hopes.

 

[ORRFForever]

Prove that. And selling games to Amazon doesn't mean they've lost their shirt.



When was the last time you left the retirement home? Or are you in one of those rural places that doesn't have high speed internet yet?



Dual packages were for the rights to the teams co-owned by Rogers and Bell.

The NHL would absolutely sue and destroy them in court while making Amazon or Apple their new broadcast partner. Then the league would turn the screws on the Leafs in any way legally possible.

Re : "Prove that. And selling games to Amazon doesn't mean they've lost their shirt."

Good Lord. Have you seen the cuts Rogers has been making?

They're not trying to get rid of the hockey because it's profitable.

Their streaming is garbage because it's not profitable and they're cutting costs.

Re : "When was the last time you left the retirement home?

If you're going to post like that, we can end the conversation.

Re : "The NHL would absolutely sue and destroy them in court"

In Canadian Anti-trust court? I don't think so.

Re : "while making Amazon or Apple their new broadcast partner."

Go for it. See what happens to their Canadian audience without TSN and Rogers.

Re : "Then the league would turn the screws on the Leafs in any way legally possible."

Now you're being silly.

 

[ORRFForever]

I'm not sure why some posters want to see TSN and Rogers pay thru the nose for the NHL package? Are they worried about the Salary Cap?

As a Canadian, a shareholder in both companies and someone who subscribes to one of these companies for phone, cable and internet, I want to see TSN and Rogers get the best deal possible.

Rogers tried streaming and paying big 10 years ago. It's come back to haunt them. They both need to put shareholders first and play hard ball - and if that means walking away from the NHL, so be it.

Again, my guess, the NHL blinks first.

 

[Masked]

Re : "Prove that. And selling games to Amazon doesn't mean they've lost their shirt."

Good Lord. Have you seen the cuts Rogers has been making?

They're not trying to get rid of the hockey because it's profitable.

Their streaming is garbage because it's not profitable and they're cutting costs.

They're looking to sell of their Monday night games. They might feel that selling off these games will not impact their subscriber numbers.

Rogers has also overpaid for on talent during the course of this deal. Cuts are easier to do than for management to take the fall for producing a subpar product.

Re : "The NHL would absolutely sue and destroy them in court"

In Canadian Anti-trust court? I don't think so.

Do you know what anti-trust is? Or do you just feel that companies can conspire to lower costs?

Re : "while making Amazon or Apple their new broadcast partner."

Go for it. See what happens to their Canadian audience without TSN and Rogers.

I'd guess the audience follows the NHL to whatever streaming service it goes to.

Re : "Then the league would turn the screws on the Leafs in any way legally possible."

Now you're being silly.

You think the billionaires who own the 31 other franchises would let the Leafs ownership try to screw them out of their money without repercussions?

 

[Masked]

TV has been around for 100 years - please look it up.

History of television - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

If you consider a prototype in a laboratory being around then fill your boots. But most people would consider being around to mean that it being available for people to buy and actual broadcasts airing.

We are talking about the NHL and TV. Amazon and Apple are not TV providers in Canada. If they want to start their own stations, feel free. In the meantime, the NHL has only 2 options if they want to get their product to Canadians on TV - that's Rogers and TSN. For this reason, TSN and Rogers have the leverage. Use it!

Who cares about tv providers? It's about broadcasting.

Re : "That's anti-competitive and illegal."

Rogers and TSN have offered dual bids for the NBA and MLS. They can do it here, as well.

Only for rights that involve their co-owned franchises. They can't do it. It's illegal. Google anti-trust.

 

[ORRFForever]

They're looking to sell of their Monday night games. They might feel that selling off these games will not impact their subscriber numbers.

Rogers has also overpaid for on talent during the course of this deal. Cuts are easier to do than for management to take the fall for producing a subpar product.




Do you know what anti-trust is? Or do you just feel that companies can conspire to lower costs?




I'd guess the audience follows the NHL to whatever streaming service it goes to.



You think the billionaires who own the 31 other franchises would let the Leafs ownership try to screw them out of their money without repercussions?

Re : "Do you know what anti-trust is? Or do you just feel that companies can conspire to lower costs?"

I know exactly what it is. I also know its VERY difficult to prove, a court case would take forever and, even if the NHL won, they would not get the kind of rewards they'd expect in the U.S.

Re : "
They're looking to sell of their Monday night games. They might feel that selling off these games will not impact their subscriber numbers.

Rogers has also overpaid for on talent during the course of this deal. Cuts are easier to do than for management to take the fall for producing a subpar product."

I'm not sure I understand your point.

At the end of the day, the product has NOT been profitable for Rogers. So, you either get a better deal next time or you walk away.

Neither Rogers nor Bell are required to carry the NHL.

Re : "I'd guess the audience follows the NHL to whatever streaming service it goes to."

Okay. Either that or they find something else to watch.

Re : "You think the billionaires who own the 31 other franchises would let the Leafs ownership try to screw them out of their money without repercussions?"

So TSN and Rogers should over pay for a product to keep the other 31 teams happy and if they don't, they will be punished by the other owners?

LOL! Now THAT would end up in anti-trust - in the U.S.

*********************************************************

Again, why do you want Rogers and TSN to over pay for the NHL?

If you consider a prototype in a laboratory being around then fill your boots. But most people would consider being around to mean that it being available for people to buy and actual broadcasts airing.




Who cares about tv providers? It's about broadcasting.




Only for rights that involve their co-owned franchises. They can't do it. It's illegal. Google anti-trust.

I said TV has been around for 100 years. I was right.

Re : "Who cares about tv providers? It's about broadcasting."

Then why do you care who provides it? Get it from Amazon or Apple or Netflix.

If you think TSN and Rogers are missing the boat by playing hard ball, start your own TV provider and pay the NHL whatever they want.

Re : "Only for rights that involve their co-owned franchises. They can't do it. It's illegal. Google anti-trust."

Again, let the NHL take TSN and Rogers to anti trust in Canada. We'll see how that turns out.

 

[ORRFForever]

Again, @Masked, why do you care how much BCE and Rogers pay for the NHL package? If they pay $1 or $10,000,000,000, why do you care?

I care because I am a shareholder in both BCE and Rogers.

Unless you own shares in the NHL, I don't understand your concern?

 

[Masked]

Again, why do you want Rogers and TSN to over pay for the NHL?

I don't care what the rights holder pays the NHL. What they pay makes no difference to NHL fans. I just feel the need to correct nonsense.

I do care about getting the broadcasts on an intuitive, stable platform with great picture quality which neither TSN and Sportsnet have.

In a perfect world, the broadcasts would be produced by TSN and streamed by Prime Video.

What I expect to happen when the Rogers deal ends is for the NHL to break up the national deal into two parts, like they did in the US, with one going to Rogers/Bell and the other going to Apple/Amazon/Netflix.

 

[ORRFForever]

I don't care what the rights holder pays the NHL. What they pay makes no difference to NHL fans. I just feel the need to correct nonsense.

I do care about getting the broadcasts on an intuitive, stable platform with great picture quality which neither TSN and Sportsnet have.

In a perfect world, the broadcasts would be produced by TSN and streamed by Prime Video.

What I expect to happen when the Rogers deal ends is for the NHL to break up the national deal into two parts, like they did in the US, with one going to Rogers/Bell and the other going to Apple/Amazon/Netflix.

Re : "I do care about getting the broadcasts on an intuitive, stable platform with great picture quality which neither TSN and Sportsnet have."

If that's the case, you want BCE and Rogers to pay as little as possible to the NHL, so they have money to invest in their platforms.

Re : "What I expect to happen when the Rogers deal ends is for the NHL to break up the national deal into two parts, like they did in the US, with one going to Rogers/Bell and the other going to Apple/Amazon/Netflix."

That's fine with me - as long as Rogers and BCE do NOT OVER PAY for the content they receive. If the NHL packages are not (very) profitable, BCE and Rogers need to walk away and find other profitable content.

Anyway, it's time for me to walk away - I've wasted too much time on this thread. Have a wonderful day, @Masked.

 

[MMC]

the NHL only has 2 ways of getting sports to Canadians - TSN and Rogers.

I don't know what's funnier, this take, or the fact that you feel the need to keep mentioning that you are a shareholder

 

[crowi]

My 75 year old dad won't understand wtf this is

Reading these last few pages it's truly funny how different older folks can be.

I just helped my 75 year old dad order parts and build a gaming PC that he has been using daily since it arrived.

 

[GordieHowYaDoin]

The Amasoy Goys are overjoyed!

 

[ORRFForever]

I don't know what's funnier, this take, or the fact that you feel the need to keep mentioning that you are a shareholder

^^ What a stupid childish post. ^^

 

[Masked]

Re : "I do care about getting the broadcasts on an intuitive, stable platform with great picture quality which neither TSN and Sportsnet have."

If that's the case, you want BCE and Rogers to pay as little as possible to the NHL, so they have money to invest in their platforms.

Bell and Rogers will invest in their platforms if it makes financial sense to do so. What they pay the NHL is irrelevant in making that decision. It's all about the ROI.

 

[ORRFForever]

What they pay the NHL is irrelevant in making that decision. It's all about the ROI.

That's a contradiction, my friend.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

f*** Rogers and Sportsnet

 

[BLNY]

Well, SN sucks ass. So I'm fine with it. Amazon could put a software engineer who doesn't know anything about hockey on the intermission panel, and they'd be better than who they currently have.

Amazon would undoubtedly have a better streaming experience than SN+, which is over a minute behind the live feed, and constantly glitches or crashes.

Amber seems like a nice enough guy even if he has the personality of a potato. Mayers, Williams, Carter and anyone else they bring in for 'experts' are beyond low-rent.

 

[bossram]

Amber seems like a nice enough guy even if he has the personality of a potato. Mayers, Williams, Carter and anyone else they bring in for 'experts' are beyond low-rent.

Yeah, Amber is just boring.

The rest of the usual weekday panelists are beyond bad (with the exception of Gazdic, who I kinda like). You forgot to mention Cosentino, who might even be dumber than Mayers.

 

[robertocarlos]

Kypreos was fired because he was earning like $850k. After the better part of a year or two they rehired him. Maybe at a more reasonable salary of $425k.

 

[BLNY]

Yeah, Amber is just boring.

The rest of the usual weekday panelists are beyond bad (with the exception of Gazdic, who I kinda like). You forgot to mention Cosentino, who might even be dumber than Mayers.

Sam has a wealth of scouting knowledge, which is why he's around, but he just isn't good on tv.

 

[rojac]

If you don't black games out I'll love you long time

Blacking games out is not a decision of the broadcaster. It's a policy of the league and its teams that the broadcaster agrees to when purchasing NHL rights.

In the case of the specific games being discussed here, it's a package of Monday night games involving Canadian teams that Rogers has the rights to broadcast Canada-wide so there is no reason for Amazon to not make it available Canada-wide.

 

[rojac]

Does this sale only apply to Canada , or will it allow Amazon to stream SN Monday Night Hockey to the US ?

Almost certainly Canada-only, if true.

 

[rojac]

Note: I haven't read the whole thread.

While I know other media sources have quoted Jonah's tweet, have any of them mentioned that they have heard the same rumours? Jonah does indeed seem to have some media sources, so I'm not completely doubting its veracity. But you'd think if a relatively small player in sports media is hearing this kind of thing, bigger players would be too.

Given the date of the tweet and Jonah's blog was April 1, can we completely rule out the idea that this was an April Fool's joke? I don't think it is, but I could be weonh.

Even if true, we don't know the details of the deal. Will it be only on Prime Minister or will it be a simulcast with SN? Is it a financial desperation deal for Rogers or is it the forerunner to a combined Rogers/Amazon bid for the next Canadian rights deal?

I also wouldn't be surprised if the broadcast was produced and staffed by Sportsnet. I don't think Amazon is going to put together a full production and studio crew for just a two season deal. If I'm not mistaken, MLB Network produced the MLB games on Prime (as they do for Apple TV+), so having Sportsnet produce makes sense. That being said, maybe the extra money from Amazon lets them upgrade the analysts they use or try something different.

 

[bossram]

Sam has a wealth of scouting knowledge, which is why he's around, but he just isn't good on tv.

....have you read his scouting reports? They are horrible and tell you nothing about the player.

Reciting where a guy is from and who his junior coach is, isn't "a wealth of knowledge". I can do that in 5 seconds on google.