News Article: Montreal bars face a 1500% increase in broadcasting rights

[MXD]

Can't open the link, so....
Is it a Habs decision or a ... let's say.... "higher-level" decision?

 

[MXD]

...And St-Bock is already ridiculously overpriced for what it is (yeah, location, I know).

 

[Yannman]

EXCLUSIF | Des propriétaires de bars menacent de ne plus diffuser les matchs du Canadien - 98,5 fm Montréal

quick translation :

-broadcasting rights would increase from $600 to $10,000 yearly
-Bell said "they haven't announced anything officially" in response
-St-Bock owner says he just won't show the games anymore and guesses most smaller venues will do the same

It's like a black hole of cynicism

Been reading everyday for a while... Just signed up to give you clear info on this mess.

I own a wood oven pizzeria in rosemont. I used to show habs and impact.
It was just the price of cable. Now, the three groups rds/tsn ( bell media) tva sports (quebecor) sportsnet ( rogers) will start charging according to your liquor licence permit. I have 58 places on my permit. So instead of just paying the business cable service ( base+15 chaines ) it will be 90$ tva sport, 120$ rds/tsn, 100$ sportsnet. And i still need to pay for minimum cable!

i cannot wrap my head around the fact that i will pay close to 4k a year for sports... Can't either think of not showing the games...

It makes No sense business wise, but I might bite the bullet...

 

[Toene]

...And St-Bock is already ridiculously overpriced for what it is (yeah, location, I know).

What? St-Bocks beer is home crafted and costs as much as Molson's or other types of mainstream bottled-piss in most bars.

 

[Yannman]

By the way, this has nothing to do with the cable provider or the habs/impact/als...

Its bell media quebecor and rogers

 

[MXD]

What? St-Bocks beer is home crafted and costs as much as Molson's or other types of mainstream bottled-piss in most bars.

St-Bock is also pretty average as far as craft beer is concerned (it's not bad, it's just not the first spot I'd go to if I wanted to drink craft beer in Montreal; I'm not even sure it would be the tenth spot) and everything tends to be signficantly more expansive.

(Yeah, location, I know)

 

[Le Tricolore]

So... Station des Sports, La Cage and Peel Pub will be the only bars able to afford showing the games? Nice.

 

[MXD]

By the way, this has nothing to do with the cable provider or the habs/impact/als...

Its bell media quebecor and rogers

...What?
Unless I'm getting your explanation wrong... There's a word for what you're describing, and that word is "Collusion".

 

[groovejuice]

Been reading everyday for a while... Just signed up to give you clear info on this mess.

I own a wood oven pizzeria in rosemont. I used to show habs and impact.
It was just the price of cable. Now, the three groups rds/tsn ( bell media) tva sports (quebecor) sportsnet ( rogers) will start charging according to your liquor licence permit. I have 58 places on my permit. So instead of just paying the business cable service ( base+15 chaines ) it will be 90$ tva sport, 120$ rds/tsn, 100$ sportsnet. And i still need to pay for minimum cable!

i cannot wrap my head around the fact that i will pay close to 4k a year for sports... Can't either think of not showing the games...

It makes No sense business wise, but I might bite the bullet...

Welcome aboard @Yannman

 

[Yannman]

...What?
Unless I'm getting your explanation wrong... There's a word for what you're describing, and that word is "Collusion".

It is what it is... Apparently, we are the last province where they implement it...

 

[Yannman]

Welcome aboard @Yannman

Thanks!

 

[Toene]

St-Bock is also pretty average as far as craft beer is concerned (it's not bad, it's just not the first spot I'd go to if I wanted to drink craft beer in Montreal; I'm not even sure it would be the tenth spot) and everything tends to be signficantly more expansive.

(Yeah, location, I know)

Oh I agree (I live 30 seconds from the Boswell, if you never went there you should absolutely try it) but it's still way better than what they serve in your average bar and the price is acceptable imo. What places do you compare it to exactly?

 

[MXD]

It is what it is... Apparently, we are the last province where they implement it...

... Crazy.
Thanks for your perspective. Really appreciated.
It definitely reeks of collusion, though.

 

[MXD]

Oh I agree (I live 30 seconds from the Boswell, if you never went there you should absolutely try it) but it's still way better than what they serve in your average bar and the price is acceptable imo. What places do you compare it to exactly?

In Montréal? Benelux 1 & 2. Succursale. Harricana. Isle de Garde. Amère à Boire. Hopfenstark. Labrosse. V&V (not their own, but great selection). DDC of course. Pub Pit Caribou that I shamefully forgot the first time around.

Their own stuff (St-Bock) is decently priced though. Whatever else they have, not so much.

I'm not from Montréal though. St-Bock tended to have an import selection quite similar to l'Autre-Œil in Gatineau. About 30% more expensive.

With the 60-something taplines at L'Autre Œil, along with Beyond The Pale, Small Pony, Brothers Bistro, Brasserie du Bas-Canada, Dominion City and Stray Dog, along with the places with terrific food keeping a small but ridiculous beer selection like Lupulus and Clandestin, I don't even have to go to Montréal to drink great stuff!

 

[Astormynight]

I never got the hype over l'Amère à boire... I get it is one of the oldest microbrew in Montreal, but to me even their best product is average. At least at St-Bock you have tons of choice and you often have european beers. That was totally out of topic but I had to say it.

But again I don't live in Montreal...

 

[Scriptor]

Man, people are sticklers first chance they get. If I'm a pub/bar that makes cash from clients that come mainly for the hockey games, I have zero problem paying $121.50 per game. If it's that big a deal, come up with a token cover and prizes handed out that give back everything but the $121.50 you so couldn't afford to show the games.

A $5 (or whatever) cover on game nights that includes a Molson product (which you still cover the cost for after removing the portion to cover the $121.50 for the broadcasting rights) and a prize (which you can get from your Molson rep) wouldn't be a hassle for the customers who would, for the most part, be drinking anyhow. Make the drink transferable if you have to for designated drivers or non-drinkers.

Make it a two-for one round after each period where the Habs have the lead, with a time clock making the offer run out, including after the game (to keep clients from leaving). Make sure you buy taxi vouchers you can sell as a deal to encourage people to take one ( flat rate that is cheaper than paying for the actual cab cost in most cases -- we use it when we give wrap parties after a film shoot is over).

The $ figure $600 - $10,000 is shock value, IMO. Not all bars pay it, IMO, and I'm not sure what the procedure is for those that don't (how do they keep tabs and enforce this?). I'm sure there is a way to do spot check and enforce the licence fee, though...

 

[Adriatic]

The $ figure $600 - $10,000 is shock value, IMO. Not all bars pay it, IMO, and I'm not sure what the procedure is for those that don't (how do they keep tabs and enforce this?). I'm sure there is a way to do spot check and enforce the licence fee, though...

They can very easily keep tabs that's not the problem. They already do it for bars that show UFC. You think a prime establishment can get away from showing UFC event without paying the proper license fee? I don't see a problem with this at all, sure it will suck for some but I don't like the idea of bars having hoards of people coming in to view sporting events and reaping profits without a proper fee.

 

[Toene]

How do they even control this rule? I mean I go to a dive bar a few times a week to watch hockey and play pool and they show all the games. It's a small place that nobosy knows about. Are you telling me there will be inspector from the NHL coming in the bar to make sure they pay for the rights? Seems far-fetched.

 

[Toene]

In Montréal? Benelux 1 & 2. Succursale. Harricana. Isle de Garde. Amère à Boire. Hopfenstark. Labrosse. V&V (not their own, but great selection). DDC of course. Pub Pit Caribou that I shamefully forgot the first time around.

Their own stuff (St-Bock) is decently priced though. Whatever else they have, not so much.

I'm not from Montréal though. St-Bock tended to have an import selection quite similar to l'Autre-Œil in Gatineau. About 30% more expensive.

With the 60-something taplines at L'Autre Œil, along with Beyond The Pale, Small Pony, Brothers Bistro, Brasserie du Bas-Canada, Dominion City and Stray Dog, along with the places with terrific food keeping a small but ridiculous beer selection like Lupulus and Clandestin, I don't even have to go to Montréal to drink great stuff!

Pit Caribou is amazing. Isle de Garde is great but the food is overpriced and overrated. Like I said, Boswell is hard to beat.

 

[Astormynight]

How do they even control this rule? I mean I go to a dive bar a few times a week to watch hockey and play pool and they show all the games. It's a small place that nobosy knows about. Are you telling me there will be inspector from the NHL coming in the bar to make sure they pay for the rights? Seems far-fetched.

They probably are going to enforce it only if there is complain.

 

[Yannman]

How do they even control this rule? I mean I go to a dive bar a few times a week to watch hockey and play pool and they show all the games. It's a small place that nobosy knows about. Are you telling me there will be inspector from the NHL coming in the bar to make sure they pay for the rights? Seems far-fetched.

Its not the nhl! Its the media groups. If you don't agree to paying the monthly fee, the cable company cancels the channels. Videotron told me the media groups would send inspectors to make sure you don't stream the games...

 

[lo striver]

Its not the nhl! Its the media groups. If you don't agree to paying the monthly fee, the cable company cancels the channels. Videotron told me the media groups would send inspectors to make sure you don't stream the games...

so basically you have to pay separate exorbitant fees for each sports channel - TSN, SN, SNW, Bein...?

 

[Yannman]

Y

so basically you have to pay separate exorbitant fees for each sports channel - TSN, SN, SNW, Bein...?

Yes for rds,tsn,tvasports and sportsnet.

 

[ECWHSWI]

Man, people are sticklers first chance they get. If I'm a pub/bar that makes cash from clients that come mainly for the hockey games, I have zero problem paying $121.50 per game. If it's that big a deal, come up with a token cover and prizes handed out that give back everything but the $121.50 you so couldn't afford to show the games.

A $5 (or whatever) cover on game nights that includes a Molson product (which you still cover the cost for after removing the portion to cover the $121.50 for the broadcasting rights) and a prize (which you can get from your Molson rep) wouldn't be a hassle for the customers who would, for the most part, be drinking anyhow. Make the drink transferable if you have to for designated drivers or non-drinkers.

Make it a two-for one round after each period where the Habs have the lead, with a time clock making the offer run out, including after the game (to keep clients from leaving). Make sure you buy taxi vouchers you can sell as a deal to encourage people to take one ( flat rate that is cheaper than paying for the actual cab cost in most cases -- we use it when we give wrap parties after a film shoot is over).

The $ figure $600 - $10,000 is shock value, IMO. Not all bars pay it, IMO, and I'm not sure what the procedure is for those that don't (how do they keep tabs and enforce this?). I'm sure there is a way to do spot check and enforce the licence fee, though...

you're not in the bar/restaurant business it shows.

1. there's not enough people going in bars during week nights, it wouldnt be worth it to pay the $ to show the games between monday and thursdays (and even sundays I'd say)
2. Molson (and Labbatt) products are expensive for bar/resto owners, profit margin is ridiculously low (way less than microbeers)

 

[ECWHSWI]

How do they even control this rule? I mean I go to a dive bar a few times a week to watch hockey and play pool and they show all the games. It's a small place that nobosy knows about. Are you telling me there will be inspector from the NHL coming in the bar to make sure they pay for the rights? Seems far-fetched.

they probably just can block the signal if you didnt pay the fees.