NHL makes 12-year/$5.2 billion Canadian TV deal w/ Sportsnet, CBC licensing, TSN out

[BeardyCanuck03]

Just had time to look over this and I have to say I am shocked. Rogers won here for sure. I really have to saw TSN dropped the ball and now all they are left with is ping pong


What I will think will happen.
1) This is the end of HNIC as we know it

Contrary to popular belief, the whole country does not love HNIC, espcially out west where they are force fed the leafs. HNIC will be cable only starting in 2018, on Sportsnet

2) TSN will scale back

TSN is the whole reason the CFL is big. The CFL drew peanuts (go look at ratings before 2005) and TSN pays a pittance now. More people watch sports from Sepetember -March as it's cold outside. The CFL is also gate driven. I think TSN will pay more for CFL rights but they will also be on more rocky ground. Hockey is king and number 1, the CFL cannot carry TSN and neither can any American sports. Funny thing is the CFL was more then happy to abandon the CBC.

3) The sports landscape will change

Rogers is not a good company. Bad service, bad product. The rest of Canada is about to see that, and it won't be interesting. Prices will go up and up. Rogers will lessen hockey's grip on this country, especially out east where there is more interests in other sports.

1) That's a good thing IMO. This past Saturday I would've rather watched Habs/Pens over Leafs/Caps. Having the choice is a big win here.

2) TSN has some work to do to figure out how they will fill the void. The CHL rights are up next year. Sportsnet has only had regional broadcasts and has survived before. With some smart purchases and programming TSN will be fine.

3) The change won't be as big as you are expecting, there will be a change but that is more due to the change of the demographics and globalization (immigration, etc) than Rogers getting the rights. I would actually argue that what Sportsnet has done lately in improving all of its content and such gives me some hope that this could actually help grow the game, not hinder it. Hockey will still be king across the Canada for the forseeable future.

While I would prefer TSN to have kept the rights, or at least some of the rights, the sky isn't falling for TSN or hockey in Canada with this news.

 

[Mungman]

Anywhere north of 60o satellite coverage gets very very spotty.

http://www.northernstrategy.gc.ca/cns/cns-eng.asp

So According to the map on the page above there are about 37 "populated places" (North Pole?) so at $1 billion/year we spend $27 million/year/populated place to provide CBC to these people.

(I am being somewhat facetious, but the access to those who don't have access othewise" arguement died in the late 70's, it's merely a zombie arguement trotted out to justify the grant to those who don't want to think critically)

 

[SH15]

They will have national rights to all Canadian teams on Wed, Sat and Sun. Outside those days the games will be broadcast on the local rights holders. This is important since the local rights are sold by the team and kept as lcoal revneue where as national rights are split amongst all teams.

So in the case of Oilers/Flames/Canucks, the regional rights holder is SportsNet, meaning this is NOT the end of blackouts?

 

[thom]

Tva part of it is confusing Pierre Paledeau lost in a bid to buy habs.Says he wants nhl team in Quebec City.Arena is being built.Now if it gets a team how can tva show Habs games and Quebec games

 

[Saturated Fats]

Kypreos and Maclean are so bad. I like Jeff Marek a lot, and can take or leave John Shannon.

I'm stoked to not see Aaron Ward on my national broadcasts, but Bobby Maaaaaac :'(

 

[Patmac40]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=693152&navid=DL|NHL|home

This article says the following:

"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."

"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."

If they have NATIONAL rights to ALL games, why is there a need for the three "exclusive windows"?

Probably has to do with rights for local broadcasters.

 

[MSG*]

I'll never watch a game again. Basically MLSE/Bell Media took out TSN. TSN were awesome. So long NHL in Canada.

Will stick to MSG.

 

[cheswick]

So in the case of Oilers/Flames/Canucks, the regional rights holder is SportsNet, meaning this is NOT the end of blackouts?

Its he end of blackouts on Wed, Sat and Sun. Any Canadian team played outside those days will be broadcast on a regional channel for within market and air on Centre ice for out of market.

I think the constant reference to end of blackouts is in reference to CBC and airing multiple games on Saturday where you could only catch a certain game depending on your region

 

[SH15]

This thread fills up so quickly. Lol. Thanks to all for clarifying the Regional/National difference, especially the point of the Regional dollars not being shared.

So I think the media needs to stop saying NO MORE BLACKOUTS. Not true!

 

[Patmac40]

This thread fills up so quickly. Lol. Thanks to all for clarifying the Regional/National difference, especially the point of the Regional dollars not being shared.

So I think the media needs to stop saying NO MORE BLACKOUTS. Not true!

It's true to an extent, which, as we all know, is all they need in order to advertise it. Still misleading, but that's media for you.

 

[Mightygoose]

Tva part of it is confusing Pierre Paledeau lost in a bid to buy habs.Says he wants nhl team in Quebec City.Arena is being built.Now if it gets a team how can tva show Habs games and Quebec games

I would say similar to SN West carries the regional coverage for both the Flames and Oilers.

 

[Chileiceman]

I can't believe how many people here don't know the difference between a regionally broadcast game and a nationally broadcast game.

 

[Wetcoaster]

CBC has no real money in this high stakes coup by Rogers.

Does the four year sub-licensing agreement mean HNIC is four more years and done?

"We're looking forward to working with CBC … to take the fan experience to the next level," said Rogers president and CEO Nadir Mohamed.

The CBC will not pay any rights costs for the broadcasting of hockey games on the main network, CBC said in a note to staff. Rogers will bear the monetary risk and reward of the broadcasts, too — they sell the ads, but keep the revenue derived from them.

Mohamed said the ability to partner with the CBC was a key part of the deal.

"I believe the CBC is great for all of us as Canadians," he said.

Hubert Lacroix, CBC president and CEO, said the broadcaster "was not in a position to spend taxpayers dollars in this game of high-stakes."

He added the CBC's deal with Rogers "provides us with a high-traffic place to promote all of our other fantastic Canadian content during a broadcast that brings the nation together week after week."​

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/cbc-partners-with-rogers-in-landmark-nhl-rights-deal-1.2440326

 

[SH15]

Saturday's and Saturday nights specifically are going to be great now. Two Saturday's ago Habs/Rangers wasn't available on Rogers in Toronto. This past Saturday Habs/Pens was but on a horrible non-HD feed. Enough of that! Lots of hockey, lots of HD. Sounds good to me.

We'll see what this does to my Rogers bill. There was an increase right after they bought the Leafs.

 

[Neely2005]

Big shock! It does exist!
There definitely are still areas without full choice.

So there's an area in Canada where you can't get access to TV via Cable or Satellite? Where exactly is that?

He was referring to the CBC Mandate (from like 60 years ago) that they have to provide TV service/signal to remote areas of Canada.

 

[Wetcoaster]

I can't believe how many people here don't know the difference between a regionally broadcast game and a nationally broadcast game.

It is quite simple...

Anything originating in Toronto is national, everything else is regional.

 

[Evil Doctor]

No, it's not all I watch, but it's what most Canadians probably tune into TSN for. Scooping up CIS and CHL is a good consolation for them? Yikes.

TSN of course has CFL, which has huge ratings and their curling coverage is first rate and can be expanded, and they still have international hockey. Figure skating is fairly popular so we might get more Rod Black (okay so there might be a downside), perhaps we will get more coverage of various winter sports (speed skating, skiing and their ilk), track and field and other Olympic sports, so they're going to need all the people they currently have. CIS and CHL as a not an equitable replacement in the short term. Long term? Who knows. But the fact is they've only lost one part of what TSN is all about. What they have left still beats most of what Sportsnet has or will have beyond hockey.

Knowing Rogers though, this will be probably be turned into a financial black hole...

 

[SH15]

I can't believe how many people here don't know the difference between a regionally broadcast game and a nationally broadcast game.

The confusion isn't National vs Regional. It's why if they have National rights for ALL games (which they do) that there is only 3 days that they make use of it, while promoting that Blackouts are done with.

 

[superdeluxe]

What does this mean as a CBC viewer in the states? Do we get MORE hockey, the same hockey or less hockey?

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Canadiens. They also show some Leafs regionally as well.

TSN hasn't done Leafs regional games in like 6-7 years.

Tva part of it is confusing Pierre Paledeau lost in a bid to buy habs.Says he wants nhl team in Quebec City.Arena is being built.Now if it gets a team how can tva show Habs games and Quebec games

TVA has 2 networks (TVA and TVA Sports), so they could work it out.

I can't see RDS not paying up for the next Habs TV rights deal though. Without any NHL hockey, they would be ****ed and they know it. No way TVA gobbles up the whole 82 games.

 

[Stats01]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=693152&navid=DL|NHL|home

This article says the following:

"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."

"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."

If they have NATIONAL rights to ALL games, why is there a need for the three "exclusive windows"?

Because it's impossible to air all 1,200 games a year. They will have Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays as exclusive windows for all games on those days. But on a Monday or a Tuesday restrictions will be put up due to other sports programming. Like I said it's almost impossible to air all NHL games although they have rights to all of them. They will be streamed online for example of a MLB playoff game or something else is taking up all the air time. There are other avenues then just television. I'm just spitballing here though, I'm a bit confused too but Keith Pelly said it would be impossible to air every single game for people. It just isn't doable.

 

[cheswick]

What does this mean as a CBC viewer in the states? Do we get MORE hockey, the same hockey or less hockey?

Slightly less. There will still be an early and late game saturday nights. May be less Leafs. Less playoff games on CBC.

 

[Channelcat]

What does this mean as a CBC viewer in the states? Do we get MORE hockey, the same hockey or less hockey?

We get more hockey. At least until Rogers goes broke after government de-regulates the phone business. Right now our ridiculous cell phone bills are subsidizing this deal for Rogers.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

What does this mean as a CBC viewer in the states? Do we get MORE hockey, the same hockey or less hockey?

Same 3 games on Saturday. Maybe less Leafs games in the 7e window.

 

[Nalens Oga]

What happens in year 5? Why is CBC paying that much $ but not having editorial control....that makes no sense. So the CBC/Rogers broadcast team will be the same?

I'm very confused about this and the NHL's decision making. First of all, they'd make more $ by having a 6 year deal and then re-upping at a higher amount 6 years later when TSN is hungry to buy in again and why the NHL feels the need for "exclusive" negotiations. It'd be better for the game if hockey was covered over as many networks as possible in Canada.

[MOD]