Sportsnet beginning mass layoffs of on and off-air talent

[StreetHawk]

I've heard from an internal source that it's mostly layoffs on the radio side and some of the underperforming departments. Which makes sense considering how dead radio is right now.

SN650 started up just under 2 years ago and despite holding the Canucks and giants rights still fall behind tsn1040 in the ratings.

And tsn got rid of Dave Pratt from their morning show. Condensed down to 3 shows of 4 hours each from 6-6 weekdays.

Might expect the same to SN.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

While I agree that SN's production value is so low and cheap. I personally enjoy the nightly games on their channels. It's like having a mini centre ice package. TSN had to cover many different sports, they simply couldn't show this many games on TV if they were the ones who got the TV deal.

That isn't true. TSN expanded to 5 channels after they lost the rights. They can show tons of games.

 

[BruinDust]

First Bob Cole...now Bob McCown. Wouldn't surprise me if they finally pull the plug on Don Cherry. They obviously aren't showing any emotional attachment to their most popular talent.

I'm a big McCown fan, but once they moved Tim and Sid to their own TV show with it's higher production values directly competing with their own property in Prime Time Sports, I thought the writing was on the wall for McCown and his show. My understanding is he had a pretty hefty contract and that was a big driver for why he's no longer with Rogers. So if your Roger's and you already see his show as 2nd-fiddle to Tim/Sid, are you going to spend big money for his on-air talent?

Personally I'd would of kept McCown, I'd also never have moved Tim and Sid. I liked their radio show better, was more off-the-cuff, and a great lead in to Prime Time Sports. Oh well everything comes to an end.

 

[Takuto Maruki]

From the baseball world, with Cliff Floyd in studio I think he lives in Florida so how is that he is in TO? Agian you have to think it is either being paid for him to travel or paid enough to make it worth it.

Speaking from my own knowledge, Cliff also does studio work for MLB Network in New Jersey, so I assume that it's probably the same arrangement as with Sportsnet and the Jays.

 

[MSZ]

That isn't true. TSN expanded to 5 channels after they lost the rights. They can show tons of games.

They aren't going to stop their Oz open or Masters coverages just to show hockey. SN can show this many games because they have nothing else on their network.

 

[SwaggySpungo]

The momentum they built with the 2 playoff runs of 2015 and 2016. They finished top 5 in attendance in 2016 and 2017 and it’s fallen like a brick over the last season and a half as they’re sitting in the bottom 10 today. Just seems like the resurgence of the Blue Jays has dissipated like it never happened where I live. I almost never see any merch around town anymore either.

You don’t seem to have read anything I wrote.

To repeat: There is no “momentum”. They are in year 2 of a rebuild. How does a team at the bottom of the standings (likely for several more years) have “momentum”?

They are the 4th worst team in the major league and are less than 100 fans out of the top 20 in attendance. Like I said, their attendance is far better than it should be.

They also have one of the oldest buildings in the league and one of only 2 teams that don’t play on grass.

The Jays are very lucky to have the fan base they do. They are a horribly run organization, and have been for decades.

 

[Voight]

What is absolutely hilarious is that the dreadful Blue Jays numbers are a DIRECT RESULT of Rogers. It is a self inflicted wound.

You wanted to hire Shatkins and then be cheap, well too f***ing bad, nobody wants to watch the team play.

Anyhow, I think Kypreos stays, he's been on forever and he must have dirt on one of the higher ups or something.

 

[qwerty]

You don’t seem to have read anything I wrote.

To repeat: There is no “momentum”. They are in year 2 of a rebuild. How does a team at the bottom of the standings (likely for several more years) have “momentum”?

They are the 4th worst team in the major league and are less than 100 fans out of the top 20 in attendance. Like I said, their attendance is far better than it should be.

They also have one of the oldest buildings in the league and one of only 2 teams that don’t play on grass.

The Jays are very lucky to have the fan base they do. They are a horribly run organization, and have been for decades.

The momentum I was speaking about was the top 5 in attendance and garnering a million viewers for regular season games. Now they’ve dropped down to around 300,000 per game. They’ve essentially lost it all the momentum they built in an incredibly short time frame. Whoever is ultimately at fault for that should receive fair criticism because they had a great chance at building their brand and business, but it has since vanished like a fart in the wind. That’s the point I’m making. The diehards have stuck around, that’s to be expected, but from a business standpoint, management and co did not capitalize enough on a this grand opportunity IMO. If you disagree, then that’s fine, we’ll just have to agree to disagree then.

 

[BigZ65]

McCown could just start his own podcast - he has enough of a name brand to make it work.

Can guarantee the Athletic would pick up the costs of that venture.

 

[StreetHawk]

What is absolutely hilarious is that the dreadful Blue Jays numbers are a DIRECT RESULT of Rogers. It is a self inflicted wound.

You wanted to hire Shatkins and then be cheap, well too f'n bad, nobody wants to watch the team play.

Anyhow, I think Kypreos stays, he's been on forever and he must have dirt on one of the higher ups or something.

How much are the Jays paying for both Russell and tulo to not play for them?

Sometime in July we’ll see the changes. Too bad for the behind the scenes people.

 

[DowntownBooster]

The momentum I was speaking about was the top 5 in attendance and garnering a million viewers for regular season games. Now they’ve dropped down to around 300,000 per game. They’ve essentially lost it all the momentum they built in an incredibly short time frame. Whoever is ultimately at fault for that should receive fair criticism because they had a great chance at building their brand and business, but it has since vanished like a fart in the wind. That’s the point I’m making. The diehards have stuck around, that’s to be expected, but from a business standpoint, management and co did not capitalize enough on a this grand opportunity IMO. If you disagree, then that’s fine, we’ll just have to agree to disagree then.

After the excitement of watching the Raptors in the NBA playoffs, watching the Jays lose as much as they have been is definitely going to affect the viewership numbers. The Jays games probably seem quite boring as well compared to the fast-paced NBA action the fans had witnessed with the Raptors this past Spring.

 

[StreetHawk]

After the excitement of watching the Raptors in the NBA playoffs, watching the Jays lose as much as they have been is definitely going to affect the viewership numbers. The Jays games probably seem quite boring as well compared to the fast-paced NBA action the fans had witnessed with the Raptors this past Spring.

No doubt. But the Jays are stuck paying tulo and Martin not to play. $36 mill in 2029, $14 in 2020 and $4 in 2021.

If Leonard leaves for LAC where would that leave the Raptors? Jays took their swing and didn’t win. Raptors took theirs and won.

 

[Chileiceman]

So to take this back on topic, who are the known on camera/microphone layoffs so far? All I know so far are Bob McCown, Doug Maclean and Scott Morrison.

 

[member 290103]

So to take this back on topic, who are the known on camera/microphone layoffs so far? All I know so far are Bob McCown, Doug Maclean and Scott Morrison.

Scott Morrison? God, how many times is that guy going to get fired?

 

[FanTheFlames]

I personally like having sportsnet cover all games makes it easier to watch multiple teams and we don't see mandatory pay per view games like in the past.

 

[A Few Good Males]

So to take this back on topic, who are the known on camera/microphone layoffs so far? All I know so far are Bob McCown, Doug Maclean and Scott Morrison.

Absolutely sucks that Doug Maclean is gone. That guy is funny as hell.

 

[sawchuk1971]

Sportsnet will always play second fiddle to TSN, IMO.

As it should.

i got a question...

when the canadian networks (tsn, sn) bidded for nhl tv rights a couple of years ago, did tsn declined because the nhl lowballed them?

 

[Dr Pepper]

i got a question...

when the canadian networks (tsn, sn) bidded for nhl tv rights a couple of years ago, did tsn declined because the nhl lowballed them?

I think Rogers just offered more money for the rights.

 

[gstommylee]

I think Rogers just offered more money for the rights.

Didn't Rogers overbid for the rights? If i recall correctly and someone can correct me on this but didn't Rogers end up having some layoffs as result of that contract with NHL?

 

[skeena1]

Didn't Rogers overbid for the rights? If i recall correctly and someone can correct me on this but didn't Rogers end up having some layoffs as result of that contract with NHL?

They both offered pretty much the same amount. TSN showed up with junior people to the negotiations and Bettman was unhappy. Also, Sportsnet's bid was more forward-looking in terms of other platforms. Its all chronicled in Dave Shoalts' book "Hockey Fight in Canada.

 

[Oilslick941611]

The momentum I was speaking about was the top 5 in attendance and garnering a million viewers for regular season games. Now they’ve dropped down to around 300,000 per game. They’ve essentially lost it all the momentum they built in an incredibly short time frame. Whoever is ultimately at fault for that should receive fair criticism because they had a great chance at building their brand and business, but it has since vanished like a fart in the wind. That’s the point I’m making. The diehards have stuck around, that’s to be expected, but from a business standpoint, management and co did not capitalize enough on a this grand opportunity IMO. If you disagree, then that’s fine, we’ll just have to agree to disagree then.

Because the team sucked after that playoff run and the players people liked left.

 

[cutchemist42]

So to take this back on topic, who are the known on camera/microphone layoffs so far? All I know so far are Bob McCown, Doug Maclean and Scott Morrison.

Molinaro was their soccer guy but both networks are basically moving on from soccer besides for MLS after DAZN swooped in.

 

[Deadpool8812]

McCown could just start his own podcast - he has enough of a name brand to make it work.

He likely did that for now because he has a 90-day no compete clause in his expired contract with Rogers. It happened recently with a local radio host here. His contract wasn't renewed by a Rogers owned station here, so he ended up doing a podcast for 2 months, then he ended up on the Bell owned radio station here after 3 month. He ended up doing an interview in the newspaper here and said that Bell contacted him immediately after they found out he was being let go and signed him to a contract, but he was not able to begin at his new station until 90 days had passed due to a clause in his previous Rogers contract which is why he did the podcast thing for a couple months

 

[canuckfan75]

James Sharman - Gone today from Sportsnet

James Sharman (@jamessharman) | Twitter

 

[TheNumber4]

Rogers has always run all of their companies like sh*t. Their Video Stores sucked, their Phone Services suck, their hockey highlights shows suck, their corporate branding/whoring of arena names sucks.

It's not wonder the NHL is being run into the ground with the corporate Pejorative Slured juggernaught that is Rogers at the helm.

The only reason this sh*t company was even in a position to monopolize and ruin hockey is because they've been gifted a Oligopoly where they can overcharge Canadians for telecom services.