TSN remains Canada’s #1 Specialty Network

[Coinneach]

Average audiences on TSN grew 15% in 2018. Driven by a multitude of marquee properties including the 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA™, CFL ON TSN, MLS ON TSN, NFL, and more,...

A total of 25.9 million viewers tuned in for the 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA™ on CTV, TSN, and RDS, accounting for 72% of the Canadian population. The tournament’s strong ratings were highlighted by the average audience of 3.9 million viewers who tuned in to TSN, RDS, and CTV for the 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA™ Final between France and Croatia...

Average audiences for the CFL ON TSN regular season finished up 4%...

MLS regular season games were up 23% for the 2018 season on TSN and CTV,..

TSN has driven strong audiences with its fan-favourite coverage of the NBA’s hottest team, as RAPTORS ON TSN broadcasts are up 71% for the 2018-19 season thus far over the same time last season, highlighted by the team’s overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors on Nov. 29, which became the most-watched Raptors regular season game in Canadian specialty television history with an average audience of 582,000 viewers.

https://www.bellmedia.ca/pr/press/tsn-remains-canadas-1-specialty-network/

Click to read more...

 

[Mightygoose]

They were bound to leap ahead of Rogers again once the Jays contention window ended.

Aside from this and the NHL national contract, they're a 2 trick pony.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

They were bound to leap ahead of Rogers again once the Jays contention window ended.

Aside from this and the NHL national contract, they're a 2 trick pony.

Great point.

I think it is a testament to TSN that they have weathered the storm after being shut out of the national NHL rights. I personally thought it was going to cripple them.

 

[Inkling]

TSN has both the Habs regional rights (all of them) and the Leafs regional rights (split with Rogers) so that's got to help. Other than the playoffs perhaps, fans want to see their own team. Losing the national rights is not the end of the world for them if they can retain regional rights. IIRC, Sportsnet's old slogan for regional hockey was 'Hockey that Matters'.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

TSN has both the Habs regional rights (all of them) and the Leafs regional rights (split with Rogers) so that's got to help. Other than the playoffs perhaps, fans want to see their own team. Losing the national rights is not the end of the world for them if they can retain regional rights. IIRC, Sportsnet's old slogan for regional hockey was 'Hockey that Matters'.

Think the Jets too.

 

[BM14]

TSN has both the Habs regional rights (all of them) and the Leafs regional rights (split with Rogers) so that's got to help. Other than the playoffs perhaps, fans want to see their own team. Losing the national rights is not the end of the world for them if they can retain regional rights. IIRC, Sportsnet's old slogan for regional hockey was 'Hockey that Matters'.

Also have NFL, F1 and golf majors...

 

[sexydonut]

World Cup helped a lot. And the 2018 version was really entertaining.

But that's only once every four years.

 

[awfulwaffle]

That's cool.

 

[LeafChief]

TSN does everything better.

 

[cheswick]

Too bad they lost champions league to some streaming service.

 

[madhi19]

TSN has both the Habs regional rights (all of them) and the Leafs regional rights (split with Rogers) so that's got to help. Other than the playoffs perhaps, fans want to see their own team. Losing the national rights is not the end of the world for them if they can retain regional rights. IIRC, Sportsnet's old slogan for regional hockey was 'Hockey that Matters'.

They did a workaround using matching clauses in their previous local deals for the Habs and probably other teams. If I'm running Sportsnet I be livid about that. As a customer were getting shafted with having to get two channel instead of one if we want all the games. Four if you have a bilingual household.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Having MLS doesn't hurt either. The growing popularity of the league is huge in Canada.

 

[cutchemist42]

Sucks that they lost CL qnd BPL.

 

[shmglsky]

Having MLS doesn't hurt either. The growing popularity of the league is huge in Canada.

Barely anyone watches MLS in Canada. If they did TSN basically wouldn't have gotten the rights for change. If MLS' television rights were worth anything in Canada TSN/MLS would publicize the $$$.

It might be fun to go to a party in Canada's largest markets, but that's all it is: a party.

 

[18Hossa]

Think the Jets too.

Sens too.

 

[voyageur]

TSN does everything better.

I think they are the better broadcaster. Their NHL broadcasters were considerably better than Rogers group. TSN makes celebrities out of the broadcasters. Rogers doesn't make the investment. The fact they promoted Nick Kypreos and Don MacLean from their pre-NHL roster, didn't lure anyone from TSN, lost guys like Mike Johnson, says a lot.
I'd rather watch the U.S. broadcasts than Rogers.

TSN still has rights to the 2 biggest NHL fish in Canada. And the 2 smallest.

WJHC, CFL, and the MLS are good investments. Baseball is losing popularity.

 

[voyageur]

TSN does everything better.

I think they are the better broadcaster. Their NHL broadcasters were considerably better than Rogers group. TSN makes celebrities out of the broadcasters. Rogers doesn't make the investment. The fact they promoted Nick Kypreos and Don MacLean from their pre-NHL roster, didn't lure anyone from TSN, lost guys like Mike Johnson, says a lot.
I'd rather watch the U.S. broadcasts than Rogers.

TSN still has rights to the 2 biggest NHL fish in Canada. And the 2 smallest.

WJHC, CFL, and the MLS are good investments. Baseball is losing popularity.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I think they are the better broadcaster. Their NHL broadcasters were considerably better than Rogers group. TSN makes celebrities out of the broadcasters. Rogers doesn't make the investment. The fact they promoted Nick Kypreos and Don MacLean from their pre-NHL roster, didn't lure anyone from TSN, lost guys like Mike Johnson, says a lot.
I'd rather watch the U.S. broadcasts than Rogers.

TSN still has rights to the 2 biggest NHL fish in Canada. And the 2 smallest.

WJHC, CFL, and the MLS are good investments. Baseball is losing popularity.

Curling is also very nice for mid-day content

 

[killer1980]

CTV even outdraws Rogers terrible hockey broadcasts on CBC: 15 v 19.

http://assets.numeris.ca/Downloads/December 10, 2018 - December 16, 2018 (National).pdf

It will take years to undo the damage the no-talent brain trust did to HNIC and hockey telecasts in this country.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

CTV even outdraws Rogers terrible hockey broadcasts on CBC: 15 v 19.

http://assets.numeris.ca/Downloads/December 10, 2018 - December 16, 2018 (National).pdf

It will take years to undo the damage the no-talent brain trust did to HNIC and hockey telecasts in this country.

The interesting thing is I think the broadcasts have really improved since that first year. But it appears the damage is done.

Puck wall did more to stop me from watching hockey than anything else

Immediate change the channel heat.

 

[killer1980]

The interesting thing is I think the broadcasts have really improved since that first year. But it appears the damage is done.

Puck wall did more to stop me from watching hockey than anything else

Immediate change the channel heat.

I will respectfully disagree. Other than getting rid of Romanuk, the broadcasts have deteriorated. MacLean is mailing it in, Cherry is outa control and makes little sense most of the time. David Amber is miscast as host. Kypreos besides being terrible has no credibility. Bob Cole has the pipes but is definitely on the decline. The openings do nothing to pump the game. That is saying nothing of all the bad production mistakes in game.

An embarrassment to anyone who has ever worked on or watched Hockey Night in Canada.

 

[Tom ServoMST3K]

I will respectfully disagree. Other than getting rid of Romanuk, the broadcasts have deteriorated. MacLean is mailing it in, Cherry is outa control and makes little sense most of the time. David Amber is miscast as host. Kypreos besides being terrible has no credibility. Bob Cole has the pipes but is definitely on the decline. The openings do nothing to pump the game. That is saying nothing of all the bad production mistakes in game.

An embarrassment to anyone who has ever worked on or watched Hockey Night in Canada.

I don't want to defend SN's product. I think it's below average, but I do think it has improved.

If I'm going to pick apart why I think it's been better, and not meme about the pet peeves that I hated and they finally got rid of, they do less "storytelling" and more actually calling the game now than when they first started.

A big problem is TSN managed to keep Chris Cuthbert who, IMO, Is by far the best commentator working today.

They just didn't expand their talent for broadcasting every game they signed up for. Too often the regional broadcasters have too step in and provide commentary for a national broadcast. Which is really annoying for the other fanbases.

They also really mishandled the Strombo situation. Strombo is best one-on-one with a famous individual. I was excited to see him used to interview stars (and when he was used in that role, he was great) - Instead they had him host a worse version of Satellite hotstove.

Ultimately, the decision to cut out TSN completely is one I think the NHL should regret. They still provide better national coverage on their regional broadcasts.

 

[Harry22]

Also have NFL, F1 and golf majors...

Tennis majors as well.

 

[Harry22]

I understand Rogers offered a shitload of money but I am sure Bell offered just as much. Not splitting the contract and giving Bell/TSN a national game package is one of the worst decisions made by Bettman. I, for one, tune way less to other games (not involving my teams) on Hockey Night in Canada than I used too because the broadcast is atrocious. Same thing on the French side, I unsubscribed from TVA Sports last winter because their channel is atrocious and their staff for NHL hockey is not remotely close to the Houde/Denis duo on RDS. I watch Saturday games in English and the rest on RDS (they kept regional rights).

TSN has always done a tremendous job while they had national broadcast and when Bettman re-upped the deal with NBC two years prior, he talked about the importance of staying with broadcasters who stuck with them so his decision to cut Bell loose is even more baffling.

 

[cutchemist42]

One thing I find about SN is that the overall look beyond Tim and Sid looks really dated and not as polished. (Set design, graphics used, music, logos)

It's why I never tune in to their recap shows or anything really beyond the actual game, and than I still dislike the game presentation.