Why is Western New York not a Blue Jays/Raptors territory?

[BKIslandersFan]

You'd think to at least somewhat mitigate the fact that Canadian teams don't draw viewership in US, they'd give these areas to Toronto team considering they are far closer to Toronto than NYC.

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[Centrum Hockey]

In addition to being the closest mlb team to western New York. Its probably safe to assume the Jay’s will play in Buffalo again for a season or two if Rogers is rebuilt to a smaller baseball only park. So it’s odd that western New York doesn’t get Jay’s games on tv.

 

[Fenway]

You'd think to at least somewhat mitigate the fact that Canadian teams don't draw viewership in US, they'd give these areas to Toronto team considering they are far closer to Toronto than NYC.

When the Expos left after 2004, Rogers put a vice grip on having Jays and Raptors being beamed all over Canada.

CKGM (TSN 690) tried to join the Red Sox radio network and MLB said no as it was Jays' territory. The Seattle Mariners were allowed to carry some games on Sportsnet radio in Vancouver.

TV is even more complicated as Sportsnet and TSN are not offered in the US. MLB considers Buffalo the territory of the Yankees, Mets, Pirates, and Indians, AND if you have a satellite dish those RSN's are not blocked. Cable providers only offer SNY and YES but MLB.tv blacks out those 4 teams in WNY.

In hockey, the Sabres had to go through a massive bureaucracy with Canada's CRTC to get games shown on cable south of Hamilton to the Niagara River. Bell carried games for several seasons but no longer does so.

The Tigers and Red Wings have never tried to offer games in the area between Windsor and London even though they know both teams have fans there.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

TV is even more complicated as Sportsnet and TSN are not offered in the US. MLB considers Buffalo the territory of the Yankees, Mets, Pirates, and Indians, AND if you have a satellite dish those RSN's are not blocked. Cable providers only offer SNY and YES but MLB.tv blacks out those 4 teams in WNY.

Sure but they can either set up their own network in Buffalo or find a tv partner for their US territory.

 

[Fenway]

Sure but they can either set up their own network in Buffalo or find a tv partner for their US territory.

The old Empire Network wanted to beam Jays' games into WNY but were blocked by the Pirates and Empire aired their games.

NESN wanted for years to get permission to beam into Atlantic Canada where the Red Sox and Bruins are popular and got nowhere.

 

[golfortennis]

The Tigers and Red Wings have never tried to offer games in the area between Windsor and London even though they know both teams have fans there.

Growing up we were able to watch both teams on WDIV(Channel 4) and WKBD(Channel 50), but those are OTA stations and the signal can't physically be stopped.

One upshot is that, at least when I did an mlb.tv package years ago, Canada being Blue Jays territory means you only get blacked out of any other team if they play Toronto.

In a number of ways I hope the current RSN trouble leads to a big change. Blackouts exist only to protect the RSN's, but they have several consequences(unintended or otherwise.)

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Because Canada (joking but serious)

The Yankees, Mets and Knicks are old, established franchises with fandom through generations. You aren't going to crack into that.

 

[KevFu]

It would be better for a lot more teams if the border didn't matter to TV territory....

But Toronto I'm sure is just fine giving up the 2.5 million people in Western New York to control ALL OF CANADA.

If Toronto got Buffalo/Rochester, they'd for sure lose Vancouver (and all of BC) and Alberta to Seattle, and Manitoba to Minnesota, and NB, NS and PEI to the Red Sox. It's a great trade off for the Jays.