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

[agent2421]

As a college student myself, a huge sports fan and having friends that are extremely huge sports fans .... If people have cable, they have TSN on .... if they have a choice they have TSN on.... If they need to check scores on a website or look something up , then they will go to tsn.ca

No one likes sportsnet, no one cares about them. TSN has that youth market. Even for people that like multiple sports (NBA, NFL, NHL) , they will watch sportscentre on TSN. I dont' think I know anyone that says they are watching Sportsnet connected or whatever there equivalent is. The only (and extremely big) thing that changed is no more NHL hockey, but if coverage of highlights/games, and other shows are put on TSN, people will still be watchign TSN as there #1 network with Sportsnet on during the games.

 

[joelef]

Yes because I said every single immigrant in every single neighborhood in every single city in Canada has thriving hockey fandom.

I feel like I'm talking to Sportsnet's target demographic -- a 90 year old in his rocking chair in his retirement home spouting off about what he knows not.

no i just think your delusion if the NHL is going to reject the price from the highest bidder.

 

[joelef]

As a college student myself, a huge sports fan and having friends that are extremely huge sports fans .... If people have cable, they have TSN on .... if they have a choice they have TSN on.... If they need to check scores on a website or look something up , then they will go to tsn.ca

No one likes sportsnet, no one cares about them. TSN has that youth market. Even for people that like multiple sports (NBA, NFL, NHL) , they will watch sportscentre on TSN. I dont' think I know anyone that says they are watching Sportsnet connected or whatever there equivalent is. The only (and extremely big) thing that changed is no more NHL hockey, but if coverage of highlights/games, and other shows are put on TSN, people will still be watchign TSN as there #1 network with Sportsnet on during the games.

TSN apparently didnt think the NHL was important enough to outbid rogers.

 

[Doc McKenna]

If the CBC were like the BBC, I would want to keep it.

Whatever your opinions are about public broadcasting channels, I think everyone will agree that this move by the CBC shows that it is desperate and foolish. It is a shell of what it once was -- and what it once was was never near the quality of, for example, the BBC.

With this deal, the CBC has become a national embarrassment. A mere shell for corporations to exploit and make profits from.

True but BBC gets 5 Billion a year in subsidies, something teh CBC haters often forget. Britain only has twice the population of canada yet runs all those BBC channels, in only one language with 5 times the money. COuld you imagine the stuff the CBC could do with 2.5 Billion?

 

[brec7]

There's so much to read about this deal.... it's like a massive change in some respects, but in others not at all. Questions & thoughts, most have been expressed here already I'm sure but I'm still not certain on all the answers...

- What's being lost in the hype about this deal is that under the CURRENT system there is already three days of national hockey coverage, just not as organised. TSN already has a game every Wednesday and CBC has games on Saturday, but TSN also picks up random other games involving Canadian teams. The Habs are on back to back Fridays this month. This deal makes it sound like there will be LESS variety in that respect because you won't ever get a national game outside of those days. What about those occasional Thursday night CBC games, are those gone as well?
Simulcasts of American games?

- As it is now, there's not a lot of NHL games on Wednesday and Sunday. Will they make an effort to increase this, and if they do, is that when the Rogers gouging begins?

- It does seem like we will get more games on Saturday night based on the "4 PM EST" start time. Does that mean triple headers every Saturday? If that's the case you'd think they would pump it up more. Are there double headers every Sunday as well?

- Does Rogers have exclusive rights to pick up simulcasts from the US? Could TSN2 continue its coverage? I'm going to assume not, but it's not really clear.

- There's all kinds of conflicting reports about the status of the Habs tv contracts, both English and French. Is the deal with TSN Habs up at the end of this season or not? And if it is up, does TVA have 22 games? Or is it TVA Sports? Does RDS have the other 60 or are those still up for grabs?

- When is the CHL/Sportsnet contract up? I see this being the most logical replacement on TSN as them pumping the CHL up would be just an extension of what they've already done with the WJC.

- What effect will this have on the CFL? TSN has re-made that league quite nicely but now TSN is going to take a hit. Will we have to endure more Rod Black play by play because Chris Cuthbert or Gord Miller goes to Sportsnet so they can call the NHL on a national level? (Although I read elsewhere that Cuthbert prefers football, so he'd likely stay with TSN, which team would be lucky enough to get them on the regional broadcasts, Jets, Leafs, or Habs if they stay on TSN?)

Like I said... it's like a lot of change but yet none at all....

 

[Doc McKenna]

TSN apparently didnt think the NHL was important enough to outbid rogers.

How many times do you need to be told http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013...at-would-see-cbc-keep-hockey-night-in-canada/ NOT ALLOWED TO BID

 

[DRich82]

I think too many posters here or looking at this deal through cynical, bias-framed glasses with today's lenses, so to speak. TSN rocks - Oh knows what happens to Bob McKenzie!?! - Sportsnet sucks!! - I don't like Nick Kypreos so I don't like this deal...and so on. The Sportsnet we know have today will look VASTLY different next year and will get even better each subsequent year.

It goes without saying Rogers will improve their content/production because the more successful they are, the more people will watch/stream/etc, and the more people do that, the more money they will generate through advertising.

To further that point, they have Scott Moore (formally of the CBC) and a young innovative President of Media in Keith Pelley.

Those complaining about their HD quality, their talent, etc have to realize that Rogers haven't had, up til this point, the incentive to improve because all of their content was only shown regionally. Why invest when they know CBC and TSN are getting more viewers??

Now, they have Saturdays completely locked up. So they'll make damned sure every feed (at least in Canada which they totally control) has HD cameras and the best possible talent money can buy. You'll see it grow and grow and grow to the point that your TV and cell phone will be inundated with NHL hockey if you chose to navigate there.

I suppose there is the danger of higher cost for the content they are promising, and who knows what will happen with data billing/cable TV once the Cons get through with meddling with the free-markets, but I don't see how this isn't good news for the hard-core hockey fan.

 

[PensFanSince1989]

How many times do you need to be told http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013...at-would-see-cbc-keep-hockey-night-in-canada/ NOT ALLOWED TO BID

Nowhere in that article does it say that TSN was not allowed to bid. And that wouldn't pass the smell test. In fact, it says they cme out the wrong side of negotiations (in other words, they had been negotiating)

Actually, TSN/Bell's statement from YOUR OWN LINK:

“We congratulate the NHL on this announcement. We submitted a bid we believed was valuable for the NHL and appropriate for our business, but were ultimately outbid. In hockey, our partnerships with the Leafs, Jets, Canadiens, Sens, and Hockey Canada (including the World Juniors) remain core to our TSN and RDS TV, radio and digital properties. With an on-air broadcast team unmatched in terms of talent and experience and our extensive array of pro sports content, we’re committed to TSN remaining Canada’s Sports Leader,” the statement read.

 

[saffronleaf]

I think too many posters here or looking at this deal through cynical, bias-framed glasses with today's lenses, so to speak. TSN rocks - Oh knows what happens to Bob McKenzie!?! - Sportsnet sucks!! - I don't like Nick Kypreos so I don't like this deal...and so on. The Sportsnet we know have today will look VASTLY different next year and will get even better each subsequent year.

It goes without saying Rogers will improve their content/production because the more successful they are, the more people will watch/stream/etc, and the more people do that, the more money they will generate through advertising.

To further that point, they have Scott Moore (formally of the CBC) and a young innovative President of Media in Keith Pelley.

Those complaining about their HD quality, their talent, etc have to realize that Rogers haven't had, up til this point, the incentive to improve because all of their content was only shown regionally. Why invest when they know CBC and TSN are getting more viewers??

Now, they have Saturdays completely locked up. So they'll make damned sure every feed (at least in Canada which they totally control) has HD cameras and the best possible talent money can buy. You'll see it grow and grow and grow to the point that your TV and cell phone will be inundated with NHL hockey if you chose to navigate there.

I suppose there is the danger of higher cost for the content they are promising, and who knows what will happen with data billing/cable TV once the Cons get through with meddling with the free-markets, but I don't see how this isn't good news for the hard-core hockey fan.

Why would they be incentivized to improve?

They have a monopoly on hockey content for more than a decade. Any Canadian who wants to watch hockey will have to pay them.

No incentive to improve under that kind of situation. It's what you call a monopoly. Competition is usually what makes companies want to improve.

 

[Wetcoaster]

I'll be honest Im not in the loop on the business side of things, but I am curious what sort of impact this deal has on the total amount of revenue league-wide? I feel like this deal brings in a good deal more cash, doesn't it?

Yes.

Pierre LeBrun with an explanation of the revenue split and "invasion fees".

The NHL’s new Canadian TV deal with Rogers will help raise the salary cap.

The 12-year deal, announced Tuesday morning, is worth $436 million per year for the league and its 30 teams.

Divided by the 30 clubs, that’s an average of $175 million over 12 years per team ($14.5 million per year), although not every team will get the same share, a source said. The seven Canadian NHL teams will get a bigger share of the TV pie due to "invasion fees."

Invasion fees are designed to compensate the Canadian teams for the local inventory lost to the national TV deals.​

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/27957/rumblings-olympic-deadline-and-trade-talk

 

[PensFanSince1989]

Why would they be incentivized to improve?

They have a monopoly on hockey content for more than a decade. Any Canadian who wants to watch hockey will have to pay them.

No incentive to improve under that kind of situation. It's what you call a monopoly. Competition is usually what makes companies want to improve.

...because viewers have a choice whether to watch them or not? Nothing dictates that anyone has to watch hockey... Not to mention, they want people to tune in for the 95% of the time that hockey isn't also being aired.

 

[DRich82]

Why would they be incentivized to improve?

They have a monopoly on hockey content for more than a decade. Any Canadian who wants to watch hockey will have to pay them.

No incentive to improve under that kind of situation. It's what you call a monopoly. Competition is usually what makes companies want to improve.

That is framed way too simply. Does Sportsnet not work to improve their Canucks regional content because they are the sole provider?

Of course they do.

I alluded to the slight uneasiness we all have re: monopoly, Rogers, etc but the NHL would not sign a 12 year deal without commitments the content will improve, evolve, innovate and grow.

 

[DoyleG]

True but BBC gets 5 Billion a year in subsidies, something teh CBC haters often forget. Britain only has twice the population of canada yet runs all those BBC channels, in only one language with 5 times the money. COuld you imagine the stuff the CBC could do with 2.5 Billion?

The BBC funding comes from TV licenses, or basically paying to have the right to watch TV in the first place. Everyone has to pay it in Britain so its actually comes out to a rather large amount.

The only real subsidy that the BBC gets is for its international broadcasting, and that has been greatly scaled back in recent years.

 

[PensFanSince1989]

The BBC funding comes from TV licenses, or basically paying to have the right to watch TV in the first place. Everyone has to pay it in Britain so its actually comes out to a rather large amount.

The only real subsidy that the BBC gets is for its international broadcasting, and that has been greatly scaled back in recent years.

The BBC is heavily subsidized. There is no hiding that.

The TV licenses/fees are simply the mechanism (ie. tax) the UK government levies in order to pay for those subsidies.

 

[Vegeta]

...because viewers have a choice whether to watch them or not? Nothing dictates that anyone has to watch hockey... Not to mention, they want people to tune in for the 95% of the time that hockey isn't also being aired.

Canadian culture has been forcing people to at least acknowledge hockey's existence for decades now. I'd bet any money that Rogers thinks that people are addicted to hockey like they're addicted to their "double-doubles".

I highly doubt that they will ever match the production quality of TSN. Something about this deal just screams desperate to me; like SN threw half their budget at the NHL because they knew that they couldn't keep up with TSN any other way. Monopolies are almost always created by greedy companies that are deathly afraid of their competitors.

 

[serge2k]

True but BBC gets 5 Billion a year in subsidies, something teh CBC haters often forget. Britain only has twice the population of canada yet runs all those BBC channels, in only one language with 5 times the money. COuld you imagine the stuff the CBC could do with 2.5 Billion?

Little Mosque.... IN SPACE!


Does anyone know if this will affect GCL? I'm in Seattle and that's how I get my Canuck games.

 

[PensFanSince1989]

Little Mosque.... IN SPACE!


Does anyone know if this will affect GCL? I'm in Seattle and that's how I get my Canuck games.

Shouldn't affect it for you at all. Rogers only gets control of GCL in Canada.

 

[kdb209]

TSN wasn't even allowed to bid, but thanks for stopping in.

...source?

For what he said - none.
For actually submitting a bid - howabout:

We submitted a bid we believed was valuable for the @NHL and appropriate for our business, but were ultimately outbid. (2/4)—
Bell Media PR (@BellMediaPR) November 26, 2013

 

[sipowicz]

Lil' Gary loves to snub Canadian based NHL teams and has a reluctance to add teams to Canada, but this latest TV deal makes him look STUPID yet again.

Canada 7 teams, Canadian TV deal $5.2B/12 years

US 23 teams, US TV deal $2B/ 10 years

So despite having less than one third of NHL franchises the Canadian TV deal is worth more than double the US TV deal. Keep pushing for NHL franchises in non-hockey-market cities in places where TV viewer-ship pulls in amazing numbers like 0.6, 0.9, 1.1 at best!

 

[kdb209]

How many times do you need to be told http://sports.nationalpost.com/2013...at-would-see-cbc-keep-hockey-night-in-canada/ NOT ALLOWED TO BID

Nowhere in that article does it say that TSN was "NOT ALLOWED TO BID".

It does state, however

“We congratulate the NHL on this announcement. We submitted a bid we believed was valuable for the NHL and appropriate for our business, but were ultimately outbid. In hockey, our partnerships with the Leafs, Jets, Canadiens, Sens, and Hockey Canada (including the World Juniors) remain core to our TSN and RDS TV, radio and digital properties. With an on-air broadcast team unmatched in terms of talent and experience and our extensive array of pro sports content, we’re committed to TSN remaining Canada’s Sports Leader,†the statement read.

 

[FakeKidPoker*]

Loving all the children here saying this will be the end of hockey in Canada... Basketball and Soccer will bring in a glorious new era for TSN! TSN NUMBER 1!!!

Hardly.

Basketball didn't do too good in what should have been a golden era in the mid 90s... The era of Jordan with TWO NBA teams in Canada...

Also this was during a time where TSN didn't have the NHL for four years...

No, the only loser here in this deal is TSN.. who is now third rate.. hell CBC Sports now has more major properties than TSN with the NHL (Yes they don't get any revenue from it whatever) The World Cup and The Olympics.

 

[CanadianPantherFan]

TSN looked really focused on the Raps off the top of the broadcast/trying for more "small talk". I just wish there was more than ONE NHL game on the schedule tonight so one could really judge how they handled the news. Kate looked sad when reading it.

My question is will TSN become the home of the NBA which they eventually only show Crosby and the odd Canadian team highlights (kind of like they do with NBA,only Raps and whatever team Lebron is on exists). Will they start to shy away from covering the entire NHL on a nightly basis within the highlight packages? Interesting to follow.

EDIT: Duthie voice was cracking up during Insider Trading segment. It was like when he was talking his mind was realizing it will be end of an era/things will never be the same/some will move on/some will be fired etc...

 

[ucanthanzalthetruth]

I don't want to read through this whole thread, so could someone help me out really quick? I'm a Panthers fan in Canada, and confused as to what this means...Are Panthers games now all on Sportsnet, or is this deal only for Canadian hockey teams?

 

[MarkGio]

TSN is really hurtin'

Looking at their website, they're all about hockey. Tweets, vidoes, stories, and so forth. They went really hard on the insider trading segment. Lots of content and a little speech to its audience reminding us how they've got 6 months of TSN hockey.

Got to feel bad for them.

 

[Wetcoaster]

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Rogers Communications president and CEO Nadir Mohamed and other executives field questions from the media in regards to acquiring NHL broadcasting rights for the next 12 years.

Video:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/nhl-rogers-broadcast-deal-qa/

Rogers Media president Keith Pelley outlines the reasons why this is a such a great day for hockey fans: “You’ll be able to watch what you want, when you want, on whatever platform you want.â€

Video:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/pelley-great-day-for-hockey-fans/

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, deputy commissioner Bill Daly and chief operating officer John Collins join Prime Time Sports to discuss signing a 12-year broadcasting deal with Rogers.

Video:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/pts-nhl-rogers-shared-same-vision/