[News] Sportsnet signs 12 year $5.2 billion for NHL CDN Broadcast rights.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

Won't stand for it? What are they gonna do? My guess is they'll watch and bitch about it in much the same way as we do.

It looks like Rogers does in fact use the Leafs TV crew of Bowen and Millen to do their broadcasts as well so it appears Rogers has different pay scales for their eastern and western operations. Can't blame them I guess putting the money into their largest market and leaving scraps for smaller markets.

[You Need a Thneed]

Of course TSN is currently better than Sportsnet - we are all comparing a national broadcast to a regional broadcast.

That has nothing to do with how the national Sportsnet broadcasts will look.

Some of TSNs hockey talent will be coming to Sportsnet - they simply won't be able to afford to keep all of them around. For the most part, hockey will just be on a different channel.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

wait.... wait... wait...

if the blackouts are lifted, and i get all sportsnet channels (which i do today), does that mean i no longer need GCL/centerIce to watch all flames games from here in ON????

that's a gamechanger for me. Amazing news!

That would be big.. although like you mention you would need the package with all the Sportsnet channels including Sportsnet One.

Although reading the NHL tweet it says no 'further' blackouts... so it just may mean no change to what is currently in place. I doubt TSN would be allowed to show Jets game nationwide.

[Bandwagon Surfer]

Damn, I was hoping some new media companies would get in on the bidding. I have really been enjoying the cricket coverage on youtube. The video quality is so much better than what cable companies pass off as HD, and it is so convenient.

[Voodooman]

I think this is a sad day for hockey fans, coast to coast. No matter what the marketing spin, to me, there's simply no way that having less broadcasters involved is going to lead to better overall coverage of the product. Presently, I think all 3 major NHL broadcasters bring their own strengths (and weaknesses) to the table, and dependent on your taste (Flames centric, tradition oriented or overall league overview) you could find content that met your particular needs.

To me, TSN provides the best overall NHL coverage. They have the best PBP and analyst group, with some exceptions (cough, Ray Ferraro, cough) and their production is the slickest. There's always room for improvement, but the TSN panel has always been the strongest group overall (who doesn't miss the days of Torts?). As well, Sportscentre is far and away the best highlight show in the business, although it has suffered since Jay & Dan went south (is there any chance someone can buy that Nabil kid a suit that fits him? He looks like he raided Dad's closet for the 8th grade dance).

CBC are the keepers of the tradition of the game. Many of us grew up with HNIC as the primary source for hockey, and it holds a warm place in our hearts. Personally, I've never been a huge HNIC fan, but that's mostly because of how much I loathe the Leafs, and a lifetime of Saturday nights of Leafs v Detroit, with the Leafs epic struggle to get within 4 games of .500 on the line. CBC does the best job of the "spirit" of the game, like those montages a few people have mentioned. However, I think their broadcast group has many weak links (Healy, Stock, Weekes, Lee, Healy, Hughson (who I freely admit I hate for his Canuck love, otherwise he's a solid PBP guy), Milbury and did I mention Healy?) as well as Cole and Cherry, who I just think time has left behind. Bob Cole was the voice of hockey for a generation, but his age betrays him, and I think he's only tarnishing his legacy at this point as he no longer can keep up with the on-ice action.

Sportsnet is great for regional, local team focused coverage. We all complain about Kerr, the delay, but overall, for all things Flames, they do a good job. When you start talking about national level broadcasts is where Sportsnet falls woefully short. Connected just doesn't hold a candle to Sportscentre as a national highlights show, and looks like it was filmed in a basement by Aurora Public Access. The analyst group is just downright awful (MacLean, Millard, Kypreos, Garrett, Millen). The production value on the regional broadcasts is second rate when compared to TSN or CBC.

My first reaction when I heard the news this morning was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. In a perfect world, Rogers would poach the best talent and techniques from each, and produce a high quality product. But I just can't shake the feeling that Rogers will cheap out on this like they do with everything else Sportsnet related, and we soon end up with the former PBP man of the Regina Pats as the new voice of HNIC.

The NHL went solely for the money, as opposed to what's best for the game and the fans. The league should have followed the NFL model and insisted on packaging the rights out separately to 2 or 3 different networks. That league understands that competition leads to the best on-air product, and experience for their fans.

I hope I'm proven wrong, but at this point, this news isn't welcome.

[burn_this_city]

This is a substantial coup by Sportsnet, all the effort TSN had put into becoming the premiere NHL station has now been eroded by Rogers willingness to put up the big money. I guess Bell just wasn't willing to spend the money, I bet they'll wish they had in a few years.

[habernac]

so what's going on with French broadcast rights? I currently subscribe to RDS just to get all the Habs broadcasts.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by jschick88

@sladurantaye All CBC does under new deal is show the game. Rogers controls ads etc.

@sladurantaye CBC boss confirms Rogers will assume "all editorial control of Hockey Night in Canada," including on-air talent.

@sladurantaye CBC boss: "The CBC was prepared to do a fiscally responsible deal to preserve hockey on Saturday nights"

Ouch. The only part of the deal i liked was CBC still having Hockey night in Canada, and they don't even have ccontrol of their own program?

I rather it was like it is now. TSN and CBC on Saturday. I am not a big fan of sportsnet and the people they have in front of the camera.

[TurnedTheCorner]

So I just read the release on TSN and SN. The SN one mentions that hockey games could be seen on up to nine channels on some nights over the season. The broadcasts will no longer be regional. So I guess you'd still have the four regional networks (Omtario, East, West, Pacific), plus One, possibly 360 (for Sunday night?), and then still the regional SN-Canucks, Oilers, Flames, Sens if needed depending on the schedule to ensure the local teams are still covered in their broadcast area.

I'm also curious as to what this means for playoffs, as the deal includes all rounds and the final. Will CBC still show some early rounds? The US rounds will presumably be picked up NBC broadcasts that are re-shown here in Canada.

Huge, huge news.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Of course TSN is currently better than Sportsnet - we are all comparing a national broadcast to a regional broadcast.

That has nothing to do with how the national Sportsnet broadcasts will look.

Some of TSNs hockey talent will be coming to Sportsnet - they simply won't be able to afford to keep all of them around. For the most part, hockey will just be on a different channel.

Maybe. But what's been overlooked here is that SN will now be a virtual NHL monopoly in Canada. Why should SN sink a lot of resources into the broadcasts? It's not as though the viewers (or the broadcasting talent) have an alternative.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by habernac

so what's going on with French broadcast rights? I currently subscribe to RDS just to get all the Habs broadcasts.

They are going to TVA for National games.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by habernac

so what's going on with French broadcast rights? I currently subscribe to RDS just to get all the Habs broadcasts.

Going to TVA

[getbak]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Biggest winner on this deal - Nick Kypreos. He doesn't have to worry about those ****ers at TSN anymore.

Until he gets fired and replaced by them.


Also, it's not like TSN is suddenly going to stop covering the NHL. They'll still show highlights, and cover trades, and signings. They'll still have Bob McKenzie as the "Hockey Insider" (probably). The only difference this should really make is that they won't have live game broadcasts, and they won't have the Draft anymore.

With the Sportsnet stations picking up so much NHL hockey, they'll have to drop some other programming that they currently air, which will be available for TSN to pick up. Losing the NHL didn't kill TSN 15 years ago, and it was a very different tv sports landscape 15 years ago than it is now.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by zukes

Very interesting. I think we'll start to see a migrating of on-air talent to Sportsnet over the next little while.

I have the Super Sports pak, so I won't be affected, but I suspect this hurts Centre Ice.

Rogers will own and control center ice and game center, so it doesn't hurt anything...

[liamenator]

It seems as though HNiC on CBC has become a lame-duck platform that will be transitioned toward a Sportsnet-only future. I'm guessing Rogers included them to placate the masses and make the transition less jarring. But with all editorial, creative, advertising control, HNiC as we've known it is over. CBC pays nothing and receives nothing. This is pure short-term optics.

And, what's unnerving for those of us who support the public broadcaster is that over half of their revenues have been coming from hockey broadcasts. Those are now gone.

The degree of exclusivity granted to one broadcaster by the NHL here is pretty mind-boggling. Rogers retains exclusivity on even things like digital highlights.

[Bertuzzied]

Well lets hope for Sportsnet screwing up this deal and bankrupting the whole company in 3 years so TSN gets NHL back. I'm NOT watching any NHL hockey on Sportsnet that does not include the Flames.

Ridiculous how a minor league sports channel gets to go national! hahhahaa.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by liamenator

It seems as though HNiC on CBC has become a lame-duck platform that will be transitioned toward a Sportsnet-only future. I'm guessing Rogers included them to placate the masses and make the transition less jarring. But with all editorial, creative, advertising control, HNiC as we've known it is over. CBC pays nothing and receives nothing. This is pure short-term optics.

And, what's unnerving for those of us who support the public broadcaster is that over half of their revenues have been coming from hockey broadcasts. Those are now gone.

The degree of exclusivity granted to one broadcaster by the NHL here is pretty mind-boggling. Rogers retains exclusivity on even things like digital highlights.

EDIT: I was wrong.

[Ashasx]

Starting to think, what benefit does Sportsnet have in spending more money on better talent? They have exclusive rights for the next 12 years. They could have Rob Kerr as the main PBP voice on HNIC and there's nothing anyone can do because they have a monopoly on hockey in Canada. People will watch because they have no other option

Why would they spend money on somebody like Cuthbert when Kerr will do it for a quarter of the price?

[puckluck2]

Ugh awful news about SN.

[Ace]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

CBC is paying $175 million to Rogers.

I hope you got that backwards. Why would tax dollars go to rogers, if the CBC can't make ad revenue?? If anything Rogers should be paying CBC to use their channel space.