I hate Sportsnet.

[Enoch Root]

Yes, it was Tuesday.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

It's where they are based and Toronto and Southern Ontario is by far the biggest Market. All the other Canadian teams put together don't have the population of GTA/Southern Ontario so it only makes sense that they would get the most coverage by far.

It's not so much where they're based, it's about common sense. For SportsCentre at 7 and 8 Pacific/Mountain time the Leafs can be first with lots of post game coverage. I'm talking about 10, 11, and midnight PT/MT is for the Flames and the other western teams to be on first with strong coverage. In the past when the Leafs were out of the playoff race in March, other teams should be shown first, not the friggin Leafs.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by Phagoof

Sportnet has been a joke for over a decade now, I gave up on them long ago.

TSN's been a joke too.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

Haha was it Tuesday? Tuesday crossed my mind as well you could very well be right. I just remember that day was like my favorite day of the week. I had that paper stretched out across my bed, coffee table etc and I would just study it and try and figure out what pace my favorite players were on, what rookies were doing good, what teams had the most 10/20/30 etc goal scorers and stuff like that. I would always get my older brothers to quiz me on top 5 scorers on random teams

I would take all the players stats every week and then project their final numbers based on 80 games played

[activeStick]

I'm not in Alberta, so GCL works perfectly for me. Only time I'll get a blackout on GCL is when the Flames play the Canucks, but then the game will be available on TV.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by Press Level

Yes, this is what I do as I'm on the road a lot. Works great for SN now and Shaw Freerange TV.

Do you use Free Range in the US? If so, can I ask which VPN you're using. I was running Shaw Free Range using Pure VPN, but it no longer works and Im curious if it's the VPN or if Shaw has figured out how to shut down access via VPN.

[Deegee]

I wish I could pay the NHL $200.00 and just watch all of the hockey I wanted to. I want to have an affordable, legal option, to consume hockey.

At least there isn't Flames PPV anymore.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Deegee

I want to have an affordable, legal option, to consume hockey.

So do I. But I don't think $200 is a good deal when I only want to watch the Flames.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Why the hell am I being blacked out from watching a Canadian team but I can watch two American teams? Network is a f'n joke!

It's happening again today and a few times in January on all 3 of their exclusive days including 2 Flames games. I like SN, but, they're really screwing up here.

[Split98]

I look forward to a day when something like The Athletic starts broadcasting games. It seems far off now, but TSN and Sportsnet have been producing garbage for years now, and most outside of big markets will throw money at a good alternative.

It's pretty clear that the NHL and the networks can do better, but they do enough to get paid. This was a big concern when Rogers got that NHL contract. With no competition, this company has never shown pride in their product. If someone is paying, that's all you'll get.

I love how much they advertise against illegal video streams.
A) their product it better
B) your customers have been screaming for you to catch up the the illegal video str-r-r-r-r-reams

I will pay $200 every year faithfully if I could watch every Flames game on my TV. Live, in 60fps HD.

[Tsawwassen]

Well, what a way to start 2019. The Flames-Red Wings game today is a regional game even though it's a Wednesday. To make matters worse, the national games for the Wed. Night Hockey doubleheader features our arch rivals, Canucks-Senators and Oilers-Coyotes! Are you bleeping serious SN? It makes no sense. Let's slam Sportsnet with complaints.

[Split98]

You would assume SN has statistically determined their programming schedule... but are people really tuning into either of those games more than a top-of-the-West Canadian team taking on a (albeit weak) original 6?

Also, how much are people fawning over the Oilers if you aren't pumping their tires every 2-game winning 'streak'.

IMO, in a world where hockey fans talk about what's interesting around the league... the Oilers don't come up too much.

[hwy19man]

There is a reason the Flames-Red Wings game is a regional one and it is because of the Red Wings. Many viewers in southwestern Ontario would rather watch that game than the Canucks-Senators national game. There is precedent as last season on the Wednesday before the american thanksgiving, the Oilers at Red Wings game was a regional one on Sportsnet West. There were five nationally televised games all involving canadian teams at the same time.

The same thing has happened when the Sabres are playing. It was Sunday, February 12, 2017 and the national game had Habs at Bruins on Sportsnet (but not on the Pacific channel). The Pacific channel showed the Canucks at Sabres game and was a regional one.

[TheOnlyBilko]

I HATE TSN. Why would they put the Russia/Slovakia quarterfinal game tonight on TSN 3? Game starts at 835 mountain and should be put on the normal TSN Channel. The Normal TSN channel instead had 6 hours of sports desk repeating over and over and over. Not many people have TSN 3 so this is nothing but a money grab for TSN by making people have to buy TSN 3 if they want to watch.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by Thor

I would be upset too if SN is showing a game with only American teams over a game involving a Canadian team, that's absurd.

That'll be happening next Wednesday at the Flames expense!

[spuzzum]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

I HATE TSN. Why would they put the Russia/Slovakia quarterfinal game tonight on TSN 3? Game starts at 835 mountain and should be put on the normal TSN Channel. The Normal TSN channel instead had 6 hours of sports desk repeating over and over and over. Not many people have TSN 3 so this is nothing but a money grab for TSN by making people have to buy TSN 3 if they want to watch.

Should everything in life be free?

[djsFlames]

Johnny is keeping pace with mcdavid now so he should get talked about just as much and with equal fawning and salivation, right sportsnet?

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by TheOnlyBilko

I HATE TSN. Why would they put the Russia/Slovakia quarterfinal game tonight on TSN 3? Game starts at 835 mountain and should be put on the normal TSN Channel. The Normal TSN channel instead had 6 hours of sports desk repeating over and over and over. Not many people have TSN 3 so this is nothing but a money grab for TSN by making people have to buy TSN 3 if they want to watch.

I agree, it was a joke.

If it makes you feel better, their marketing plan probably didn't include Canada losing out in the quarter finals.

[SebC]

I have access to games through Shaw Freerange and TSN Live, but it seems to me like the 6600 kbps streams on reddit are better quality.

[Split98]

I hope this year makes SN look silly enough that we start seeing a shift in Ontario coverage. There is no way a perennial loser in 23rd should be getting such detailed coverage while a Canadian team fights their other favourite Canadian team for 2nd in the league.

Not only is it a pain to carry multiple SN channels to (maybe) watch the Flames game... but it'd be damn nice if any place around here carried a game for once.

As it is now, watching a game is annoying the bartender, then annoying the bartender again and again as they change the channel throughout the game. Oilers are on all the time seemingly, and as such everyone around here seems to know a fair bit about the Oilers. The Flames? "oh, I didn't know they were having a good year!"

There will be Flames fans here if they could watch the damn games. Hell, maybe SN would see an uptick in this timeslot if they ever showed good hockey on it. People have to dig to be a Flames fan out here. And you damn well do it in the privacy of your own home. Shame for a team having the year they're having. But that's what you get when your sports coverage has such a strong bias towards such a small part of the league.