[alebowgm]

In another thread (http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=125976) there was a discussion on Zelk's Toronto Star article where it was expected that CBC and The Score were going to lose out on Raptors games while TSN and Sportsnet were expected to pickup the rest. Well, Dowbiggin over at The Globe has it that ALL games are moving to Sportsnet...

Market players recommend buying a stock when it bottoms out. If so, Rogers Sportsnet/The FAN 590 are getting the Toronto Raptors at just the right time. The No. 2 TV sports network in ratings (but not profits) is set to announce that it and its sister radio station will be the combined broadcast homes for the Raptors starting this fall. With its four regional channels jammed with NHL content, the plan is to put all the Raptors upcoming losses... er, games on Sportsnet’s new Xtra channel - which is set to debut shortly

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...y-into-raptors-at-a-low-point/article1624721/

Very interesting if this is how it pans out, can't believe TSN would lose games and Raptors TV wouldn't have any either...

 

[Musashii]

If this is true, I can't see ALL Raptors games being on the Xtra Channel, Rogers might do what TSN does and put a handful of games on this new channel when Sportsnet Ontario is airing something else. If they do all end up on the Xtra channel then that will mean every cable/satellite provider in Canada will need to get it before November rolls around and in HD too or there will be some very angry people... I guess that'll mean No more OTA CBC games as well.

Sportsnet is becoming the new TSN with every Jays game and possibly every Raptors game on there channels... Smart move by Rogers if this is indeed the case.

 

[17671]

whats the point of the raptors channel if they wont air any raps games?

 

[NB Josh]

The point of Raptors TV is still to air other Raptors things, and non-Raptors NBA games from ESPN/TNT/NBATV.

I don't buy it for a minute that the Raptors are ditching TSN/TSN2 for a new digital channel. Like I said in that other thread, I think it was either poor wording or bad information from Dowbiggen. If its bad information, then it wouldn't be the first time. Zelkovich reported that 35 games on Sportsnet Xtra (which I'm not even sure if that's going to be the name of the channel) and 47 to TSN/TSN2 (probably 22 on TSN, 25 on TSN2). Until I hear differently from a credible source, I'll stick with what Zelkovich is saying.

Mushaii, the biggest reason that the Raptors left Sportsnet for CBC/TSN2 in the last deal was because Sportsnet wouldn't (well couldn't really because of hockey) provide national coverage of their games. So while it is possible that maybe 5 games would air on Sportsnet, it won't be happening unless all of the Sportsnet channels don't have hockey commitments. And yes CBC is done as a Raptors broadcaster, it wasn't a worthwhile investment for them because of the low ratings for Sunday afternoon games, especially when it went against NFL games or curling on TSN.

 

[NB Josh]

I figured I'd email Sportsnet about the new channel. I didn't think I'd get far, and I didn't. The response was basically "we have no comment on your second paragraph" (which was one about the new channel, the first paragraph was about the Premier League). They didn't even say that they have no comment on the new channel, so they aren't even allowed to mention it. I was hoping for something more like "there will be an announcement soon". Oh well.