[thegman]

http://thestar.blogs.com/sportsmedia/2010/06/sportsnet-back-in-the-game-with-raptors.html

amazed thescore gets dropped! Looks like SN is getting 35 games, with TSN and (ugh) TSN2 getting the rest. (CBC dropped as well, title can be misleading I guess)

I sure hope thescore keeps up with other NBA games though.

(whoops, not confirmed, its from "sources")

 

[NB Josh]

It is more or less confirmed, it has been speculated for a while. The Score will lose all other NBA rights too because it is a package deal. So to summerize, Raptors will be split between Sportsnet (likely the new national channel), TSN and TSN2; while other NBA games will be split between Sportsnet (which should include regional coverage), TSN, TSN2 and Raptors TV.

 

[thegman]

wow, thescore was the only station last year to really pump up the nba and really advertise it.

ever try to watch NBA hilights on SN last year? was damn near impossible.

Sort of sad thescore did all that, and now have nothing to show for it this year.

I wonder if this new SN station will be like TSN2 last year, will there be fights on providers not picking it up, and raptors fans getting screwed again?

 

[leaffan1967]

wow, thescore was the only station last year to really pump up the nba and really advertise it.

ever try to watch NBA hilights on SN last year? was damn near impossible.

Sort of sad thescore did all that, and now have nothing to show for it this year.

I wonder if this new SN station will be like TSN2 last year, will there be fights on providers not picking it up, and raptors fans getting screwed again?

It will probably be a bigger fight than TSN2 given that the only really BIG provider to fight TSN2 was Rogers. they are going to demand it be in an upper teir, but right now most BDU's are carrying 4 Sportsnet SD channels and in some cases up to 4 HD sportsnet channels, that aside from Blue Jays and a few other MLB games, aren't showing much of anything this time of year. It will be hard to negotiate during the summer when Sportsnet has different episodes of poker on each of the 4 channels in prime time...

 

[cooper83]

As much as I loved watching games on The Score, this is good news for Shaw customers with the old HD Sports package. I won't miss Tim Micallef though...

 

[mattm84]

What will become of The Score? Their content cupboard is bare. Now they have no NHL, CFL, NFL, MLB, NBA, EPL, MLS, golf, tennis, auto racing, UFC, BCS, curling, or CIS. All they have left is some second and third tier NCAA bowl games, March Maddness, Serie A. Plus if your generous you can include non-UFC MMA, Woodbine horse races and non-sports like poker and WWE.
But that's it, and who knows how much longer they can keep that. What is stopping Rogers from taking back March Madness and putting it on the new channel the first chance they get? Nothing!

The Score tried to make its brand about basketball and with that gone, I wouldn't be surprised to see the channel fold sometime in the next few years. Canada doesn't need 5 sports channels and they are the odd man out.

 

[NB Josh]

I agree, I can't see March Madness staying on The Score much longer. In the US games will be split between CBS and the Turner cable networks. As a result I'd expect Sportsnet or TSN/TSN2 (most likely Sportsnet) to pickup Canadian rights again so matches involving major teams and teams who are popular in Canada (like Gonzaga for example) are available in Canada. The Score can't provide multiple games at a time, Sportsnet and TSN can.

 

[noah]

Who exactly is going to make them fold? Does the CRTC have the ability or the kahunas to adjust their subscriber fee as a result of the loss of programming?

Let's not forget "the score" helped expedite their loss of key programming, cancelling their nightly highlight show that had a cult-like following along with other live programming.
This will simply result in even more repetition of cheap programming like poker and their own time filler "programming" (ie. walking around the city asking trivia questions and/or more of their score radio content on TV)

The deregulation that will lead to a channel like "Sportsnet national" had CEO John Levy not just happy but "thrilled at the decision", so clearly this result would be no shock to him (see below for more).

Interestingly enough, England recently ordered one of their sports channels to lower their subscriber fee. This despite the overall cost of cable there being considerably cheaper than Canada.
http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/174386/sky-told-to-cut-sports-channel-prices

http://www.friends.ca/news-item/7416

Ken Englehart, vice-president of regulatory affairs for Rogers, said: "The cable and satellite companies no longer have to carry us and we no longer have to give them our service. So we get to have a free market negotiation with them as to our rates."

The CRTC's move to deregulate appears to affect mostly TSN and Sportsnet. The Score remains protected as a news headline service.

John Levy, chairman and chief executive officer of Score Media, said he was thrilled by that decision.

"It allows us to continue with what we do," he said.

 

[mattm84]

The CRTC could lower what's known as the "maximum wholesale rate" (the max rate The Score can get when it's on a basic package) but that wouldn't happen until it's license is renewed. The only rate I could find was $0.14/subscriber/month but that was back in 2004 so it could be slightly more now. But remember that's a max and only when The Score is on a basic package.

I don't see anything in their lineup that many people would be upset if it were gone (WWE maybe but since I've never seen a press release trumpeting the ratings I'm guessing it's nothing to write home about) so if it's between taking a cut in money or being bumped to a worse package with lower subscribers what choice does The Score have? Plus, with Rogers owning Sportsnet and Bell having a stake in TSN through CTV Globemedia, it's in both their best interests to play hardball and reduce the competition by as much as possible.

And that nightly show might have had a cult-like following but it was a very small cult, not big enough to generate revenue to justify keeping it around.

 

[NB Josh]

The Score doesn't get good ratings for anything. Its Raptors games are constantly lower than TSN and even TSN2's. I can't remember the last time anything except the Raptors hit the 100 000 mark on the channel. Even Sportsnet's Saturday morning Premier League match (which is usually a horrible matchup) beats The Score's Sunday match (which usually involves one of the Big 4).

 

[gonkster]

Well the Score always has Cabbie...lol

I'm all for Sportsnet getting NBA back. I miss those nights where they have 2-4 different games on spread over their channels. Hopefully that returns.