My TV is only 42" and I haven't noticed any issues with the graphics.  Slick the way that they go through with photos of the team line ups just as the game is starting.   I wonder if the new studio is a bit small, I thought they looked a bit cramped last night, but I didn't see many shots showing the whole set.  The old set was huge. 

The Rogers/CBC agreement was extended in 2019 to go until the playoffs 2026.  So unless either Rogers or CBC can cancel the deal, or even want to, remains to be seen.  The problem is that Sportsnet is a pay cable service and not available OTA, and City tv stations across the country don't have the OTA coverage across the country. 

This was where CBC came in to help with the production at least initially and the fact that their network covers pretty well all of the country OTA.  At some point this may not matter, but in 2019 it did since the original agreement, that already had been extended by one year, was extended again by both parties until 2026 which is also the end of the current NHL/Rogers contract.  

 

Last edited by paterson1 (November 14, 2021 8:33 pm)

Hansa wrote:

torontostan wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

It has taken 7 years, but Rogers broadcasts of Hockey Night In Canada are finally looking a lot less CBC in presentation.  Things like new graphics, different camera shots, a new studio (not in the CBC building) and just general presentation have been updated and to me improved.

Up until this season, Rogers broadcasts seemed to be almost identical to what CBC had done for years. There are still a few legacy things left over, but at long last HNIC doesn't look like a CBC production.  And that is a good thing in my opinion. 

Watching HNIC last night did anyone else notice all the empty seats for the Sabres-Leaf contest?   Under 8,000 people attended including a few thousand Leaf fans.  Normally these games would be a full house with half  coming from across the border.  Obviously people don't want to bother with the hassles getting back into Canada.  But so far attendance for the  Sabres home games this season have been embarrassingly low.  Only 8,467 came for the home opener in October and other home games so far have faired even worse.  

Don't forget the first two years of the Rogers deal which didn't resemble the CBC broadcasts. 

Speaking of which, I wonder if Rogers will end their agreement with CBC, especially now that they (finally) use their multiplex feeds of Sportsnet on Saturdays. It's not like the CBC would have much success counter-programming Saturday night hockey. Just air the local contest on the local City affiliate, and put all games on Sportsnet for out of market viewers. 

As for the horrible attendance in Buffalo last night: if you take into account the exchange rate, cost of a longer drive, covid tests, and tickets, it's actually cheaper to go to Toronto if you're a leafs fan. Still, Buffalo management needs to step up for their fans... just abysmal record this past decade. 
 

Was it really Rogers' choice to partner with the CBC? My understanding was that allowing the Saturday games to be carried on CBC was something the NHL wanted, both for legacy reasons (so that the HNIC name could be used) and to ensure hockey was still available OTA as Rogers does not have enough terrestrial stations to cover the country. 

OTA wouldn’t really be a factor for CBC as there’s large parts of the country where it’s not available; CBC’s bigger distribution advantage is its must-carry status on cable across Canada. Nowadays, CBC Gem is also a factor.

mace wrote:

Just a matter of time before HNIC disappears from CBC.

I thought Rogers was obligated to carry hockey on CBC in markets where the OTA channel of choice (ie City TV) is not available as an option. 
Also that various games covered must be an OTA game, not something people are forced to pay extra for.

RadioAaron wrote:

Any obligation would be through their contract with the NHL, and could easily be taken out at renewal.

For Rogers, it depends how they want to balance generating revenue from having the rights - forcing subs to Sportsnet - and generating revenue from ratings (which having CBC is useful for.)

 

Yes I believe that was the plan.  Rogers could have had a marketing nightmare right from the get go if all of the games were only on Sportsnet and City/Omni.  Hockey fans would have been outraged if they were forced to buy Sportsnet just to watch NHL hockey since City stations don't come anywhere near OTA coverage across Canada. Even Sportsnet was/is not available everywhere in the country.   And I believe at least in the first few years, CBC crews were still used to help produce some of the games. 

The original deal was for CBC to carry NHL games including the playoffs for 4 years.  It was then extended to 5 years.  Finally in December 2017 it was extended again until the end of the current NHL contract in  2026 with the playoffs.  Rogers Media President Rick Brace said at the time that CBC was an excellent partner and Rogers was excited to extend the agreement until 2026.   . 

Considering everything Rogers Communications is going through and the fact that it is doubtful how much of a money maker the 12 year $5.2 billion dollar deal has been so far, it is pretty much guaranteed that the next NHL broadcast rights contract for Canada will be radically different.  I wouldn't count CBC out at all in the next round of negotiations.   Bell Media could also be a factor along with various streaming services and pay for view.