The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Could The Stanley Cup Playoffs Soon Disappear From Free TV?

**Posted by RadioActive** Yesterday 6:55 am

Even in a time of streaming and cable, one thing has remained for free TV: the finals of all the big sports have stayed on at least one over-the-air broadcast network. That's why you can still watch the Super Bowl, the NBA and the Stanley Cup finals without paying a cent.

But could the latter instance change with the new Rogers contract with the National Hockey League? An opinion piece in the Toronto Star suggests there's a chance the arguably most important sporting event in all of Canada could disappear entirely from the CBC after next season.

"Asked this week if the CBC was interested in extending the deal, spokesman Chuck Thompson said “Sportsnet is a great partner and we will explore options when the time comes.”

So not a definitive yes. I guess for most here it isn't a big deal. But the prospect of having to pay to watch a Canadian tradition rubs some people the wrong way. And when the new contract starts after next season, it remains to be seen if it will happen that way.

It’s time to change the terms of Rogers’ sweetheart hockey deal with the CBC

**Posted by Shorty Wave** Yesterday 7:19 am

I can see it going to pay eventually. The Rogers/CBC deal definitely favours Rogers, since the Corp doesn’t collect any ad revenue, and the CBC would have a huge chunk of programming time to fill if the lose the NHL deal, but Rogers will probably push for streaming as they could make more money.

**Posted by Radiowiz** Yesterday 7:30 am

Isn't there a CRTC obligation to carry Hockey playoffs with or without CBC on a regular OTA channel?

**Posted by paterson1** Yesterday 8:38 am

Many assume CBC wants to continue with the arrangement, and there is the possibility that they don't want to or would carry fewer games. If they are part of any deal, the playoffs and Stanley Cup would always be included.

CBC doesn't get any of the revenue from the games, but it doesn't cost them anything either. Also they get a lot of free promo on Rogers for their programming which is valuable to them.

One big disadvantage that CBC TV has is the fact they don't have many ways beyond their TV channels to promote programming. Rogers, Global and CTV own a large number of radio stations and specialty channels that can hype the TV schedules all day long, 7 days a week. CBC radio has very little time to promote shows from the TV network, and CBC doesn't own many specialty channels, so the time on HNIC is important.

Rogers owns City TV, and OMNI stations so the Stanley Cup finals could always end up on those channels if CBC was not part of the plan.

**Posted by Radiowiz** Yesterday 8:48 am

paterson1 wrote:
Rogers owns City TV, and OMNI stations so the Stanley Cup finals could always end up on those channels if CBC was not part of the plan.

Bang on! If not a continuation of ABC viewpoint on City, (simsub) then, at the very least, a Punjabi (or whatever language) on Omni, which can still be enjoyed on mute with the radio cranked up in English...

**Posted by paterson1** Yesterday 9:04 am

OMNI could also run the games in English. Overall the stations are licensed to have a minimum of 60% ethnic programming, which they surpass. OMNI has two channels in Ontario, so one or both could be used as overflow for either City or Sportsnet regarding HNIC. Don't really see this happening however.

**Posted by RadioAaron** Yesterday 9:15 am

Radiowiz wrote:
Isn't there a CRTC obligation to carry Hockey playoffs with or without CBC on a regular OTA channel?

No

**Posted by Radio Bob** Yesterday 12:01 pm

A couple reactions to comments:
1) As much as I am a big CBC supporter (I worked for the Corp for eight years, in two different locations), I imagine that anyone who wants to watch the Cup finals already subscribes to Sportsnet.
2) As for watching a Punjabi telecast and using radio for the play-by-play, have you ever tried that? There's a problem with them being synchronized. You will likely see a goal being scored and then hear about it a few seconds later, or vice versa.