Bad news for cord-cutters in Canada Rogers (a cable communications company) signs a $5 2 billion...

[G+_Joseph Cappellino]

Bad news for cord-cutters in Canada. Rogers (a cable/communications company) signs a $5.2 billion deal with the NHL.

 

Says focus is on digital medians like tablets, phones and web. However, knowing cable companies, there will most likely be a subscription or ecosystem lock. (Eg. Rogers cellular network lock for mobile, or proof of subscription for tablets and live streaming)

 

http://globalnews.ca/news/990801/nhl-rogers-reach-12-year-broadcast-deal/

http://globalnews.ca/news/990801/nhl-rogers-reach-12-year-broadcast-deal/

[G+_Dave Trautman]

I see what you mean Jack Zhang about the mobile emphasis from Rogers' deal with the NHL. But I don't see the cord-cutter issue here. Currently most NHL is seen on 'broadcast' channels and cable sports. If I want to subscribe to NHL games directly I already can. I'm blacked out in my own market but I can see anything else on the stream. This deal claims that blackout will vanish. Then it's good news for cord-cutters.

 

Even though the deal is with Rogers the outlets will still be able to license from them various local broadcast deals. You may be right about the cable services wanting us to be subscribers before they will let us view it on their broadband services but that might get a ruling from the CRTC where they can't block people who have access to broadcast just because they are the only ISP for them.

 

I'm sure more will emerge about Rogers' plans for the franchising of NHL games and series to other outlets. TSN is the most negatively affected of the cable channels here because hockey is a mainstay of their subscriber base. Rogers SportsNet will get all the attention now.

 

Half a billion a year for the rights seems quite fair. I just hope a good portion of that revenue is directed at Canadian teams for TV rights giving them a leg up on signing players in mid-tier markets like mine.

[G+_Jack Zhang]

Dave Trautman

What you said in the 2nd paragraph is exactly the concern. Being ecosystem locked is highly prevalent in the states and we do get some of it up here in Canada. I'm curious about this CRTC ruling, but proposals sometimes don't gain enough steam to have the said rulings to be fully committed and instated.

[G+_Dave Trautman]

The CRTC has a long history of making all the parties play nice. There have been similar fights regarding movie channels and specialty channels on cable services. Some areas of the country did not want to carry some channels or content but the CRTC made them.

 

I am hoping the Harper Government's promise in the latest speech from the throne to un-bundle cable channels is going to put a fire under some of them. This NHL deal could be anticipating the un-bundle future and the attraction of it in an "a la carte" world.

 

The US is remarkably local when it comes to television and cable services. The FCC actually does not have the same regulatory role to play as we have with the CRTC. Cable channels get to do all their own deals without oversight. Cable TV itself (the hooking up of houses to wires) is actually a civic jurisdiction in most states. This is also one of the reasons cable TV took so long to catch on down there. HBO used to require a direct line-of-sight antenna to be put on your roof until cable came along.

 

I don't think something as culturally important as Hockey will get put into a small jail with tickets restricted to only the larger markets. Rogers is making a play for relevance in the market so their investors don't bail. It's not a bad plan – for the most part. But your concern about the digital options is a valid one and needs to be closely monitored.