I'm not sure if I have seen this discussed of hfboards... but I've always wondered why Sportsnet blacks out NHL games out of the viewers region.
I have all the Sportsnet channels in my TV package (west, ontario, east, pacific etc,). But when there is a Canucks game on Pacific and a Sens game on East... it is blacked out and I have to watch Sportsnet West.
Doesn't that decrease viewer numbers if your blocking out millions of potential fans? Also, it sucks that Sportsnet decides what viewers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan watch when they don't have a team to watch on Sportsnet (all Jets games on TSN, CBC). Especially the last 10 years where a lot of Manitoba hockey fans liked the Canucks due to their affiliation with the Moose.
If someone has any idea why Sportsnet does this, please do tell!
I'm not sure if I have seen this discussed of hfboards... but I've always wondered why Sportsnet blacks out NHL games out of the viewers region.
I have all the Sportsnet channels in my TV package (west, ontario, east, pacific etc,). But when there is a Canucks game on Pacific and a Sens game on East... it is blacked out and I have to watch Sportsnet West.
Doesn't that decrease viewer numbers if your blocking out millions of potential fans? Also, it sucks that Sportsnet decides what viewers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan watch when they don't have a team to watch on Sportsnet (all Jets games on TSN, CBC). Especially the last 10 years where a lot of Manitoba hockey fans liked the Canucks due to their affiliation with the Moose.
If someone has any idea why Sportsnet does this, please do tell!
Sportsnet does not make the decision. Regional viewing areas are set by the league. You are only entitled to the televised feeds of the team within the region in which you reside. The only way around that is to purchase NHL Center Ice, or via online streams.
Think of it this way. Sportsnet is not truly a national broadcaster of the NHL; they are in essence an affiliated group of regional sportsnets in this specific case. You are only entitled to your local feed within that network though.
Sportsnet does not make the decision. Regional viewing areas are set by the league. You are only entitled to the televised feeds of the team within the region in which you reside. The only way around that is to purchase NHL Center Ice, or via online streams.
Think of it this way. Sportsnet is not truly a national broadcaster of the NHL; they are in essence an affiliated group of regional sportsnets in this specific case. You are only entitled to your local feed within that network though.
Why we have four Sportsnet channels if the content is the same on all four except for hockey games but then they are blackouted. Give us one Sportsnet channel and stop being a tease. Also why would that be a problem for us in the East to watch Flames games? It won't suddenly kill the interest in people watching their hometown clubs. They can watch some of these games on Center-Ice anyway.
Why we have four Sportsnet channels if the content is the same on all four except for hockey games but then they are blackouted. Give us one Sportsnet channel and stop being a tease. Also why would that be a problem for us in the East to watch Flames games? It won't suddenly kill the interest in people watching their hometown clubs. They can watch some of these games on Center-Ice anyway.
You really answer your own question. They want people paying for the Center Ice subscription. Which makes more money for the league? Me paying $171.80 through Directv for Center Ice, or me paying $10 a month to Directv for all the various sports channels? The NHL isn't going to get any money if I pay the $10 a month and can watch Rangers/Devils/Isles games on MSG. Does the NHL make any money if someone in Ottawa can watch Flames games on Sportsnet without paying for Center Ice? No.
Why we have four Sportsnet channels if the content is the same on all four except for hockey games but then they are blackouted. Give us one Sportsnet channel and stop being a tease. Also why would that be a problem for us in the East to watch Flames games? It won't suddenly kill the interest in people watching their hometown clubs. They can watch some of these games on Center-Ice anyway.
Because sportsnet does not pay the NHL for the national broadcasting rights. So they are not aloud to broadcast the game nationally. They could pay for national broadcasting rights but it likely would not be worth it as the amount of viewers that they would add probably wouldn't increase their advertising dollars enough to offset the cost.
You really answer your own question. They want people paying for the Center Ice subscription. Which makes more money for the league? Me paying $171.80 through Directv for Center Ice, or me paying $10 a month to Directv for all the various sports channels? The NHL isn't going to get any money if I pay the $10 a month and can watch Rangers/Devils/Isles games on MSG. Does the NHL make any money if someone in Ottawa can watch Flames games on Sportsnet without paying for Center Ice? No.
this is not really accurate. The NHL would make more money if someone in Ottawa can watch Flames games on Sportsnet without paying for Center Ice because sportsnet would have to pay the NHL more money to be able to broadcast the game nationally, which is probably quite expensive.
I am sure that the NHL would be more than happy to take Sportsnet money to allow them to broadcast games nationally.
If they did this the only customers of CI that they would lose would be fans of Canadian teams who reside outside of their teams broadcast region. Most other CI customers would still buy CI so they could see games from around the world, and their would be long distance fans who would still get CI to see the rest of the league.
At the end of the night its not economical for sportsnet to broadcast regionally, and that's why they blackout games which are out of your region.
Something that hasn't been touched on but I believe is accurate as well... The Sportsnet channels are actually licensed by the CRTC as a regional only sports channel. So even if they wanted to pursue national broadcasts - they can't with the current regulations.
I remember reading something about how there were possible changes coming up to the way the regulations are that would allow TSN to pursue regional rights for broadcasts, and Sportsnet to pursue national rights for broadcasts. But as it stands I believe they pretty much don't compete against each other in that way.
Something that hasn't been touched on but I believe is accurate as well... The Sportsnet channels are actually licensed by the CRTC as a regional only sports channel. So even if they wanted to pursue national broadcasts - they can't with the current regulations.
I remember reading something about how there were possible changes coming up to the way the regulations are that would allow TSN to pursue regional rights for broadcasts, and Sportsnet to pursue national rights for broadcasts. But as it stands I believe they pretty much don't compete against each other in that way.
This is why Roger Sportsnet always brands their regional channel as "Home of _______ (insert a canadian hockey team)". They are the local TV station that broadcast most of the games the team they cover. Meanwhile, TSN and CBC only does national broadcast. However, iirc they just signed a deal the Jets to broadcast 40+ of their games
The worst part about Sportsnet is that you have to get all of them because they come in a package. They all show the same programming, excluding the regional hockey games that are blacked out. I just need East, and Sens, yet I have to have Ontario, West, and Pacific. It's pointless really.
Yeah, it got annoying to see all these hockey games blacked out because I was not in a certain region. Glad I got Centre Ice for this year so I can watch any game I choose.
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Kudos to the Ottawa Senators for the great season despite injuries to their 3 best players.
Something that hasn't been touched on but I believe is accurate as well... The Sportsnet channels are actually licensed by the CRTC as a regional only sports channel. So even if they wanted to pursue national broadcasts - they can't with the current regulations.
I remember reading something about how there were possible changes coming up to the way the regulations are that would allow TSN to pursue regional rights for broadcasts, and Sportsnet to pursue national rights for broadcasts. But as it stands I believe they pretty much don't compete against each other in that way.
That's not correct. Sportsnet was the NHL's national cable rights holder from 1998-2002. There's plenty of events that Sportsnet has held national rights to including the CHL, NFL, MLB and the Vancouver Olympics. The real issue with Sportsnet and national rights is trying to juggle all of the regional schedules. Sportsnet One helps alleviate that a little.
Regionally, TSN has the rights to the Habs, Jets and in the past Leafs games. They air on separate TSN channels in their territories only.
