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TSN, RDS profits continue to soar

WILLIAM HOUSTON

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 2:19 PM EDT 16/05/08

Sports channels earned huge dollars in Canadian television last year ...Read the full article

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  1. D. J. Murray from Richmond BC, Canada writes: Interesting as always Mr Houston. I look forward to CBC Sportsplus; even 25% amateur sports is better than what Rogers and CTVgm provide, and the overall Canadian content is a plus. It might even allow the main channel greater flexibility in programming.
  2. Noble Savage from Canada writes: Houston is it just me or does anyone else notice that Bob Cole isn't exactly 'chipper' when hes working with Greg Millen? When ever they work together things can feel a little 'Harry' errr....sorry 'hairy'. I think it was Sunday when Cole remarked on a goal and then right away an excited Millen (unprofessionally) used the same verb in his phrase. The best part was after a little bit Cole had a very quick a sharp comment followed with a dramatic "thats what I SAY".

    No Idea what I'm talking about check the game on Sunday I think, perhaps around the Richards breakaway goal.
  3. Jeff O from Canada writes: It's easy for a specialty network to make money when most cable subscribers have no choice but to take the channel as part of a cable package.

    Thanks to our ludicrous CRTC, we all pay for dozens of channels we never watch because it's the only way to get the half dozen we want.

    If the customer only paid for what he/she really wanted (What a concept!) many of these networks would die a quick and deserved death, including at least one of the sports networks.

    The Score made a profit last year? Nobody watches The Score.

    Cable television is the biggest scam going. The only way to get the NHL Network or a decent movie channel is to also pay for dross like Vision, History Television (with its endless JAG re-runs) and countless others that show nothing but bad movies and trashy syndicated junk.
  4. Seb D from Ottawa, Canada writes: CBC Sportsplus will probably the only part of the CBC that makes a profit.

    Then again, maybe the main network will offer something to the playoff widows to boost their ratings, but I'm not holding my breath.
  5. Chris Eaton from Fredericton, writes: Ah Seb D you're funny. The only part that will make a profit? As a comment on an article that says CBC Newsworld made $11 million?

    Its true, people really do rush to write something without actually reading the article first.

    Its funny that most of the channels showing the biggest profit are all analog cable ones, which are bundled together in a way that you wind up with lots of channels you don't want. In the digital tier, Rogers offers per-channel pricing, so you can avoid the packages. The Score probably wouldn't survive if it wasn't in the same bundle as TSN.
  6. P McLean from Canada writes: Jeff O, I am in complete agreement. I would love to see those network's numbers if they had to truly compete with the ESPN family of channels.
  7. Sean O'Reilly from Canada writes: So many money losing channels that the consumer is forced to get because this country lacks any competition.

    The day needs to come to allow the viewer to choose what they want, so these channels that have no place go away.
  8. Matt O from Canada writes: I used to have dig cable, but the prices kept climbing as I kept adding stations and packages. The last straw was when I got an expanded pack that included Fox Sports World, only to see Premier League soccer go to Setanta (which cost extra).

    If you're strapped for cash, do yourselves a favour and go back to basic. I do now and watch my sports streaming on-line. The quality is obviously not the same, but it's improving all the time. Best thing about it is that's it's all free, if you know where to look. I have more choice now in what I want to watch than I ever did.
  9. Chris Eaton from Fredericton, writes: Matt if you're on Rogers you don't need a package to get Fox Sports World. Almost all of the digital only channels are available on a per channel basis. You can just buy that one by itself, or buy a package of any five channels (you choose which five). Whats really cool is that with that setup, you can go to the Rogers website and change the five channels you're getting on the fly. About five minutes after you change it online, the new channels show up (and the ones you got rid of disappear).

    I think thats why the higher up channels have a harder time. The Score is in the same bundle as A&E, TSN, Discovery, and other channels people actually want. Yet even though nobody actually wants The Score, the network still gets money from every cable subscriber who pays for the bundle.

    Something like GolTV though is higher up, where you can take it (or any other channel in its package) individually instead. You get fewer people paying for channels they don't want in the digital only tier due to that.
  10. Trent Walters from Edmonton, Canada writes: Does CBC pay taxes since it is a crown corporation? I don't think so.

    So CBC SportsPlus will take away revenue from existing private enterprise companies that pay taxes, therefore lowering the the amount of taxes that is taken in by the government from television networks.

    What is the purpose of a crown corporation? It isn't that.
  11. Adam Kobic from Winnipeg, Canada writes: I can't beleive no one on here has any love for the score!! It's way more fan oriented than TSN or Sportsnet. When I watch Score Tonight, Hardcore Hockey Talk, the Spin and Drive This! I feel like I am observing true fans of sports give their educated opinions compared to TSN's stuffy corporate feel. Plus they are damn hillarious too! Especially Cabbie. Tune in sometime you will be pleasently suprised.

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