By Etan Vlessing
TORONTO – The L.A. screenings went quick and quietly and virtually this year for Rogers Sports and Media, but there’s big moves afoot elsewhere with the broadcaster.
The annual Hollywood shopping spree for Citytv came and went with only four new shows purchased from studio suppliers for simulcast, while another 21 shows are returning for the fall and mid-season campaigns. “We had a tremendous amount of success in a number of places,” Hayden Mindell, vice president of television programming at Rogers, told Cartt.ca as he stressed stability for the Citytv schedule after most U.S. networks besides Fox chose to renew many of their current dramas and comedies.
Away from the U.S. series-rich primetime schedule on Citytv and FX Canada, however, newly-installed Rogers Sports and Media president Jordan Banks (pictured) said during a live virtual chat with the media on Monday morning, and later during a virtual presentation to advertisers, he’s dramatically changing the game at the media group.
“Sports is going to be our cornerstone… Nobody does sports in Canada better than we do,” Banks announced.
Appearing from the Hockey Central studio in Toronto ,and taking part in a properly distanced Q&A with Sportsnet anchor Hazel Mae, Banks touted the need for organic growth to exploit content rights Rogers owned and controlled – like the NHL and the Toronto Blue Jays.
The goal is to diversify Rogers’ original content offerings and partnerships, in contrast to U.S. dramas and comedies that the broadcaster rents from its American partners via pricey supply deals.
“We’ve spent a lot of time and a lot of money focusing on licensing content, and with renting content comes certain restrictions that aren’t always in our best interests, whether it be geographically or from a business model perspective,” Banks argued.
While not long on details, the Rogers boss talked about exploiting the NHL rights, other Canadian sport properties, on-air talent and Sportsnet Now as a direct-to-consumer offering across multiple platforms to better monetize the media group’s pricey investment in TV sport rights over the years.
Could that include launching a sports betting platform? Here Banks was reticent to talk about Bill C-218, a private member’s bill to legalize single-event sports betting in Canada.
Banks had a more macro take on exploiting his sport rights and did argue the media group had focused in the past on linear TV channels, including its Hockey Night in Canada telecasts, while treating its Sportsnet NOW and Rogers NHL Live digital offerings as sideshows.
“All of that is going to dramatically change,” he added, as Rogers grows its Sportsnet Now platform and longer term entices social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to help the traditional broadcaster establish a global footprint, and potential global brands, for its Canadian sport properties.
Also, expect more podcasts from Sportsnet personalities for added monetization. “We want to fish where the fish are, and we know the fish are across many platforms,” Banks argued.
The Rogers boss on Monday conceded a lot is riding with his sports strategy on pro leagues like the NHL and Major League Baseball relaunching later this year amid the pandemic, but looking beyond current uncertainties, Banks promised more investment in Canadian original sporting content, not less, if Ottawa can get U.S. digital insurgents to contribute to the domestic ecosystem, too.
“We’re excited to contribute more, but we need to ensure that everybody in the Canadian content space is willing and able and forced to contribute more.” – Jordan Banks, Rogers Sports and Media
“We’re excited to contribute more, but we need to ensure that everybody in the Canadian content space is willing and able and forced to contribute more and so leveling the playing field in that regard is tremendously important,” he argued when asked how the federal government can help broadcasters.
Banks also urged Ottawa to impose obligations on U.S. digital platforms operating in Canada in order to further boost investment in homegrown content, since regulatory costs on Canadian broadcasters remain high.
“We need to figure out a way to level the playing field as to what you pay on the money you make by being in the content business in Canada, regardless of where you’re headquartered,” he insisted.
Banks reiterated his company’s sports strategy — with the immediate testing ground being to grow Sportsnet Now – during a virtual presentation to Canadian brand marketers.
“We’re trying really hard to no longer be your average, traditional media company. To that end, we’re not only a TV and radio broadcaster, we’re a national sports network, we own a major league and reigning world champion teams, world class sports venues, digital shopping and OTT services, and podcasting companies,” he told advertisers, while reminding them Rogers is aligned with domestic telecom giant in Rogers Communications.
CityTV’s Devo Brown also appeared tout the upcoming Citytv and FX lineups for the fall. He applauded Citytv’s news and morning show teams for keeping audiences informed amid the pandemic, while pointing to a day-time lineup that offered “escapist entertainment.” (When it comes to renewing Canadian licensing deals for the FX and FXX brands with Disney – which were originally done with former owner Fox – Banks said “we have every intention of renewing.”)
“Of course, our commitment to primetime entertainment remains strong,” Brown added as he cited returning favourites like America’s Got Talent and The Bachelor.
But just as quickly, Banks returned to talk up Rogers’ sport properties. “We’re doubling down on our sports content and the way we deliver it to fans,” he said.
Alan Dark, senior vice president of media sales at Rogers, then echoed Banks by underscoring the power of TV sports to drive viewership and ad sales.
“Jordan, myself and everyone else here at Rogers Sports and Media are committed to bring you the best in live sports content and we’re committed to working with you on big ideas that will unite brands with fans, the diehards, with rookies and the freshmen,” Dark said.
Will pro sports return as we are still in mid-pandemic? Hard to say, but Banks said the broadcaster has 30 different possible scenarios just surrounding the possible return of 2020 NHL hockey in July, saying the company will only cross that difficult bridge when our winding path gets there.
