TORONTO – They’ll probably crack eventually, but so far, the big four of Canadian video distribution, Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications, Bell TV and Videotron have resisted adding the new TSN2 to their channel lineups.
As usual, it’s a fight over money (that and to a lesser extent, packaging and capacity).
TSN2 was the “alternate feed” of the main TSN network, a sometimes on, sometimes off, dumping ground that the sports network used when it had conflicts with two live events. Most of the carriers had it somewhere on the dial and didn’t mind making space for that channel since it didn’t cost them a cent to carry it.
But while it was a way for TSN to show less popular sports for which it had the rights, while more popular fare was on the main network, it was a pain to market and ensure fans of those less popular sports found their game.
“It was a hit-and-miss proposition,” TSN president Phil King told Cartt.ca in an interview this week. “It was very difficult to market.”
Viewers didn’t know where to find it, or worse, they didn’t know it existed. Some carriers had it in a consistent spot. Some changed it from place to place when it was active. Some didn’t carry it at all. For some, “one day the channel was (TSN Alternate) the next week it’s a barker channel,” explained King.
“It was extremely frustrating letting people know where and when to find these things.”
So, this new version, TSN2, or “le deux” as one of its hosts described it on the air (ESPN used to call its own ESPN2 “the deuce”) is a 24/7 sports channel offering some live programming – such as last week’s U.S. Open tennis – and a lot of taped stuff.
King acknowledged the new service is “an overflow channel” that will not carry near the high-end programming that’s available on the main net, but it will let TSN make better use of its programming assets by rebroadcasting items, like weekday golf afternoons, in prime time. It will also help with games and car races rescheduled due to weather – and let its western viewers watch action – albeit tape-delayed – in prime time.
“It’s all about consumer choice,” said King.
But because the channel used to carry no subscription fee, the big four carriers are playing hardball, especially since TSN insists TSN2 has to be carried on digital basic. Certain contracts the broadcaster has with some leagues say their games have to be on a widely available cable tier and not a small sports pack, for example.
So why is TSN charging for something that used to be free? TSN Alternate “wasn’t a business,” said King. “We were buying the rights and then giving them away… TSN2 is a business and not a charity. Sports is the most expensive kind of programming there is, so we have to charge a fee.”
King declined to say just what kind of fee TSN2 is demanding, except to say “it’s nowhere near what we charge for TSN. It’s a fraction of that.” TSN’s basic rate is $1.07 per subscriber per month.
The broadcaster has been applying pressure to the carriers, too, by urging viewers to call their service provide. And this past weekend, where weather played havoc with tennis and car racing, and saw some U.S. Open tennis shifted to TSN2, there were at least some angry phone calls into Rogers, Shaw and the like.
“We are going to aggressively make the channel the best we can… but we’re not going to weaken TSN on purpose,” noted King.
What will push carriers into coming to a deal is more, differentiated, programming, like a deal about to be announced for 40 NHL games featuring American teams (all the Canadian teams games are bought and paid for already…) to be carried on TSN2.
“This is a schedule of games exclusive to TSN2,” King said.
While the big four have abstained so far, cable company Cogeco has added TSN – and in a slot King hopes others will use – right next to the main network on the digital dial.
The broadcast exec says he does understand the reluctance of the satellite and cable companies to sign on right away, since there have been a number of sports digi-nets to come on stream which didn’t follow through on the programming front.
That’s not going to be an issue with TSN2, he added. “We expect it to be the top-rated digital channel,” King enthused, saying he expected to make a carriage announcement with one of the big four “soon.”
