A FEW YEARS AGO, when digital video recorders first appeared on the scene, many predicted big trouble for the TV industry. Broadcasters sued or threatened to.
After all, if people could record their favourite shows and zip through commercials when watching them hours or even days later how long would it take advertisers who want their messages to be seen and acted on rightnow to lose faith in television's all-encompassing power?
But while many feared the power of the DVR (or PVR), those on the sports side almost welcomed it as an affirmation of the drawing power of that content. They…
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THE SHEER SIZE OF the recent National Hockey League broadcast rights deal with Rogers Communications — an unprecedented $5.2 billion for 12 years – is enough to bend the mind of even the most plugged-in industry watcher.
But what's equally staggering is how fast this all came together. The biggest deal in Canadian broadcast history was conceived and born in the space of about two months. “I've never seen a deal come together this quickly or this smoothly," says Rogers Media president Keith Pelley. “It's really amazing when you think about it."
Driving the need for speed was the lack of…
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TORONTO – Rogers’ new 12-year $5.2 billion broadcast and multimedia deal with the NHL may have grabbed headlines across the country, but will likely have little impact on the company’s bottom line, say industry analysts.
Rogers Communications executives said Tuesday the deal will be immediately EBITDA-accretive to its Media division, predicting an influx of $25 – $35 million in the first year, rising to more than $60 million per year after that. But Dvai Ghose, managing director/head of research for Canaccord Genuity, pointed out that Rogers Media only accounted for 4% of the parent company’s 2013 third quarter adjusted EBITDA.
In…
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TORONTO – One third of full time employed Canadians would give up salary, vacation or benefits to work remotely, according to a survey conducted by Harris Decima on behalf of Rogers Communications.
The Rogers Connected Workplace report evaluates Canadians’ insights and attitudes towards technology driving the move to a connected workplace. It also found that over half of Canadians – including both Baby Boomers and Generation Y – think it’s important to work with the latest technologies and do so from anywhere, but they don’t have access to resources or workplace policies to make this a reality. And these elements…
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MONTREAL – This could be the final year for the puns of Ron McLean and the bombast of Don Cherry.
While Rogers Communications and the CBC have come to an agreement where Hockey Night In Canada will remain a staple on the public broadcaster for four more years, viewers will likely be in for a shock – just as the folks working the program at CBC were surprised this morning.
In a memo to staff, CBC CEO Hubert Lacroix called today’s announcement that Rogers has signed an exclusive $5.2 billion 12-year contract with the NHL for the broadcast and multiplatform…
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TORONTO – It’s a stunning deal in its breadth and depth. Rogers Communications and the National Hockey League today announced a 12-year $5.2 billion broadcast and multimedia agreement that includes all national rights to NHL games on all platforms in all languages.
The agreement, the largest media rights deal in league history, begins with the 2014-15 season and continues through the 2025-26 season. This marks the first time a premium North American-wide sports league has granted all of its national (Canadian) rights to one company on a long-term basis, says the press release.
Rogers also announced today it picked CBC…
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TORONTO – According to, well, “TSN hockey insider” Bob McKenzie, the National Hockey League will announce on Tuesday that the CBC and Rogers Media have teamed up to grab the national television rights to NHL hockey games in Canada.
While we don’t know the details at this point, another source with knowledge of the talks said it’s expected that Hockey Night In Canada will continue on the CBC for the length of the deal (which is not yet known) and that Rogers Sportsnet will become the home of NHL hockey for the foreseeable future (its regional networks have local rights…
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TORONTO – Most Canadians value their television subscriptions, including the channels and packages available to them, but want the opportunity to further customize those packages, according to a Harris/Decima poll conducted on behalf of Rogers Communications.
Of those Canadians surveyed in the poll, 78% said they subscribe to TV services from a cable or satellite provider. Other highlights from the survey include:
Remote control reigns – Canadian viewers still enjoy surfing a wide-range of channels:Over 70% of the TV customers' surveyed claim their subscription is important for their household's entertainment needs, and the same percentage reported being happy with the…
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TORONTO – Call this a case of bad news, good news.
The bad news is that TV Everywhere still faces some serious hurdles before it can really take off for cable operators, telcos and other video service providers. The good news is that video-on-demand (VOD) may be on the cusp of reaping significant ad revenues for Canadian pay TV providers.
These twin assessments of the market for advanced video services emerged from the packed CTAM Canada Broadcaster Forum held Wednesday at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle Hotel. In back-to-back panel sessions, cable operators, programmers, equipment vendors, online experts, audience measurement specialists and…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media wants to get music fans primed for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards with Thursday’s launch of GRAMMYs.ca, a new digital hub available on desktop, tablet, and all mobile devices.
Billed as Canada’s premier destination for all things Grammy-related, the site integrates content from Rogers Media’s television, radio, and publishing brands to offer videos, photos, and stories on the latest music news and artists. Content on the portal also includes performances and interviews with music’s hottest names from City and Rogers Radio stations, profiles on celebrity trend-setters from Flare magazine, in addition…
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