By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers has received the final regulatory approval it needs to purchase Bell’s 37.5 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), after the CRTC greenlit its purchase of the corresponding portion of NBA TV on Thursday.
As a result of the approval, Rogers now owns 75 per cent of Toronto Raptors Network Ltd. (TRNL), which it valued at $37.2 million for the sake of determining tangible benefits. It offered to pay $3.7 million (10 per cent) to the broadcasting system as a condition of approval, which the CRTC accepted.
The CRTC divided those amounts as follows: 80…
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Rogers announced Wednesday it has completed a $10-million project using an undersea fibre line to connect the Southern Gulf Islands to mainland British Columbia, enabling it to deliver Xfinity internet service to 3,000 homes and businesses on Pender, Mayne and Galiano Islands.
“We are committed to bringing the best communications and entertainment experiences to customers across the country,” Bret Leech, Rogers’s president of residential, said in a press release. “Now residents on the Southern Gulf Islands can use Rogers Xfinity, Canada’s most reliable internet, to stream, make video calls and more.”
Customers on…
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Rogers said Wednesday that it has received all sports league approvals to buy Bell’s 37.5 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE).
The cable giant got approvals from the NHL, NBA, CFL, MLS, and the American Hockey League (AHL) to become 75 per cent owners — which it values at $15 billion — in the sports empire.
The company now requires CRTC approval “to acquire an additional indirect interest in Toronto Raptors Network Ltd (NBA TV Canada), representing a very small portion of the transaction,” it said in a press release.
“We’re pleased to have league…
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Rogers Communications announced Tuesday it has started to deploy Ericsson 5G Advanced technology on its national network, calling it “a first for a Canadian operator.”
“5G Advanced will help unlock the full potential of 5G for businesses and consumers,” Mark Kennedy, chief technology officer of Rogers, said in a press release. “We continue to invest in Canada’s largest 5G network and are proud to be the first in Canada to bring 5G Advanced technology to our customers.”
Rogers said it is rolling out Ericsson’s 5G Advanced RedCap software to power next-generation Internet of…
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As the one-year anniversary approaches for Rogers’s licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery for the rights to the HGTV and Food Network brands and English-language U.S. content, Rogers Sports and Media announced Monday it has greenlit 11 new Canadian original series — representing more than 115 hours of programming — for the Canadian versions of the lifestyle channels.
“We are proud to collaborate with an incredible group of Canadian production partners and personalities to bring nearly 120 hours of original unscripted programming with both big household names and new voices,” Kale Stockwell,…
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Quebecor said it welcomes the decision
By Ahmad Hathout
The Federal Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday that the CRTC did not err when it chose Quebecor’s rate to access Rogers’s wireless facilities as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) during final offer arbitration (FOA).
The court rejected all three arguments the cable giant put forth for why it believed the regulator erred when it chose the lower rate, which it argued was unjust and unreasonable per the Telecommunications Act.
Rogers argued that the CRTC erred by ruling in July 2023 that just and reasonable rates can “include rates that may…
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By Connie Thiessen
Alan Dark, chief revenue officer at Rogers Sports and Media, is exiting the company, confirmed a source to Broadcast Dialogue, Cartt’s sister publication.
He’ll remain with the company until the end of June.
Dark joined Rogers in 2014 as vice president of national sales, media, moving into the role of senior vice president, sales of Rogers Sports and Media sales division within seven months. He’d been senior vice president of revenue since 2020.
Prior to Rogers, Dark held sales, marketing and revenue roles with CBC, Bell Media, and CanWest MediaWorks.
Dark’s departure announcement comes just ahead of Rogers Sports and Media…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers executives said Friday they feared the CRTC would come out of its hearings on the modernization of the Broadcasting Act emboldened to try to regulate some of the issues it has identified during its current proceeding instead of loosening the regulatory grip it has had on traditional broadcasters.
“We can’t rely on the traditional tools anymore,” said Dean Shaikh, the company’s senior vice president of regulatory affairs. “We no longer have a closed system. We’re competing against massive online streaming giants that have no rules. We need much more flexibility to compete for audiences, subscribers, advertising dollars…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers and Quebecor are challenging a decision by the CRTC to extend by two years the implementation of the next-generation 911 service, saying they will be forced to assume millions of dollars in unnecessary costs for a longer period of time.
The CRTC in March extended by two years the full implementation deadline for the new system, which will allow first responders to receive texts and multimedia messages from distressed callers. Crucially with that decision, the regulator maintained the dual-rate model, meaning originating network providers (ONPs) – which link up with Bell and Telus, the managers of the…
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Rogers announced Thursday it has added more than 150 international channels in over 20 languages to its Xfinity TV roster, bringing its total roster to over 480 channels.
The new channels are now available in free previous through to June 17, the cable company said in a press release. After the free period, customers can subscribe to the particular channels or get them through theme packs.
“We’re proud to bring Canadians the most TV content and best entertainment experience,” Bret Leech, Rogers’s president of residential. “Our world-class platform seamlessly integrates this TV content, which now includes 150+ channels from around the…
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