Upfront 2022: Bell Media balances linear TV legacy and streaming promise

By Etan Vlessing TORONTO – As U.S. studios increasingly promote their streaming strategies, Bell Media is touting mainstream storytelling during this year’s upfront season as it markets a mix of linear TV and streaming content to Canadians. The media giant, after all, is playing for time as it continues to retool its broadcast strategy in response to competition from Netflix and other over-the-top streaming players dominating the Canadian TV market. The goal is extracting value from its legacy CTV and specialty channels — ad-supported linear TV assets bequeathed from the age of airwaves and cable TV – just as Crave, its subscriber...