TSN going to five channels

[url]http://www.tsn.ca/toronto/story/?id=451378[/url]

TSN has announced that starting this fall, it's going from having two cable TV channels, TSN and TSN2, to having five channels, TSN1 through TSN5. In the article, it mentions the CFL as one of the live sports events that it covers, but it doesn't mention which of the five channels it'll be on. My concern is that the cable companies, especially non-Bell companies, will throw the additional three channels into a specialty sports add on package - or worse, into separate sports packages. If this happens, and if TSN decides to move the CFL onto one of those channels, this would mean having to pay more to watch games.

The CFL is TSN's highest rated broadcast now after losing much of hockey. It won't be relegated to TSN2-5.

All I know is I pay an extra $5.00 a month for RDS and all they give me is the main channel. No RDSINFO nothing. I’m about to make changes to this cable package of $178.00 a month… Getting a little ridiculous.

I'm assuming the games all remain on TSN1 but you might see expanded CFL programming that might be repeated a few times each week on TSN2, 3, 4 or 5 such as a program like the CFL this Week with highlights from the previous week and preview of the next week's games, panel discussions and some human interest player profiles similar to the programs like that for Premier League Soccer that I've occasionally stumbled across on one of the TSN or Sportsnet channels.

yea CFL is not about to go to TSN 2-5. not after the money they're giving the CFL for the next # of years.

It depends on how the cable companies package the new channels or even carry them? When Rogers moved some Blue Jays games to SportsNet1, there was a hew and cry across the land because many cable co’s didn’t carry the network. After they received hundreds of angry emails and phone calls, most cable co’s carried SN1 on their basic package.

Currently in B.C, TSN2 is not widely subscribed to, being part of a specialty sports package. So when CFL games go on TSN2, few viewers in B.C. are able to watch the games. TSN knows this and probably hopes people in B.C. complain to put pressure on the cable co. to make TSN2 (and 3,4,5) more widely accessible.

Well my cable company is Rogers and isn't likely to include TSN2 in their basic cable that's for sure but yes, you have to complain to have a chance at least.

With the loss of hockey, what possible reason could they have for needing 5 channels? Think of the content they would need to fill that much air time.
Raptors and TFC get bumped to tsn5 while nfl goes to tsn4. What is on tsn 3? Poker and darts? Auto racing on 2 and cfl on 1?
Still, not enough programming to go around.

The same commentary show repeated every hour to cover all time zones in Canada - one of the uses mentioned in the article. Also soccer and golf. But yes, I can see a lot more “sports” like poker getting a lot more coverage on the extra channels. I’m all for that as long as it disappears from the channels carried by my cable company.

Key programming highlights that viewers can expect to see across TSN's suite of five channels include the following:
  • More live game coverage – spanning leagues including NBA, MLS, NCAA and more

  • More choice of games and events taking place at the same time – including multiple curling sheets from Season of Champions events, multiple matches from Barclays Premier League, every game from NCAA March Madness, multiple court feeds from Gland Slam tennis events, and more

  • Expanded coverage of marquee live events – including the World Juniors, Grey Cup, and FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015

  • Effective scheduling of TSN news and studio shows – including broadcasting SportsCentre, Canada’s most-watched sports news show, to serve multiple time zones

  • NHL hockey – including 26 Toronto Maple Leafs games, 52 Ottawa Senators games, as well as pre-season games (available on a regional basis), plus local hockey programming generated by production expansion at TSN Radio stations in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton

  • ESPN programming – featuring more of ESPN’s vast package of college sports, plus ESPN news and studio shows

  • New acquisitions and partnerships – more marquee sports properties to be added to TSN’s industry-leading lineup

The CFL should start a indoor-football league (3-downs, of course) to run in the off-season (starting about Feb.) This would give TSN some much needed Canadian programming, drawing perhaps 250,000 viewers or more. Many CFL fans would tune in to see their team's stars in action while scouting the up-and-coming players. This would also give the players added income during the off-season while the promoting the CFL year-round.

TSN is expanding its number of Channels will be similar to what their partner company ESPN has done.
The CFL would be safe on the top TSN network similar to the NFL being on top ESPN.
Even though they do not have NHL there is still a lot of programming that they will not have room for.
For example they did not have all of the pre season games televised with other commitments conflicting on TSN and TSN2. Likely somewhere along the line of channels there will be space for all pre season games.

Like the CFL before it became TSN programing there ae other sports in Canada that TSN may attempt to take to the next level.
Sportsnet dropped the Ball on the Voyagers cup games between Ottawa and EDM.
TSN2 has a deal with the Toronto Rock. With all of the NLL Lacrosse games being broadcast through there webcast TSN may pick up this simulcast on one of the lower networks.
More coverage of the EPL is likely as well.

Likely with ESPN owning 20% of TSN there will be much more sharing of ESPN programs spread thoguhout TSN3-5.

Still having regional rights to some of the Canadian NHL teams (not sure who or what) but if there is a conflict with two games at once they want to make sure both games are on probably TSN and TSN2 with other progrqaming getting dropped.

Not sure how it would work but TSN could be looking for some regional Canadian rights to such NHL clubs as Buffalo and Detroit who are bordering Canada.

Just spit balling here but they will likley look to build these networks Since TSN is more popular then the Rogers owned Sportnet

People had laughed and mocked me when I suggested that TSN may go with a TSN U channel like ESPNU but here we are 3 more channels open for programing.
Sportnet bought up a Network to launch its Canadian dominate content 360.

there is always horseshoes, bridge games, air hockey competitions, lawn bowling, ringette, monopoly tournaments, chess tournaments, marbles, tiddly winks, hop scotch, dodgeball, red rover, frozen tag, simon says, quick draw contest with paint guns, sandcastle contest, snow castle contests, crab soccer, un modified farm tractor races, log rolling.....

Just the thought of all these things has me too excited to continue

If they didn't believe that there are the "eyes" to pay for the new channels they would't be doing it.

There will probably be a primary/principle type of content for each channel.

LOL!!! You forgot the World Famous International Spelling Bee and the ever exciting “first in show” Dog competition :roll: :lol:

I’m looking forward to those red rover competitions. Those of us old enough to remember playing it - before it was forever banned for being too rough - will probably remember it as a lot of fun. Oddly enough, I don’t remember anyone ever getting injured playing it.

Sadly, all this means is more money for ESPN. I know this country to know well enough that TSN won't suddenly start investing money and brodcasting CIS, or NBL of C games. TSN won't try to put together a new Canadian Soccer League, or they won't show CJFL ,or CHL games... TSN won't invest money in anything Canadian at all.
They will simply pick up more American programing such as NCAAB and NCAAF.They will even pick up the AFL and probably the other AFL too. They will show Spanish, and German Soccer. Even maybe cricket for our growing Subcontient community. Sadly, none of these programes that they are going to waste money on, will draw viewers. It will just line the pockets of ESPN and other foreign brodcasters... I hope these new foreign channels have about have about as much success as WTSN did. The worst part is that TSN has done this so now Rogers will too.. Soon you will see Sportsnet 2 and Sportsnet 365. Even more American sporting programes to flood our airwaves....What ever happened to CBC's sports channel that was suppose to feature amature sports? I guess it's easier to have fixed costs andjust pick up American feeds. When did Canada become so lazy?
If Sportsnet and TSN ever merged we would now have The OCHO. Hollywood has come to reality now....

Bungle, some Bundeslega (sp?), though, pick up a feed, will probably outdraw many Canadian amateur sports games on a Canadian channel and with the Canadian sport, the network would actually have to send a crew. I get that, all Canadian networks have to do is meet their Canadian quota, after that, whatever at the cheapest cost with the most viewers.

LOL!! When my son played football,the coach would sometimes end the practice with a variation of “red rover” called “bull in the middle” You would basically start out with two players in the middle and the rest of the team would have to run and sprint and dodge being tackled by one of them.If a player was tackled he would join the two players in the middle,it would usually come down to the last two or three players and they would have to dodge the entire team as it would be something like thirty odd guys vs three or four,and they wouldn’t stand a chance,great fun that was :lol: and happy to report no injuries,just a lot of tired players at the end of practice and the kids loved it when the coach would Yell Okay fellas!!!Whose up for some “Bull” :smiley: :rockin: :cowboy:

Answers are:
(CBC Sports Channel) - not profitable and decreasing gov’t subsidy;
(American feeds) - yes, profitable;
(Lazy) - not lazy but cheap (i.e. not enough Canadian are willing to PAY to support sports that may draw less than 100,000 viewers at best, which means low sponsorship rates, and insufficient funds to support even a minimal mobile HD unit, production crew, camera/sound operators and on-air personalities).

Anything can be had for the right amount of tax-funded subsidies; is that what you REALLY want?

Translation, CBC is all for Canadian sporting "culture" as long as it's mainly about Toronto and makes big bucks. :wink: