NFL Sunday coverage changes

[Clancy]

Some programming information for those of you that like to watch Sunday NFL day games from one of the Canadian providers.
This season Global TV network will not with their 7 stations , I think that number is correct, be carrying any NFL Sunday football.
Instead, the larger CTV Network with its 14 stations will be showing the Sunday NFL games.
The various cities have the option to show whatever game they wish for local interest. In the past with Global, it meant there was quite a few different games to choose from.
Now that there are more Canadian cities involved, there could be more games to choose from.
So take your Local Dishnetwork CBS and FOX and the CBS and FOX networks from the Canadian provider plus the various CTV cities on Sunday and your odds of seeing any particular game are pretty good. :up

 

[Mr Tony]

Actually there are 17 (you forgot the 3 affiliates in Kenora, Thunder Bay & Lloydminster)...but I have a feeling a lot of these will group together...but we'll have to wait and see

 

[Derwin0]

CTV is only doing 1:00pm games though. At least Global/CH would show a 4:00pm game.

per NFL rules, Toronto will still have to show the Buffalo game, so that'll take up the HD-East slot, and the the HD-West slot will be pigeonhold by Seattle.

I believe Rogers Sportsnet will be doing the 4:00pm games.

I doubt we'll get any extra games. Global did a good job by splitting games by provinces. With CTV allowing the stations to pick, then more than likely they'll all pick the same hot matchup (with exceptions for Buffalo & Seattle away games).

 

[alebowgm]

Global loses NFL television rights

Found this article over at Digital Home, hopefully this helps...

Global loses NFL television rights

Wednesday, 23 May 2007
After weeks of negotiation, CTV and Rogers announced yesterday a 3-year broadcast deal that will see Sunday afternoon NFL games and NFL playoff games broadcast on CTV and Rogers channels.

Under terms of the deal, CTV secures the rights for the NFL regular season Sunday early afternoon game package (1 pm et) while Rogers will air the more watched afternoon package (4pm et). CTV also secured the rights to all NFL playoff games and the Super Bowl.



The deal, which covers the upcoming 2007, 2008 and 2009 NFL seasons, does not affect Sunday and Monday Night Football games which will air on TSN through to the end of the 2008 season.

The result of these announcements is that Canadian NFL fans will be tuning to CTV for 1 pm games on Sunday, Rogers Sportsnet and OMNI for the 4PM game and TSN for Sunday Monday and Thursday night football games. The pro-bowl and both Thanksgiving games will air on Rogers Sportsnet.



Sunday afternoon NFL football games typically drew between 300 and 500,000 viewers on Global and are expected to do the same on CTV and Rogers.

For High definition television (HDTV) lovers, CTV has said that every telecast will be in HD while Rogers promises more games in high definition, with up to two games available at 4 p.m. thanks to a combination of OMNI. 2 and Sportsnet's four channels - Rogers Sportsnet East, Rogers Sportsnet Ontario, Rogers Sportsnet West, and Rogers Sportsnet Pacific. Sportsnet Ontario and OMNI .2 will broadcast different games.

The big loser in the NFL's switch to CTV and Rogers is Global's CanWest networks which have been airing Sunday NFL games for almost 25 years.

In a brief written statement issued yesterday CanWest stated that it was not "economically sound" to continue with the NFL coverage and that the network would be spending the dollars previously spent on NFL rights to buy more primetime content.



The Globe and Mail also reported that another contributing factor in Global’s loss was the NFL’s concerns with how Global handled the NFL playoff broadcasts in high definition this year which was chronicled in Digital Home's Signal Substitution ruins football game for HD fans

http://www.digitalhome.ca/content/view/1846/206/

 

[Mr Tony]

I believe Rogers Sportsnet will be doing the 4:00pm games.

Rogers Sportsnet & Omni will show the 4PM game

I doubt we'll get any extra games. Global did a good job by splitting games by provinces. With CTV allowing the stations to pick, then more than likely they'll all pick the same hot matchup (with exceptions for Buffalo & Seattle away games).

probably not...Although it would be kinda nice to see the NFC Norris on CKY Winnipeg

 

[Derwin0]

For High definition television (HDTV) lovers, CTV has said that every telecast will be in HD

Considering only the Toronto & Vancouver stations are available in HD, that really says nothing.

 

[alebowgm]

I think what that means is that they will use both the CTV East/West HD feed and not air any of the games in SD, where as there are still some games that the NFL broadcasts that are in SD, so CTV wont select those games...

 

[Clancy]

Lots of good enlightening replies here.
To me it says who needs to pay the exorbitant prices that Dave wants for Sunday Ticket when you can have lots of choices from Charlie and Canada combined.
It has been my choice in the past and will be this year.

 

[Mr Tony]

I get mine from SC, OTA and FTA

 

[daves1]

with ctv buying chum but not being alloed to buy city, that may or may not change this.

 

[Clancy]

with ctv buying chum but not being alloed to buy city, that may or may not change this.

CTV made an offer of over a billion to buy the CHUM stations and was accepted but the regulator CRTC said only if CTV does not own 2 stations in the same city.
CTV is considering. CTV also said to the CRTC that programming would be 100% different. To me that means if CTV shows NFL, Chum stations do not.