Rogers has created a new sports channel called Sportsnet One. It looks like a nice channel as they have taken all of their elite programming off the regular Sportsnet channels and put it on this one, including the bulk of the remaining games on the Toronto Blue Jays schedule.
The problem is that Rogers is also the only cable/satellite provider carrying this channel and they figure to hold the other cable/satellite providers hostage on this as customers will demand to have access to it. So, at the moment only a fraction of Canada even has access to this channel.
Rogers also owns the Blue Jays and you'd think they would want to drum up as much interest (positive) in their team as possible. Not so.
Rogers will win this. They'll get what they want ($$$) and, eventually, customers will be happy and everyone will forgive and forget.
This will never happen, but I'd like to see the cable companies agree to axe the other Sportsnet channels as they won't be worth watching anymore. I mean, airplane racing? That's what you got to watch last night instead of the Blue Jays.
Moving the Jays midseason from one channel to another is a very dirty play. They've also signed contracts to televise regional broadcasts of the NHL teams they already have rights to. Guess what? I'm betting you won't be able to watch the Ottawa Senators on Sportsnet One if you live in Yorkton. It will be blacked out just as it is if you subscribe to all four Sportsnet regional channels at the moment. I could be wrong on that, but I don't think Rogers has national television rights to the NHL. Therefore, all this new channel is is a cash grab. There isn't anything more to watch. They've just moved around what we are already watching, only you will pay more for it in the long run.
In the meantime, feel free to join this group on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Shove-it-Sportsnet-One/120006774715786
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