Briefing note to FRIENDS’ supporters Subject: Rogers Acquisition of NHL Hockey Rights From: Ian Morrison, Spokesperson As you may know, on November 26th the NHL announced that Rogers Communications has acquired all Canadian NHL hockey rights for the 12 years from 2014 to 2026. This means that for the first time since the advent of Hockey Night in Canada six decades ago, CBC Television will no longer host Hockey Night in Canada, effective next autumn. Rogers has offered CBC Television the right to broadcast hockey games on Saturday night for four NHL seasons starting in October 2014. However, Rogers will control the content and will sell ads on CBC’s hockey programs. CBC will no longer bear a financial risk for airing Hockey Night in Canada and likewise it will have no opportunity to generate ‘profits’, which in the past have cross-subsidized other CBC programming. Had Rogers not made this offer, CBC would have been cut out from airing Hockey Night in Canada effective October 2014. While this would have had no impact on CBC’s bottom line in the current fiscal year, in the 2014-15 year it would have adversely affected CBC’s finances, with a severe impact beginning in CBC’s 2015-16 fiscal year. Rogers’ offer to CBC reflects Rogers’ own business interest because of the value of CBC’s Canada-wide coverage and production savvy. For details on the economics of CBC Television’s NHL hockey broadcasting, please see paragraphs 12 to 37 of FRIENDS’ October 5, 2012 submission to the CRTC on CBC’s network licence renewals. FRIENDS convened a national discussion called The CBC We Want through the summer and fall of 2012. CBC supporters across the land discussed ideas for the future direction of the CBC, a conversation that will have special significance in the context of CBC’s future choices. You will find more information about this discussion at friends.ca/TheCBCWeWant. FRIENDS believes that the four-year lead time resulting from the CBC’s agreement with Rogers will permit CBC Television to plan for a post-NHL hockey future. Here is an article in todays Globe and Mail about the window of opportunity CBC now has to consider a future without professional hockey. We hope that CBC’s senior management takes full advantage of this cushion.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:24:53 +0000
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