The Sports Network

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The Sports Network (TSN)
TSN logo
Type Cable television specialty channel
Country Flag of Canada Canada
Availability National
Owner CTV Speciality Television Inc. (CTVglobemedia 80%/ESPN 20%)
Launch date September 1, 1984
Past names Total Sports Network (Launch-?)
Website www.tsn.ca

The Sports Network (TSN), is a Canadian cable television specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports television channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the second group of Canadian specialty cable channels. Essentially designed as a Canadian version of ESPN, the extremely successful American all-sports cable channel, TSN remains the top-rated service on Canadian cable and satellite television.

Contents

[edit] History

TSN logo 1984-2001
TSN logo
1984-2001

Licensed by the CRTC on April 2, 1984 as Action Canada Sports Network, the channel launched on September 1st of the same year as TSN (Which originally stood for "Total Sports Network" but later was revised to simply "The Sports Network"). TSN was originally the property of Labatt Brewing Company, partly to help market the company's flagship products but also to act as a vehicle for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, also a Labatt property at that time. Labatt was forced to spin off TSN once it was acquired by Interbrew to satisfy foreign ownership rules. As of 2005 most Blue Jays games are again on a service affiliated with the owner of the team, but that service is now TSN's chief rival, Rogers Sportsnet.

Labatt's broadcasting assets were sold to a privately held consortium named NetStar Communications, the investors of which included a number of Canadian firms as well as ESPN, which held about 30%. After ESPN blocked two attempts by the Canadian partners to sell NetStar to CanWest Global, CTV acquired the Canadian partners' shares instead in 2000, with ESPN's approval.

Today the majority owner of TSN is CTVglobemedia, which became CTV's parent in early 2001. ESPN retains a minority share, and as part of that restructuring in 2001, got CTV to agree to change the name to ESPN Canada. That change never went through, partly due to the popularity of the TSN brand in Canada but primarily because the CRTC, Canada's broadcasting regulator, refused to allow the name change. ESPN also firmly denied occasional rumors that it would consider outsourcing production of "SportsCenter" or other studio shows to TSN, the way Fox Soccer Channel's FOX Sports World Report is produced by CKND (Global) in Winnipeg. The CRTC did permit ESPN to retain some input on the direction and look of TSN. That decision resulted in ESPN redesigning TSN's logo to look somewhat like its own.

As a result of occasional blackouts for TSN programming, as well as its regional coverage for Toronto Maple Leafs games which is restricted to Ontario, TSN operates two feeds – a main feed and an occasionally-used alternate feed, unofficially known as "TSN2". [1] Regionalized programming can make up a maximum of 10% of the TSN schedule - an average of 2.4 hours a day. In fall 2006, the channel was allowed by the CRTC to air multiple feeds nationally, with the alternate feed only available on digital platforms, as had previously been permitted for Sportsnet. The restriction of only 10% alternate programming remains in place; TSN2's use is expected to be limited to regional games and coverage of additional live events when the main feed is otherwise obligated.

The Globe and Mail recently reported that CTVglobemedia is bidding $1.4 billion over 10 years for full Canadian broadcasting rights to the NHL, which would include cable and over-the-air rights in both English and French, i.e. coverage on CTV, TSN and RDS. This would not affect regional rights, which are controlled by the teams and held mainly by Sportsnet. It is expected that CTV would not air playoff games as regularly as does CBC, due to other programming commitments, but additional games could air on TSN2 and the NHL Network, another CTVglobemedia outlet. [1] However in March of 2007, CBC retained the rights to Saturday night games in a new contract with the NHL.

[edit] Programming

TSN is partially owned by ESPN. The appearance of the "BottomLine" ticker and logo are identical on both networks, although a larger ticker used during SportsCentre is unique to TSN.
TSN is partially owned by ESPN. The appearance of the "BottomLine" ticker and logo are identical on both networks, although a larger ticker used during SportsCentre is unique to TSN.

TSN's flagship program is a highlights and sports news show that airs several times a day. Prior to fall 2001, the show was called Sportsdesk. As part of TSN's corporate restructuring in 2001, ESPN licensed the name SportsCenter and its SC logo to TSN (and permitted TSN to Canadianize the name by spelling it SportsCentre). In the fall of 2001, TSN dropped the name Sportsdesk and replaced it with the ESPN-branded SportsCentre name and SC logo. TSN's news studio was then redesigned to look like ESPN's and even promo commercials were recorded that resembled those used by ESPN to promote its SportsCenter. In 2006, TSN built a new studio to support high-definition broadcasts and on September 25, SportsCentre became the first daily newscast in Canada to be broadcast in HD.

TSN also airs ESPN original programming, including Sunday NFL Countdown, "Monday Night Football" and Pardon the Interruption, as well as a number of events for which ESPN owns the worldwide or North American rights.

The major U.S.-based leagues sell Canadian broadcasting rights separately, hence ESPN-branded coverage is sometimes found on Sportsnet or The Score.

The network covers most major national and international sports, such as National Hockey League, National Football League, UEFA Champions League and Canadian Football League games, and Formula One auto racing. Formula One racing broadcasts are usually produced by TSN using the ITV commentary team. TSN once experimented with using SPEED's American broadcast, but switched after a couple of races due to viewer complaints. SPEED sends only one reporter to races outside North America; the remaining commentators call the race from SPEED's studios in North Carolina.

TSN is the master rights-holder for the CFL, but sublicenses selected games, including the playoffs, to CBC. But, on December 20, 2006, the rights to all CFL games were transferred to TSN and French sister station RDS as of the 2008 season, playoff and Grey Cup games included. [2]

In addition to Monday Night Football and the CFL, TSN broadcasts NBC Sunday Night Football.

It also shares the Canadian broadcast rights to the PGA Tour — for which it airs virtually all early-round coverage — as well as NASCAR, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the National Basketball Association (most games featuring the Toronto Raptors). TSN is the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the NBA Finals.

Coverage of many of these events, especially for the NFL, NBA games not involving the Raptors, UEFA Champions League, Indy Racing League, and NASCAR (starting in 2007), are simulcast with ESPN or ABC. Any ESPN, ABC, or NBC programming available in high definition is usually also available on TSN's HD feed.

[edit] American feeds

TSN often picks up American feeds of NHL games involving American teams if NBC is televising the game in the U.S. so they can sim-sub on Bell ExpressVu. TSN also features extensive Tennis coverage including Live coverage of all 4 Grand Slams as well as the Tennis Masters Series. TSN almost always picks up the American feeds of tennis and golf events.

In almost a reverse fashion, TSN's coverage of the NHL Entry Draft is simulcast on the United States' Versus network, although ESPN did this for previous drafts; this is because TSN offers coverage similar to what ESPN does for the NFL Draft and NBA Draft.

[edit] Hockey

TSN bills itself as the 'home for Hockey' in Canada. TSN holds the rights to broadcast the NHL in Canada except for Saturday nights and playoff games involving Canadian teams (those rights belong to CBC for their Hockey Night in Canada program). On Wednesday nights, they enjoy "exclusive" rights, meaning no regional NHL broadcast in Canada may compete with TSN's. Their broadcasts on this night are branded Wednesday Night Hockey. Their entire NHL package is branded the NHL on TSN. They also air regional games for the Toronto Maple Leafs that are only available in Ontario, except for the Ottawa area. The remainder of the country receives alternate programming in those cases, usually a simulcast of the NHL Network because Toronto accounts for so much of TSN's national audience.

Beginning in 2008-09, the NHL will change the determination of playoff television rights in Canada. TSN will now have the third, fifth, and seventh choices of the first-round playoff series, regardless of the teams involved. This means that, for the first time, Canadian-based teams may have their playoff games appear on cable, instead of over-the-air. [2]

Hockey Canada and TSN are in the middle of a 7-year contract extension that gives TSN the rights to broadcast the IIHF World Junior Championships, Men's and Women's World Hockey Championship, Men's Under-18 World Championships, World Cup of Hockey, Allan Cup, Royal Bank Cup, Spengler Cup, Telus Cup and ESSO Women's Nationals.

[edit] Canadian content

TSN has frequently produced its own coverage of events based in Canada, including NHL, CFL and curling games. The TSN Skins game was an invitational curling tournament sponsored and operated by the network. It has historically had a curling broadcast deal where the round-robin and page-playoff quarter-finals have aired on the network, while the semi-final and final rounds air on CBC.

However, as of June 15, 2006, the Canadian Curling Association announced that TSN/CTV will obtain exclusive rights to curling broadcasts in Canada as of the 2008-09 season[3], shutting the CBC out of the championship weekend for the first time in 40-plus years.

Canadian University sports events are also sometimes featured, as well as coverage of both women's international hockey and NWHL games.

[edit] Wrestling

TSN featured live professional wrestling in the form of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s flagship show, RAW for over a decade. However, the WWE Raw program, which aired live, occasionally had been censored live for extremely violent scenes, or when female wrestlers or characters were assaulted by male wrestlers. These actions are supposed to be in order to meet Canadian broadcast standards, with repeat broadcasts often more heavily edited.

This has disappointed many wrestling fans over the years, and is unusual since the violence of wrestling scenes are not significantly different from other television programs aired on regular Canadian networks. It was expected that in fall 2006, when TSN started airing the ESPN iteration of Monday Night Football (as well as the NBC Sunday Night Football games), that WWE RAW was expected to air on tape delay during the NFL season. However, WWE decided to move the program to The Score rather than air on tape delay, although RAW continues to air on tape delay on The Score by 15 minutes, for editing purposes.

In 2004, both TSN and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) Wrestling, (known then as NWA-TNA), erroneously announced that iMPACT! would air on the network, however the deal was never completed and the article on the TSN Wrestling page was taken down shortly after. However, TSN's French-language sister network RDS airs the program.

In past years, TSN also aired shows from the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Stampede Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Monday Night Nitro, as well as producing a one-hour show called Pro Wrestling Plus, which featured highlights from various promotions and was hosted by Stampede announcer Ed Whalen; that program was the Canadian equivalent of the syndicated American program Pro Wrestling This Week.

The final episode of WWE RAW, aired July 31, 2006, although it did not end the relationship between TSN and WWE as the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame induction cermoney was aired on the network.

[edit] Criticism

Outside Ontario, critics jokingly call TSN the Toronto Sports Network, and charge it with a bias towards Toronto teams. This is an extension of the general criticism within Canada that government and national networks focus on Central Canada at the expense of the rest of Canada, particularly the West. Some consider this to be justified, being that Toronto is the largest market in Canada. This perception has been taken advantage of by the network's main rival Rogers Sportsnet, which operates four different regional feeds so as to air more regional coverage of local teams. The broadcasting of events with limited interest in Canada (such as NASCAR) instead of more popular events such as Canadian Football League games is also a frequent bone of contention. This may be addressed by the recent approval of an alternate feed and broadcasting of all CFL games starting in 2008. When TSN aired the 2007 Telcel-Motorola 200, TSN chose to air it at a late night timeslot and abbrieviate its coverage of the events by cutting the period of time between lap 4 and lap 32 in the span of one commercial break.

[edit] Other affiliations

RDS is TSN's French sister station.
RDS is TSN's French sister station.

TSN's sister French language sports service is Le Réseau des sports (RDS). Other services managed by TSN include ESPN Classic Canada and NHL Network.

TSN also hosts much of Canada's supplementary Olympic coverage, being the first pay-TV station in the world to ever broadcast the Olympics with the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, and having been part of the CBC's coverage from 1996 to 2008. The station will be part of CTV's coverage from 2010 to 2012. TSN has a similar agreement with Rogers Sportsnet to share coverage of soccer's World Cup.

Sports news segments on CTV owned-and-operated stations and on CTV Newsnet are co-branded with TSN.

[edit] Personalities

[edit] Original programs

  • CFL Live- Live coverage of CFL games with Dave Randorf in studio and an all-star panel joining him to analyze the games- Jock Climie, Matt Dunigan and Chris Schultz. Friday broadcasts are known as Friday Night Football.
  • In this Corner- The latest news and reports from world of Boxing with Darren Dutchyshen and Russ Anber
  • NHL on TSN- Live coverage of NHL games
  • Off The Record- talkshow featuring various personalities discussing the latest Sports headlines with Michael Landsberg
  • SportsCentre- Flagship news show on the network
  • TSN Profile- Biographical portrait of various sports personalities
  • TSN The Reporters- Sunday roundtable debate that examines the issues making headlines with Dave Hodge and featuring top Canadian Sports journalists Damien Cox, Michael Farber and Steve Simmons
  • That's Hockey- All the latest news and reports from the NHL with Gino Reda

[edit] TSN HD

TSN HD is a high definition simulcast of TSN that launched on August 15, 2003. TSN HD offers more hours of HD coverage than any other sports service in Canada, including over 900 hours from more than 300 national and international events. Some of the events covered include: NHL, CFL, MLB, NFL and Nascar. On September 25, 2006, TSN's SportsCentre began operating in high-definition.

Also see www.tsn.ca/hd

[edit] The "Parking Lot"

Presently, both TSN and its main competitor Rogers Sportsnet are based in the CTV complex in Toronto. Sportsnet, originally controlled by CTV prior to its acquisition of TSN, has been based there from the start and never moved out. When TV personalities, such as Darren Dreger, move from one channel to the other, it has been referred to as crossing the parking lot, or crossing the street. Some at Sportsnet have complained about feeling like "poor country cousins" to CTV and TSN at Agincourt.[3] Bob McCown, a radio personality for The Fan 590, constantly will make comments that executives from Sportsnet will throw bottles across the street. Sean McCormick, an anchor for Rogers Sportsnet, has said on the air that he has driven to work with his wife who works for TSN, Jennifer Hedger.

In 2007, Rogers Sportsnet will leave the CTV compound in Agincourt to downtown Toronto to the Rogers Campus, a cluster of buildings in the Mount Pleasant-Jarvis Street area. [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ This should not be confused with the separate "TSN2" channel approved by the CRTC in 2000, but never implemented due to restrictions on live programming.
  2. ^ http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/2007/03/27/3844918-sun.html
  3. ^ a b Going Downtown. Globeandmail.com. Retrieved on March 23, 2007.

[edit] External links

[edit] Competition

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