Sports & Play
MLSE Keeping Toronto Raptors Fans in the Dark
MLSE (the owners of the Raptors, Leafs, TFC , and the Marlies) have rewarded TSN the rights to broadcast 48 Raptors games, 25 of which will end up on TSN2 - a channel accessible to only Bell TV and Star Choice subscribers in Toronto, and not Rogers. As a result, many Toronto basketball fans have been left in the dark, unable to watch their beloved Raptors on TV.
On the surface this seems fine, but the problem here is that the majority of Raptor supporters in the Toronto area will be unable to watch these games. The very people that pay to go to the ACC, and support the team can't watch at home? How can this happen?
One of circulating theories out there has been that the takeover bid of BCE (Bell Canada Enterprises) by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (a majority stake holder in MLSE) could benefit from this move because Rogers is the main competitor of BCE. But with this week's news that the OTPP takeover of BCE is officially dead pretty much silences this theory.
Other public opinion suggests that TSN has simply tried to force Rogers' hand. By putting these games on TSN2 they knew full well that the public would pressure Rogers into eventually offering the channel.
To date, fans have only missed one game, but come December 15th (when the Raps take on Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets again), we'll be looking frantically for a nearby sports bar that has TSN2. Anyone know of any sports bars downtown that will be showing the game? I don't really feel like calling bars and asking them which cable services they're subscribed to.
Whatever the reason for this debaucle is, MLSE (if they cared about there fans at all) must pressure the two sides into working out a deal by Monday. I can't help but feel if this TV standoff were affecting the broadcasting of the Leafs, Torontonians wouldn't stand for it, and it would be quickly remedied. MLSE would never allow 25 Leaf games to air without their core audience able to watch.
We are told that TSN and Rogers cable are in talks... but why the holdup? All other major cable providers in Ontario have picked up TSN2. We want to watch our Raptors!
Written by guest contributor NickT.
Photo by jPile.
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Just do a search on www.Justin.tv and you're almost guaranteed to find the channel being broadcast by someone. Maybe not the best quality, usually slightly better than YouTube, but it beats listening on the radio only!
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Rogers is not affiliated with the Raptors....it is the stupidity and greed of TSN (owned by CTVGlobeMedia...which is a part owner of MLSE!!!) that has caused this.
Remember that D Smith of the Star is a f*cking idiot when he says it is mostly Rogers at fault. They are scum...but in THIS case, it is TSN, MLSE and CTVGlobeMedia. Make sure they know how pissed off you are!!
What I don't understand is why these games aren't replayed on Raptors TV.
I am not such a hardcore raps fan that I would be sad missing these games, but the fact that tsn goes about their business with nothing in mind other than more money make me feed like a pretty big consumer sucker. If it were up to me I would shut down tsn2 (WHICH WAS AVAIL FREE BEFORE AS AN ALTERNATE TSN FEED). Since when do we need sequels for television stations anyways?
oh and they also put all their penguins games on tsn2. hoping that people will buy tsn2 for a chance to watch sidney crosby play. It's deplorable and despicable and there is really nothing much we can do but complain.
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They know they have your money up front no matter what they do, season ticket holders are especially a dead voice. Once the customer has given up money with no chance of refund, the customer care is exactly zero. If you want something done - chill, stop buying their worthless merchandise, go hang out with friends at a restaurant instead of a game, etc...
i think the real problem here is Rogers. it has a stranglehold on the Cable TV market in this fair city and it will do whatever it wants because in many places where satellite dishes are banned, you have no other choice but to go to Rogers.
An interesting option right now for Leafs fans is to purchase a LeafsTV Interactive subscription online, which streams nearly every single Leafs game (except the CBC broadcasts). This includes, TSN, Sportsnet, and LeafsTV. Subscriptions were going for $50 at the start of the year. Quality isn't as good as TV, but it is acceptable and has improved a lot over last year. I don't know if the Raptors have an equivalent to LTI, but something to look out for.
The only twist here is that this concerns a third party that has no stake in the team (TSN) rather than, say if this was Raptors TV. In the end, it's still all about the sports teams trying to demand big cable bucks, which results in putting the games on an extra-tier package, which results in cries from viewers to move that channel to the basic package. Ergo, sports teams maintain viewers and pocket the sweet lucre and viewers never seem to wonder why their basic cable bill just went up.
MLSE and TSN know exactly what they are doing here - end result will be TSN2 on basic cable.
also, i think tonight's game will be replayed at midnight in full.
As a result, the poor fans are left out in the cold. Thank god for the internet and P2P websites...
Tell all your friends...Raptor fans...basketball fans and sports fans. I've had enough of this crap! Time to stand up for our rights!
I have been a very patient a loyal customer of all three of these companies, but now I feel like they're all telling me to go away.
A very frustrated angry customer.
Free-to-air is the only way to fight back.