GameTV

Last updated
GameTV
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNational
Programming
Picture format 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment
Sister channels Fight Network
Game+
AXS TV
History
LaunchedNovember 2005, 19 years ago
Former namesCasino & Gaming Television (2005-2007)
Links
Website gametvnetwork.com

GameTV is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel. Owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it primarily broadcasts competition-based programming, including game shows and reality competition series.

Contents

The channel was first launched in 2005 under the ownership of Stuart Media Group as Casino and Gaming Television (CGTV), which primarily focused on sports betting and televised poker. Larry Tanenbaum's Insight Sports served as the channel's operating partner.

In 2007, the channel was re-launched under its current name, phasing out its casino-based programming in favour of a focus on classic game shows, reality series, and nightly movies. After GameTV was acquired by Anthem in 2016, the channel briefly added sports and sports entertainment-based programming.

History

Official logo as CGTV (2005-2007) CGTV.png
Official logo as CGTV (2005-2007)

As CGTV

In September 2001, Stuart Media Group was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch The Gaming Channel, described as "a national, English-language Category 2 specialty television service, providing live-event interactive programming about gaming or involving gaming. The service will offer programming including shorts and Canadian original programs about gaming that will be knowledge-based and entertaining, with a focus on providing unique insights into daily events of the gaming world and its participants. The service will also allow viewers to play along with Bingo Games, and will provide experimental, interactive and informational programming on gaming odds, lotteries, and the gaming experience in general." [1]

In December 2004, Stuart Media Group announced that it had reached an agreement with Casino and Gaming Television, Inc., owners of the Casino and Gaming Television (CGTV) brand, which would see Stuart Media Group launch The Gaming Channel as a Canadian version of the yet-to-be-launched American television channel of the same name. The agreement would see the Canadian channel launch in May 2005 on Bell ExpressVu and act as, what the companies called, a "test bed" for the American channel which would also launch later in 2005. [2]

The channel would later launch in November 2005 as Casino and Gaming Television (CGTV) Canada on Rogers Cable instead of initially on Bell ExpressVu. [3] Programming on the channel primarily focused on poker, including live and pre-taped tournaments; however, programming on other casino games and casino-related programming did occur. [4]

Upon the launch of the channel in 2005, CGTV Canada was owned by Stuart Media Group, who in turn was owned by a variety of investors, although was ultimately majority owned by what is now called Kilmer Group. [5] The channel was however operated by Insight Sports, [3] of which Kilmer Group was an investor in as well. The channel would go through several corporate reorganizations throughout its history but Kilmer Group would remain majority owner until it sold its interest in the channel in 2016.[ citation needed ]

As GameTV

GameTV logo (2007-2012) Gametv.svg
GameTV logo (2007-2012)

On October 26, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. EST, CGTV was rebranded as GameTV. With the rename, the channel would try to broaden its appeal to a larger audience by focusing on game-related programming including game shows (featuring classic Canadian game shows such as The Mad Dash and Test Pattern among others), reality series, and films, as well as "Watch & Win" contest promotions during prime time with weekly prizes. [6]

In October 2012, GameTV debuted a new logo and branding, and dropped its casino programming. [7]

On August 2, 2016, Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced that it would acquire GameTV pending CRTC approval. [8] The CRTC approved the purchase in November 2016. [9]

With the acquisition of GameTV by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the channel began airing sports and sports entertainment programming, including live/tape-delayed matches and compilations, professional wrestling from the Anthem-owned Impact Wrestling, mixed martial arts programming from the UFC, and all 2017 season matches from the Toronto Wolfpack rugby league team. [10] A high definition feed launched in March 2017. [11] [12]

On March 9, 2018, the CRTC approved of a previously unannounced sale of the channel from Anthem to Remuda Media, a newly established broadcasting company. [13] Shareholders in Remuda Media previously was granted approval from the CRTC to launch The Country Channel, noted at the time as a "service that would offer programming aligned to the interests and needs of rural Canadians." [14] In its application, it was noted that Remuda Media was unsuccessful at launching The Country Channel, and turned its eye to acquiring an existing channel, of which GameTV would be used to launch the service, or one similar. However, in July 2018, Anthem Media sent a letter to the CRTC stating that the proposed transfer in ownership from Anthem to Remuda was terminated, and Anthem would retain ownership of GameTV.

On April 1, 2019, FNTSY Sports Network was quietly replaced in Canada by a newly-launched sister channel, Game+.

In August 2020, the channel introduced a new weekend block featuring music programming from new U.S-based sister network AXS TV. [15] In 2020, it premiered an original documentary series, The Search for Canada's Game Shows, which chronicles the history of Canadian entries into the genre. [16]

GameTV would begin airing coverage of LIV Golf, alongside Game+, in 2023. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corus Entertainment</span> Canadian media/broadcasting company

Corus Entertainment, Inc. is a Canadian mass media and television production company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio, Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. Corus is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comedy Gold (TV channel)</span> Canadian specialty television channel

Comedy Gold, formerly known as TV Land Canada was a Canadian English language specialty channel that was owned by Bell Media focused on sitcoms and sketch comedy programs from the 1970s to 1990s.

Cottage Life is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Blue Ant Media. Operated as a brand extension spin-off of the magazine of the same name, the network originally aired a variety of programming focusing on the cottage and rural lifestyle genre within the core themes of DIY and design, food and entertaining, real estate, and outdoor living. It now primarily airs a limited slate of reality and engineering-focused programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Channel (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian cable channel

Family Channel is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by WildBrain Television Inc., a subsidiary of WildBrain. The network primarily airs children's television series, teen dramas, as well as other programming targeting a family audience. Despite having its own headquarters in the Brookfield Place office in Financial District, the channel is transmitted from Corus Quay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oprah Winfrey Network (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian TV channel

Oprah Winfrey Network, more commonly shortened to OWN, was a Canadian English language discretionary service channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The network's owner, Corus Entertainment, licensed the OWN brand and its American programming from Warner Bros. Discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slice (TV channel)</span> Canadian TV channel

Slice is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts programming targeting young adult women, including general entertainment, reality, and true crime programming.

Cooking Channel is a soon-to-be-defunct Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel majority-owned by Corus Entertainment. Dedicated to programming related to food and cooking, it serves as a spin-off of Food Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MTV2 (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian television channel

MTV2 was a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel focused on lifestyle and general entertainment programming aimed at youth and teen audiences. The channel was owned by Bell Media subsidiary of BCE, Inc., with the MTV2 name and branding used under an agreement with the Paramount Networks Americas division of Paramount Global.

Sportsman Channel is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Keywest Marketing Ltd. and the Outdoor Sportsman Group subsidiary of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. It primarily airs informative programming that showcases outdoor lifestyle & adventure, hunting and fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History2 (Canadian TV channel)</span> Television channel

History2 is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Men TV General Partnership, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment dedicated to airing historic and non-historical programming of military, science, and technology interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insight Sports</span>

Insight Sports Ltd. is a sports media and entertainment company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The company is owned in part by Larry Tanenbaum, part owner of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Univision Canada</span> Canadian Spanish language TV channel

Univision Canada is a Canadian Spanish language specialty channel owned by TLN Media Group, in partnership with TelevisaUnivision, the leading Spanish-language media company in the United States. Univision Canada broadcasts a variety of programming, including news, dramas, talk shows, sports, and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Télétoon Rétro</span> Former Canadian French television channel

Télétoon Rétro was a Canadian French language Category B specialty television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was based on the former Télétoon programming block Télétoon Retro and was dedicated to broadcasting French-dubbed animated series that had premiered on television at least 10 years prior to their airing on Télétoon Retro. Along with its English language sister station, Teletoon Retro, combined, both were available in over 9 million Canadian households as of 2013, having the most subscribers among the digital Canadian specialty channels.

Dusk was a Canadian English language specialty channel. Dusk broadcast programming consisting of films, television dramas, and reality TV, and documentary-style television series from the thriller, suspense and supernatural genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G4 (Canadian TV channel)</span> Former Canadian TV channel

G4 was a Canadian English-language specialty television channel owned by Rogers Media. The name was licensed from NBCUniversal, whose parent company Comcast formerly owned a minority stake in the channel. Based on the U.S subscription networks TechTV and G4, the channel was originally focused on technology-themed programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Suite</span> Canadian premium TV networks

Hollywood Suite is a group of four Canadian specialty channels, each either majority-owned or wholly owned by Hollywood Suite Inc., a privately held broadcasting company based in Toronto, Ontario, founded by Jay Switzer, Jeff Sackman, Michael McLaughlin, Cathern Tait, and David Kines.

FNTSY Sports Network is a multinational over-the-top internet television service owned by Sportsgrid Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthem Sports & Entertainment</span> Broadcasting and production company based in Toronto, Ontario

Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian multinational media company based in Toronto, Ontario and founded by Leonard Asper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Chaîne Disney</span> Canadian French television channel

La Chaîne Disney is a Canadian French-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment under license from The Walt Disney Company, and launched on September 1, 2015, replacing Télétoon Rétro. It is a localized version of the U.S. subscription network Disney Channel, broadcasting live-action and animated programming aimed at children in French in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game+</span> Canadian specialty TV channel

Game+ is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Originally launched on March 4, 2014 as FNTSY Sports Network, the channel was relaunched in 2018 as an off-shoot of GameTV.

References

  1. ↑ Decision CRTC 2001-549 CRTC 2001-09-04
  2. ↑ CGTV under Boardwalk Variety 12-15-04
  3. 1 2 Rogers bets on CGTV, the first of a few new channels from a connected, varied, group of investors [ permanent dead link ] Cartt.ca 11-11-05
  4. ↑ Sample Programming Schedule from January 2006
  5. ↑ CRTC ownership chart for Stuart Media CRTC 08-23-06
  6. ↑ Insight rebrands Casino channel Playback Magazine 2007-10-24
  7. ↑ GameTV re-launches, adds new executive team Archived 2013-01-15 at archive.today Cartt.ca 2012-10-11
  8. ↑ "Anthem Sports and Entertainment Acquires GameTV". RotoExperts.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  9. ↑ CRTC Application Number 2016-0763-1; Approval Date 2016-11-25
  10. ↑ Wolfpack Secure Canadian Broadcast Partner [ permanent dead link ] Toronto Wolfpack press release; retrieved 03-10-17
  11. ↑ GameTV goes HD on Eastlink [ permanent dead link ] Cartt.ca 03-09-17
  12. ↑ GameTV launches in HD on Bell Fibe TV [ permanent dead link ] Cartt.ca 03-24-17
  13. ↑ CRTC Application Number 2017-1182-0
  14. ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2011-287, CRTC, 05-03-11
  15. ↑ GameTV Unveils New Weekend Block Featuring Four Popular AXS TV Series, Debuting Saturday, August 8 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET , retrieved 2020-11-26
  16. ↑ "South Surrey T.V. personality narrates new game-show documentary series". Surrey Now-Leader. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  17. ↑ Staff, S. V. G. (2023-02-24). "LIV Golf To Air Nationally in Canada on GameTV and Game+". Sports Video Group. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.