TSN2

Last updated

TSN2
TSN2.svg
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNational
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner CTV Specialty Television
(Bell Media 80%
ESPN Inc. 20%) (Branding licensed from Disney Branded Television)
Sister channels TSN regional feeds
RDS
RDS2
RDS Info
History
Launched1997;27 years ago (1997)
Former namesTSN alternate feed (1997–2008)
Links
Website tsn.ca
Availability
Streaming media
TSN Go www.tsn.ca/tv/

TSN2 is a Canadian English-language discretionary sports specialty channel that acts as the secondary feed of sports-centred channel The Sports Network (TSN) and owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc. It was launched in its current form on August 29, 2008.

Contents

Following TSN's August 2014 expansion of its service into a regional sports network, TSN2 has served primarily as a secondary outlet for national programming. In 2017, TSN2 added regional Montreal Canadiens telecasts.

History

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had approved a separate TSN2 channel in 2000, [1] but was never launched due to a prohibition on live programming. The authority for this channel expired in 2004 and was never re-applied for, so the present TSN2 is not directly connected to the 2000 licence. [2]

TSN2 operates under the same CRTC licence for TSN as a whole, [3] but initially operated under the legal fiction that it was a timeshift channel of TSN for Western Canada. This meant that the majority of programming must have been tape delayed from TSN's main feed, but it could still air a limited amount of alternative programming. With the early 2010 implementation of new conditions of licence from the CRTC which permit multiple feeds with no limits on additional programming, [4] the tape delay is no longer observed, and the channel operates with an autonomous schedule.

TSN alternate feed

TSN first launched what it then called its "alternate feed" in 1997 as a result of occasional regional blackouts for TSN programming in some areas. In its original iteration, the alternate feed could only air on analogue cable in specific areas, replacing the national service, though it was offered in parallel with the main feed on national satellite providers. Alternate programming could make up a maximum of 10% of the TSN schedule—an average of 2.4 hours a day. [5]

In fall 2006, the CRTC allowed TSN to air multiple feeds nationally, [6] with the alternate feed only available on digital platforms, as had previously been permitted for Sportsnet's regional feeds. In essence, this meant that for digital cable and satellite subscribers, TSN now had two channels on which to air programming. The broadcaster's use of the alternate feed changed significantly following this decision, as the alternate feed began to carry a much larger number of live events that could be aired nationally when the main feed was carrying another ongoing event. [7]

Launch of TSN2

TSN2's original logo used from 2010 until August 25, 2014. Prior to 2010, the red-colored curved rhombus was absent, closer resembling the logo of ESPN2. TSN2 New Logo.svg
TSN2's original logo used from 2010 until August 25, 2014. Prior to 2010, the red-colored curved rhombus was absent, closer resembling the logo of ESPN2.

On August 6, 2008, The Globe and Mail announced that the TSN alternate feed would be replaced by a new network known as TSN2. The new channel promised "major league programming" throughout the day, and would have extensive coverage of auto racing and tennis. Unlike the existing TSN alternate feed, which was available free of charge, service providers (and potentially, in turn, consumers) would be required to pay extra in order to carry TSN2, and the alternate feed was discontinued in August 2008. Unlike the alternate feed, TSN2 would also be available in high definition. [8]

Initially, TSN2 was restricted to acting as a timeshift channel for TSN, with most non-live programming being aired on a three-hour tape delay from TSN proper, allowing TSN2 viewers in the Pacific Time Zone to watch many programs at the same local time as TSN viewers in the Eastern Time Zone (ET). However, as had been the case with the alternate feed, up to 10% of the TSN2 schedule could consist of alternative live sporting events that cannot air on TSN due to other programming commitments.

On August 8, 2008, CTVglobemedia and ESPN Inc. (via their joint venture CTV Specialty Television) were granted the CRTC approval for a TSN spin-off called TSN Extra, a channel focuses on college sports plus simulcasts of TSN's sports properties.

The new channel was launched on August 29, 2008, at 7 p.m. ET in standard and high definition, with live coverage of the US Open tennis tournament continued from TSN, followed by an encore presentation of a Friday night CFL game aired earlier on TSN.

Since February 1, 2010, TSN has been subject to revised conditions of licence (since formalized as Category C licensing) that allow TSN2 to operate autonomously from TSN's main channel as a pure multiplex. [4] TSN launched three more multiplex channels—TSN3, TSN4, and TSN5, on August 25, 2014, serving primarily as regional feeds of TSN. [9] [10] [11]

Programming

Upon its launch, TSN2 promised that it would air over 800 hours per year of live events, and that it would also feature repeat broadcasts of live events that were shown by TSN earlier in the night. Repeat broadcasts of TSN's original programming (such as SportsCentre ) would fill out the schedule. [12]

TSN2's alternative programming typically consists of National Basketball Association games featuring the Toronto Raptors, and NASCAR Xfinity Series races. However, it has also included tennis, boxing, baseball, and Major League Lacrosse coverage.

On October 22, 2008, TSN2 announced it would air 25 Toronto Raptors basketball games during the 2008–09 NBA season. However, due to the lack of carriage agreements at the time, these games were not available to cable subscribers in the team's home market of Toronto and other regions served by Rogers Cable. [13]

On August 20, 2010, TSN2 announced it had signed a multi-year agreement with Canada Basketball to become the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of various international basketball tournaments. Under the terms of the two-year deal, TSN2 was the exclusive broadcaster of the 2010 FIBA World Championship, 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women, FIBA Americas Championship 2011, and FIBA Americas Championship for Women 2011. [14] For its 2010 edition, TSN and TSN2 became the new Canadian broadcasters of the Spengler Cup hockey tournament. TSN2 would broadcast most of the tournament's games. [15]

On February 18, 2013, TSN2 introduced simulcasts of two shows from TSN Radio, Mike Richards in the Morning, and the new TSN Drive with Dave Naylor.

As of the 2017–18 season, TSN2 broadcasts regional Montreal Canadiens games, which are subject to blackout outside of the team's designated media market. [16]

Carriage

Providers that carry TSN2 include Access Communications, Bell Aliant, Bell MTS, Bell Satellite TV, Cogeco, EastLink, Execulink Telecom, NorthernTel, Novus, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct, Telus Optik TV, Valley Fiber, Vidéotron, and a number of independent cable systems. [17]

Rogers Cable, which serves much of the Greater Toronto Area, notably did not carry TSN2 from its launch, leaving cable viewers without the ability to view the select Toronto Raptors NBA games that TSN2 aired in the team's own home market in the season following the launch. [13] After months of negotiations, TSN2 was finally added to the lineup in May 2009. [18] The apparent impetus for the deal was a planned broadcast of three key mid-May games between the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox (at that point the top two teams in the American League East) on TSN2; the Blue Jays are owned by Rogers Communications, as is Rogers Cable. [19]

Regulatory status

The Globe and Mail reported on September 15, 2008, that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (who have a licence for CBC SportsPlus, a sports channel focusing on Canadian athletes with a particular interest on amateur sports) and Score Media (owners of The Score, whose ability to air live programming is restricted due to being licensed as a sports news service akin to ESPNews) made a complaint to the CRTC accusing TSN2 of exploiting the rules which allow timeshift feeds for the west coast, subject to regulatory requirements restricting the amount of alternate programming that can be shown on alternate feeds. John Levy of Score Media claimed that TSN2 should not be allowed to sell new advertising on the network based on their interpretation of the rules. [3] However, these complaints were dismissed by the CRTC. [20]

Soon after TSN2 was launched, the CRTC announced a proposal to remove genre exclusivity protections for "mainstream sports" and "national news" channels in the near future. As a byproduct of the decision, TSN would be allowed to use streamlined conditions of licence which states that the service may offer "multiple feeds", without any restrictions on alternate programming. [21] TSN was officially permitted to use these streamlined conditions of licence on February 1, 2010. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citytv</span> Canadian television network owned by Rogers Communications

Citytv is a Canadian television network owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The network consists of six owned-and-operated (O&O) television stations located in the metropolitan areas of Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, a cable-only service that serves the province of Saskatchewan, and three independently owned affiliates serving smaller cities in Alberta and British Columbia.

The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, owned jointly by Bell Media (70%) and ESPN Inc. (30%), itself a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. TSN was established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. TSN is the largest specialty channel in Canada in terms of gross revenue, with a total of CA$400.4 million in revenue in 2013.

Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then was required to divest its stake in the network following its 2001 acquisition of competing network TSN. Rogers then became the sole owner of Sportsnet in 2004 after it bought the remaining minority stake that was held by Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CITY-DT</span> Citytv flagship station in Toronto

CITY-DT is a television station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the Citytv network. It is owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media alongside Omni Television outlets CFMT-DT and CJMT-DT. The stations share studios at 33 Dundas Street East on Yonge–Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, while CITY-DT's transmitter is located atop the CN Tower.

CTV 2 Atlantic is a Canadian cable television channel serving Atlantic Canada owned by Bell Media, with its studios located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc., it operates as a de facto owned-and-operated station of its secondary CTV 2 television system.

Réseau des sports (RDS) is a Canadian French language discretionary specialty channel oriented towards sports and sport-related shows. It is available in 2.5 million homes, and is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc.. Its full name translates as "The Sports Network", the name of its Anglophone counterpart, TSN.

CBC Television is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-language counterpart is ICI Radio-Canada Télé.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omni Television</span> Canadian television system and specialty channel

Omni Television is a Canadian television system and group of specialty channels owned by Rogers Sports & Media, a subsidiary of Rogers Communications. It currently consists of all six of Canada's conventional multicultural television stations, which are located in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and an affiliate in Quebec. The system's flagship station is CFMT in Toronto, which was the first independent multicultural television station in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citytv Saskatchewan</span> Television channel in Saskatchewan, Canada

Citytv Saskatchewan is a Canadian English language cable television channel in the province of Saskatchewan. Headquartered in the provincial capital of Regina, the channel is owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications and operates as a de facto owned-and-operated station of its Citytv television network. Its studios are shared with CBC's Regina studios on 2440 Broad Street in Downtown Regina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NBA TV Canada</span> Canadian sports channel

NBA TV Canada is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). It is the Canadian version of NBA TV, broadcasting programming focused on the National Basketball Association, and its Canadian franchise, the Toronto Raptors.

Sportsnet 360 (SN360) is a Canadian discretionary specialty channel owned by Rogers Media. The channel was launched in 1994 as the licence-exempt service Sportscope, which featured a display of sports news and scores. In 1997, the network was re-launched under Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) licensing as Headline Sports, adding anchored segments to its rolling sports news programming. In 2000, the network gained the ability to air occasional broadcasts of live sporting events, and was re-launched as The Score. In 2012, the network's parent company Score Media announced that it would sell the network to Rogers Communications, which owns the competing Sportsnet family of sports television networks; in 2013, the network was re-branded as Sportsnet 360.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viewers Choice</span> Former eastern Canadian pay-per-view television service

Viewers Choice was a Canadian English language pay-per-view (PPV) and near video on demand service. It was owned by Viewers Choice Canada Inc., which at the time of its closure was majority-owned and managed by Bell Media, with minority partners Rogers Media and ESPN Inc., and had been carried by various cable and IPTV service providers, primarily in Eastern Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aboriginal Peoples Television Network</span> Canadian television network

The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is a Canadian specialty channel. Established in 1992 and maintained by governmental funding to broadcast in Canada's northern territories, APTN acquired a national broadcast licence in 1999. It airs and produces programs made by, for and about Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, it is the first network by and for North American indigenous peoples.

Sports broadcasting contracts in Canada include:

Sportsnet One is a Canadian English-language discretionary digital cable and satellite specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media; it operates as a national sports channel complementing the Sportsnet group of regional sports networks. In addition to the national feed, the service operates a number of additional part-time "companion channels" which carry programming restricted to the local broadcast territories of the teams involved, such that the main feed remains available nationwide.

TSN Radio is a semi-national sports radio brand and part-time network in Canada carried on AM radio stations owned by Bell Media. The TSN Radio brand, and some of the stations' content, is shared with Bell Media's television sports channel, The Sports Network. With the American sports media company ESPN being a minority shareholder in TSN, most of the stations also air some ESPN Radio programming, usually on weekends and/or overnight.

CityNews Channel was a Canadian English language specialty digital cable television channel from 2011 to 2013. It was owned by the Rogers Media division of Rogers Communications, and primarily focused on the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The channel was only available in Ontario and broadcast a single feed in high definition which was also accessible through standard definition televisions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVA Sports</span> Canadian sports network

TVA Sports is a Canadian French-language sports specialty channel owned by the Groupe TVA, a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media. The channel is a general-interest sports network, and the first major competitor to RDS, the only other French-language sports channel in the country.

A Category C service is the former term for a Canadian discretionary specialty channel which, as defined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, operates under the conditions of license for "competitive Canadian specialty services operating in the genres of mainstream sports and national news".

Sportsnet PPV is a Canadian pay-per-view (PPV) service owned by Rogers Communications. It is the PPV service used by Rogers Cable, Cogeco Cable and Source Cable for offering out-of-market sports packages and occasionally other special events. Since October 1, 2014, Rogers and Source have also used Sportsnet PPV as their main general-interest pay-per-view provider, replacing Viewers Choice which shut down the previous evening. The service is co-branded with Rogers' sports channel Sportsnet.

References

  1. CRTC Decision 2000-720
  2. "Final extension" approved in Decision CRTC 2003-599 and expired November 2004
  3. 1 2 "Rivals want TSN2 kicked out of game". The Globe and Mail. September 15, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2008.(subscription required)
  4. 1 2 3 Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-49, February 1, 2010
  5. "CRTC Decision 97-290". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. July 3, 1997. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  6. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2006-620
  7. "CRTC Decision 2006-620". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. November 9, 2006. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
  8. "TSN getting set to launch companion channel". The Globe and Mail. August 6, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. "TSN goes on the offence, unveils three new channels". The Globe and Mail.
  10. "TSN expanding to a total of five national feeds". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  11. "TSN's expansion to five national feeds debuts Aug. 25". TSN.ca. Bell Media. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  12. TSN press release, August 14, 2008
  13. 1 2 "TSN2 gets 25 Raptors games". The National Post. October 22, 2008. Retrieved December 20, 2008.[ dead link ]
  14. "Bell Media Site - TSN". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  15. "Coverage of Spengler Cup begins Dec. 27 on TSN and TSN2". TSN.com. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  16. "TSN's regional NHL coverage features 191 games". TSN. September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
  17. TSN2 channel listings, retrieved May 17, 2009
  18. TSN2 Available to Rogers Customers, Rogers press release, May 17, 2009
  19. TSN2 to Launch on Rogers Cable on Tuesday, TSN press release, May 17, 2009
  20. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-352, December 12, 2008
  21. "Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-103". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. October 30, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.