Lack of Amateur & Semi-Pro & Local Sports on Bell

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MrGrinch

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Can anyone hyopthesize why Bell seems so disinterested in picking up amateur, semi-pro, and other special sporting events while competitors seem keen to do. I feel this offers a distinct programming advantage that cable, IPTV, and Starchoice offer that Bell just doesn't seem to jump on.

For example, it was announced yesterday that MTS and Shaw will be carrying the AHL Calder Cup final away games between Manitoba and Hershey.

http://www.theahl.com/headlines/index.html?article_id=10165

As a huge Moose fan (Moose are currently playing in the calder Cup final series) its disappointing that Bell would not pick up these games as well. This isn't the only example where Bell isn't keen to pick up more local sporting. Other examples include:

1) WHL hockey carried on Shaw across western Canada (eg - Calgary Hitmen)
2) Provincial curling playdowns (BC, Alberta, Manitoba) shown on Shaw and Starchoice earlier this year
3) Hamilton Tigercat Pre-Season games shown on Cogeco
4) Numerous Canadian Interuniversity Sports events shown on Shaw (eg - voleyball, basketball, hockey, etc).

Most of these are western Canadian examples... and I'm sure those from other areas would attest to the same (eg - I know Roger's has carried the Ontario provincial curling as well). Anyhow, it's disappointing that cable and IPTV providers do this... as well as Bell's other national satellite competitor... but Bell seems to have little interest in picking up and supporting local and/or amateur and/or semi-professional sporting events.

Too expensive to do? Not enough fan base as national provider? Not enough bandwidth?
 
The problem is for all these extra sports on Shaw/Starchoice it is Shaw that is producing the event and airing them on the Shaw Channel on cable and Starchoice. Obviously Bell is not going to have the Shaw feed or the channel that these events are being shown on. I'm not sure what they are doing with the AHL games. I'm actually surprised theScore isn't showing the games. So unless Bell sends there own production crew out, none of these events will be showing up on Bell.
 
sounds like the carriers you are mentioning are just showing the games on the local community cable channels and if that is the case then that has always been the #1 issue with satellite vs cable because cable is local and the sat companies are supposed to be national carriers. There would be no way for the sat companies to get every local community cable channel across canada.
 
For the AHL I am guessing that they will be showing the in-house camera video feeds. These are the same feeds that are available as online streaming PPV if people want to buy the game. The quality isn't great (only about 4-5 cameras total) but at least you get to watch it. So I would guess that neither MTS or Shaw are spending big $$'s to produce it... just using the AHL feed.

I would challenge Bell to think outside the box and start doing some of these themselves... either purchasing the right to use the feed such as with the AHL above or consider producing themselves. Not suggesting they carry every Canadian public access channel (not possible, belong to cable companies anyways) but just do a few of these events themselves. If cable can self-produce a Wheat Kings - Hitmen game in Brandon for all of western Canada to watch then I don't understand why Bell couldn't do the same at a national level.

Now in Bell's defense I know they have some *some* special broadcasts. A coulpe that come to mind are extra coverage of the Canadian Open and the Toronto Film Festival if memory serves me correctly... but nowhere near the volumes of cable and IPTV.
 
I don't think bell tv should be blamed for not carrying the ahl final. Bell is just a satellite provider they only provide subscribers channels that are available to them.

Just wondering why tsn doesn't show the ahl final they could even show it on tsn 2. Just curious but what is tsn going to show now that the nhl season is over for them and basketball is just about over. I hope they are not going to show a lot of poker. Poker should be on the game show channel.
 
If I remember correctly wasn't it the mandate of Sportsnet to provide local sports coverage. They've taken over the local NHL broadcasts but as far as showing anything else, even regional sports news shows, unless you live in Toronto or Vancouver, you're out of luck.
 
Yes, you have a point that Bell should not be directly blamed. It is unfortunate that no other carrier seems interested in picking up the series (The Score, RSN, TSN, etc). I guess they don't want to go head-to-head with Stanley Cup Finals... even though the Moose are probably the last Canadian pro-hockey team standing in a playoff series right now. Winnipeg has Moose fever -- 30,000 seats sold for the last 2 games which is more than many NHL arenas (a whole other debate!). But notwithstanding that sports nets could/should have picked this up, it does seem that when these situations happen cable, IPTV providers, and even Starchioce seem more keen to go out of their way to make it happen compared to Bell.
 
one thing about shaw direct though is shaw owns both cable and satellite companies so shaw can tap into there cable companies community channels and brodcast them on satellite. Bell does not own any local cable companies. as for IPTV i am unsure about how that service works locally but since its internet based and there service could be located anywhere in Canada i believe its just like how satellite works.
 
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