Sportsnet and baseball: More choice or cash grab?

Let's examine the curious case of the 24 Toronto Blue Jays games previously owned by CBC.

When the public network decided last fall that it couldn't afford to keep losing money on the Jays, it dropped baseball -- leaving the team with 24 more games to try to get on television. TSN wasn't interested, so Rogers Sportsnet took them. 

But Sportsnet apparently decided to take advantage of the situation to promote its regional package of channels. Those 24 games will be available only in the Ontario and Pacific regions. Those living in the West and East regions will get other major league games.

Sportsnet says it's doing this to offer viewers more choice. To illustrate that point, a release sent out yesterday points to the fact that the four Sportsnet feeds will carry 24 baseball games next week -- an impressive number.

In fact, I did hear from two viewers who were keen to watch tonight's Boston-New York game and were thrilled to hear it was on Sportsnet West. I also heard from others in Atlantic Canada and the west who called this a blatant cash grab, in effect forcing them to buy the multi-feed package.

Many fans in those regions aren't too happy about not getting to see their beloved Jays. They're Blue Jays fans first, baseball fans second. And they can't understand how a Rogers-owned channel is depriving them of watching the Rogers-owned Blue Jays.

Sportsnet, of course, has offered a solution. Those living in the East and West can buy the digital Sportsnet package (available at popular prices) and have a choice of watching the Yankees and Red Sox  night or the Jays and White Sox.

Technically, they are being offered more choice. The catch is they have to pay for it.

Comments

[MikeinFSJ]

To me, if you’re a true Jays fan you will buy the package or order the mlb extra package to insure you will get all there games and stop whining about which channel its on. I think its great that we have choice for tonight’s games. I hate both the Yanks and Sox but I often watch them or rout for the Sox when its televised. You can’t in good conscience rout for the Yanks, a organization that represents everything that is wrong with a salary cap free league who goes out an try’s to buy themselves a championship year after year. I love the youth movement we are seeing with our Jays and see good things in the near future for the organization.

[Jim F]

"They're Blue Jays fans first, baseball fans second."

That statement single-handedly explains that those people are not really serious baseball fans. If someone enjoys Major League Baseball, then they should enjoy any Major League Baseball, regardless of what teams are playing.

I am happy to have a choice of flipping between different games, instead of having to see the Jays most of the time, even if the Jays game score is lopsided. We have access to four Sportsnet channels - what's the point of having four if they're all showing the identical game. I am very happy that Sportsnet is doing what they're doing, and showing other games on their alternate (East/West/Pacific) channels at the same time.

For those in the East and the West regions, it comes down to two basic principles: (1) you get what you pay for, and (2) you don't have a "right" to see any game - the Jays, Rogers Sportsnet, and your cable/satellite company are all private businesses. You can choose to purchase the other channels, switch service providers, or just refuse to watch. Sportsnet made a business decision - some people will be happy and some people won't be. Their advertising revenue from this decision will determine if it was right or wrong, and what they decide to do in future years.

[VanDave]

"Technically, they are being offered more choice. The catch is they have to pay for it."

Well, duh!

[Mike]

I understand why this is beneficial to sports fans and appreciate the fact that I could have the option to watch an extra innings game when the Jays were up 12-0 last night. But it still doesn't make sense to me why Rogers wouldn't set this up so all analog carriers had the Jays and one of the additional digital package feeds are used to show the Red Sox or whoever. Everyone who pays for digital still gets a choice of games, but the Jays (Canadian team and Rogers owned) are available to all who get just 1 Sportsnet channel.

Or better yet, why doesn't Rogers finally do something with the license they have for the MLB Network? Model it after RaptorsTV: produce enough original Canadian content per the CRTC and import doubleheaders every night from ESPN,TBS,YES etc. featuring American teams (and not just the AL East either, there are 25 other teams in the league). That 1 channel alone could show more than a dozen games a week.

[Josh O'Donnell]

Where I live Rogers doesn't offer digital, I wonder if they are also losing customers to Bell/Shaw Direct because of it?

[Boca Junior]

Paying for something you want to watch? Now that's a novel concept. My problem has always been, being made to pay for stuff that I DON'T want to watch.

[Aaron]

To the comment by Jim F above. I would say most baseball fans from Toronto including myself, are Blue Jay fans first and baseball fans second. And I'm a baseball fanatic!

[paperwait]

I live in Regina and have Sportsnet West as part of my HD package.

Baseball was one of the primary reasons I switched to an HD tv and HD feed. My provider only offers Sportsnet West in HD, not Pacific or Ontario.

So, these changes mean that I am listening to a bunch of games on the radio, while the Yanks and Red Sox are broadcast on Sportsnet.

I am less than amused.

[Tom G]

I think this move by Sportsnet is great! Especially with the Jays in contention - so far the AL East appears to be a battle between the Jays and the Red Sox, I'll be able to flip channels between the Toronto and Boston games (as well as the Yankees game) and see what is happening with all three teams! Kudos to Sportsnet to offer more choice, instead of showing the identical game on all four Sportsnet channels (which I'm paying for as part of the VIP package).

Aaron, those people who call themselves "Blue Jays fans first and baseball fans seconds" are not really baseball fans - their wants have to come below those who are true baseball fans and want to follow all of MLB.

[Rick Gross]

Beloved Blue Jays? Oh please. They're Tranna's team, and the rest of Canada could care less.

[Rick Gross]

Gee, guess you only allow negative comments towards hockey and the CFL eh? Baseball is beyond reproach? What a joke.

[tah]

THis situation works very well for me - I get more Red Sox! and I get to watch the Yanks lose - double win!

While I am happy that the Jays are off to a good start, does anyone really think it can last?

It would be nice to have both options but if I am really keen on a particular Jays game I will follow them on the internet.

[Norman Anderson 3rd]

I have a star choice dish (shaw direct now ) which recently put all the sportsnet feeds on the essentials package ( which is the basic package ). The other night I got to watch the Red Sox and flick to the jays game . It was cool to do this . Getting a choice is a key . I've always been a Red Sox and Cardinal fan . I used to be an Expo fan but hardly a Jays fan . But because the different teams were on , I was actually watching the games . I can't afford mlb extra innings package but this will do in the long run especialy if some fantasy players ,I draft , are playing that night .
And NO , I'm not doing a plug for Star Choice . lol

[g]

Add the extra SN channels for $2.99 extra per month