Sorry for all the Canada-centric posts but things are rockin' up north.... SPORTSNET ONE launches Aug 14th in canada and they kick off with the Chelsea v West Brom match!!! Full article HERE. Its a little confusing as to how (or even why) the service is being launched with Sportsnet already running 4 regional networks. But my guess is that all of the EPL matches end up here (except for perhaps some going to regionals if bumping against MLB or NHL). SA
So Rogers has the CRTC licenses for Sportsnet (expanded basic regional sports), Sportsnet ONE (digital national sports), and "Sportsnet 2" d/b/a Setanta Sports Canada (digital soccer/rugby/aussie rules/cricket). EPL viewers in Canada will need 4 channels to catch all the games: TSN2 (23 matches on Saturdays 7:45am or 8:45am ET, 12 matches on Mondays 3pm or 4pm ET) Sportsnet ONE (23 matches on Saturdays 12:15 ET, 12:30 ET, or 1:30pm ET) Sportsnet regional networks ("B" match on Saturdays 10am ET or 11am ET) Setanta Sports Canada ("A" match on Saturdays 10am ET or 11am ET, Sundays at 8:30 ET or 9:30am ET, Sundays at 11am ET or 12noon ET, all remaining Saturday matches from 10am ET or 11am ET via tape delay, all remaining Sunday matches via tape delay)
Sportsnet has NOT unveiled their EPL schedule as of yet. The Saturday 10am ET match could just as easily end up on Sportsnet One, which would make Canada a mirror of the US as far as how many carriers it takes to show the EPL. There certainly are no conflicts early Saturday morning. My guess is its the late night "Setanta Match of the Day" that remains on the regionals as their only EPL coverage (besides repeats of S-ONE matches). Its still wait and see. Reading more on the service, the real beneficiaries of this channel are hockey fans in Vancouver, Calgary and possibly Edmonton which should see their teams move away from individual PPV platforms. SA SA
I sent Sportsnet a message on Twitter, they said the main channel will air live Premier League coverage. I'm guessing it will only be 2nd choice of 10am matches. However, it is also possible that the 12:30pm game will only be on Sportsnet One for one week to help with the launch of the channel. For example they are showing Jays-Angels and Giants-Padres games on Sportsnet One that day simply to help launch the channel.
I wonder if there will be a delay on geting this channel over to Bell TV. I remember that TSN2 had a tough time getting on Rogers Digital Cable, and it took a Blue Jays series in Boston (which was being aired by TSN2 - no surprise on TSN's part) to finally put the channel on Rogers' line-up, quite some time after the initial launch of the channel...
Bell only owns 15% of CTVglobemedia which owns 80% of TSN, so I don't think it will be a problem. Bell won't want to lose satellite subscribers to Shaw Direct. If there is any problem it will be Shaw Direct adding the HD channel because they are running out of space for HD channels. Setanta HD is coming too so it will be interesting to see if they add one or both of them.
Rogers has to schedule 2 English soccer matches simultaneously on 23 Saturdays at 12:15pm ET, 12:30pm ET, 1:15pm ET, or 1:30pm ET: an EPL match on Rogers Sportsnet ONE and an EFL "Championship" (i.e. 2nd division) match on Setanta Sports Canada. Having Rogers Sportsnet ONE available allows Rogers to air both matches live: EPL on Sportsnet ONE, EFL on Setanta. (In the past, Setanta Sports Canada would air the EPL match live and the EFL match via tape-delay.) == Also note that the Sportsnet ONE CRTC licence specifically mentions UEFA soccer properties, which means Rogers can put yet another UEFA Champions League match live on Sportsnet ONE, for a grand total of 4 live matches: "A" match on Rogers Sportsnet Ontario and Pacific "B" match on Setanta Sports Canada "C" match on Rogers Sportsnet East and West "D" match on Rogers Sportsnet ONE
I meant that the 12:30pm game could move to Rogers Sportsnet after the first week, nothing has really been confirmed about that yet. I agree about the Champions League, this should mean that in the group stage we will see the 2 matches each day involving English clubs (assuming Spurs advance), plus two matches involving major non-English clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, Milan, Bayern Munich etc.