The Canucks still don't have a radio deal and the pre-season is right around the corner

[Elias Pettersson]

The Canucks still don't have a radio deal and the pre-season is right around the corner (msn.com)

 

Five months after it seemed the Vancouver Canucks and Sportsnet 650 were set to renew their radio broadcasting rights deal, nothing has been finalized.

 

No official announcement has been made and no one is commenting officially on the situation.

 

The only news that’s come forth since late February, when the feeling was that a new two-year deal was imminent, is that Corey Hirsch — who had served as colour commentator since Sportsnet snatched the radio rights away from the former TSN 1040 in 2017 — was not returning for the 2022-23 season.

 

Meaghann Cox, a spokesperson for Sportsnet, said the broadcaster had nothing to share at this time. The Canucks also said they had no comment on their radio rights situation.

 

That said, Postmedia understands staff at the station have continued to plan for the season ahead, operating as if they will be broadcasting when pre-season games start in late September.

 

Brian Wiebe, head of BCIT’s radio arts and entertainment program, agreed the situation is very curious.

 

“Who’s the colour commentator? There’s a lot of question marks.”

 

He recalled his days working at radio stations in Merritt, where he was involved with radio broadcasts of the local BCHL team, the Merritt Centennials.

 

“We didn’t sell hockey ads in September, our broadcast ad blocks were sold in June,” he said. “It’s really tough to wait till September. It sucks for everyone involved to say ‘hey we have three weeks to sell it.'”

 

In the last ratings book before Sportsnet’s 650 rival station TSN 1040 was suddenly closed in February 2021, 1040’s share of male listeners aged 25-54, the crucial ad-sales demographic for sports radio, remained reasonable, about 6.5. As a comparison point, the station posted a 7.7 in the final three months of 2011, an era when the team was among the best in the league.

 

Nonetheless Bell Media, the owners of 1040, concluded there wasn’t a future for the station and shut the doors in February 2021.

 

Rogers Sports and Media, owners of AM650, have pressed on. The station picked up some of 1040’s previous listenership, posting a 5.7 share in the first three months of 2022 among male listeners aged 24-54 , which is about three times bigger than 650 was pulling when there were two sports radio stations in Vancouver.

 

But share is a percentage of listeners, not a raw total. And since so few people have home radios anymore and listeners have a multitude of listening options in their car — streaming podcasts and music via your phone, or in-car satellite radio the two most obvious examples — it’s a reasonable assumption that the total number of radio listeners at any given moment is down from a decade ago, when radio’s only in-car alternatives remained CDs and MP3 players.

 

Streaming numbers aren’t publicly shared, though AM650 has told Postmedia in the past they are happy with the volume of downloads and streams of their shows.

 

Adam Seaborn, a Toronto-based media analyst who works as head of partnerships for Playmaker, a digital sports media branding agency, has his doubts about whether this all adds up to a viable future for conventional sports radio.

 

“I think of this purely as a technology story, I don’t think there’s any less interest in listening to sports. They’re just not listening to traditional radio like they used to. The landscape has changed a lot obviously over the last couple years. The question is what is good and what is better?”

 

Teams are want to draw fans to their main event, where they can sell tickets and merchandise. Failing that they can at least get fans to watch on TV, where ad time remains a lucrative source of revenue.

 

“I don’t think (radio) is part of the main event anymore,” Seaborn said.

 

NHL teams build revenue through the national TV deal with Sportsnet, which was negotiated by the league and runs for another four years, and, traditionally, local TV and radio rights.

 

The Canucks’ local TV deal with Sportsnet expires next summer.

 

The local broadcast deals have long had understandable appeal, Seaborn said.

 

“You get to say ‘we’re the official broadcaster of the Canucks’ and sell ads against that, but that only works if there’s a robust radio market,” he said.

 

“If there’s no healthy sports radio ecosystem, who is going to pay for the rights?”

 

And that may be where the Canucks find themselves.

 

“In this country, there isn’t a competitive radio market. For teams, if they’re going to monetize, they’re going to have to look at streaming.”

 

Streaming audio still doesn’t capture the main-event audience, Seaborn argued, but it can serve as a promotional tool, similar to how teams now use social media.

 

The Los Angeles Kings have used streaming for their primary audio broadcast for several seasons now and the San Jose Sharks switched to streaming audio last year.

 

Seaborn wonders if that’s in the cards in the near future, if the Canucks can’t sell their radio rights for a number they consider worthwhile.

 

Streaming audio would bring their broadcast closer to where younger potential fans are. A broadcast should be helping to connect with new fans, Seaborn said.

 

“If no one is listening (to radio), how can I expand the marketplace? How can I sell tickets and merchandise? So maybe I bring it in house and I can generate incremental revenue, like with a presenting sponsor,” he said.

 

“It might make sense to control the whole vertical. If you own your own radio rights there’s lots of opportunity to monetize.”

 

pjohnston@postmedia.com

twitter.com/risingaction

[Sharpshooter]

SportsNet will continue. 
 

This is just posturing. 
 

Like any preseason hockey contract. 
 

Otherwise AM730 will be the home of the Canucks, Lions and WhiteCaps, and I’ll never get a traffic report in the evening ever.  

[Ghostsof1915]

Given that radio is also on platforms like radio player Canada app, it would make sense to be on both. 

 

That way you get Radio and streaming. Doesn't seem that hard. 

[NHL'er]

All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio goo goo
Radio ga ga
All we hear is radio ga ga
Radio blah blah
Radio, what's new?
Radio, someone still loves you

[Nuxfanabroad]

Video killed the radio-'Nucks?

[-AJ-]

Over a month until the pre-season starts, so I'm not particularly worried. Something will probably get done. I imagine there are still enough people that care about radio calls for it to still be a worthy contract.

[Alflives]

5 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

The Canucks still don't have a radio deal and the pre-season is right around the corner (msn.com)

 

Five months after it seemed the Vancouver Canucks and Sportsnet 650 were set to renew their radio broadcasting rights deal, nothing has been finalized.

 

No official announcement has been made and no one is commenting officially on the situation.

 

The only news that’s come forth since late February, when the feeling was that a new two-year deal was imminent, is that Corey Hirsch — who had served as colour commentator since Sportsnet snatched the radio rights away from the former TSN 1040 in 2017 — was not returning for the 2022-23 season.

 

Meaghann Cox, a spokesperson for Sportsnet, said the broadcaster had nothing to share at this time. The Canucks also said they had no comment on their radio rights situation.

 

That said, Postmedia understands staff at the station have continued to plan for the season ahead, operating as if they will be broadcasting when pre-season games start in late September.

 

Brian Wiebe, head of BCIT’s radio arts and entertainment program, agreed the situation is very curious.

 

“Who’s the colour commentator? There’s a lot of question marks.”

 

He recalled his days working at radio stations in Merritt, where he was involved with radio broadcasts of the local BCHL team, the Merritt Centennials.

 

“We didn’t sell hockey ads in September, our broadcast ad blocks were sold in June,” he said. “It’s really tough to wait till September. It sucks for everyone involved to say ‘hey we have three weeks to sell it.'”

 

In the last ratings book before Sportsnet’s 650 rival station TSN 1040 was suddenly closed in February 2021, 1040’s share of male listeners aged 25-54, the crucial ad-sales demographic for sports radio, remained reasonable, about 6.5. As a comparison point, the station posted a 7.7 in the final three months of 2011, an era when the team was among the best in the league.

 

Nonetheless Bell Media, the owners of 1040, concluded there wasn’t a future for the station and shut the doors in February 2021.

 

Rogers Sports and Media, owners of AM650, have pressed on. The station picked up some of 1040’s previous listenership, posting a 5.7 share in the first three months of 2022 among male listeners aged 24-54 , which is about three times bigger than 650 was pulling when there were two sports radio stations in Vancouver.

 

But share is a percentage of listeners, not a raw total. And since so few people have home radios anymore and listeners have a multitude of listening options in their car — streaming podcasts and music via your phone, or in-car satellite radio the two most obvious examples — it’s a reasonable assumption that the total number of radio listeners at any given moment is down from a decade ago, when radio’s only in-car alternatives remained CDs and MP3 players.

 

Streaming numbers aren’t publicly shared, though AM650 has told Postmedia in the past they are happy with the volume of downloads and streams of their shows.

 

Adam Seaborn, a Toronto-based media analyst who works as head of partnerships for Playmaker, a digital sports media branding agency, has his doubts about whether this all adds up to a viable future for conventional sports radio.

 

“I think of this purely as a technology story, I don’t think there’s any less interest in listening to sports. They’re just not listening to traditional radio like they used to. The landscape has changed a lot obviously over the last couple years. The question is what is good and what is better?”

 

Teams are want to draw fans to their main event, where they can sell tickets and merchandise. Failing that they can at least get fans to watch on TV, where ad time remains a lucrative source of revenue.

 

“I don’t think (radio) is part of the main event anymore,” Seaborn said.

 

NHL teams build revenue through the national TV deal with Sportsnet, which was negotiated by the league and runs for another four years, and, traditionally, local TV and radio rights.

 

The Canucks’ local TV deal with Sportsnet expires next summer.

 

The local broadcast deals have long had understandable appeal, Seaborn said.

 

“You get to say ‘we’re the official broadcaster of the Canucks’ and sell ads against that, but that only works if there’s a robust radio market,” he said.

 

“If there’s no healthy sports radio ecosystem, who is going to pay for the rights?”

 

And that may be where the Canucks find themselves.

 

“In this country, there isn’t a competitive radio market. For teams, if they’re going to monetize, they’re going to have to look at streaming.”

 

Streaming audio still doesn’t capture the main-event audience, Seaborn argued, but it can serve as a promotional tool, similar to how teams now use social media.

 

The Los Angeles Kings have used streaming for their primary audio broadcast for several seasons now and the San Jose Sharks switched to streaming audio last year.

 

Seaborn wonders if that’s in the cards in the near future, if the Canucks can’t sell their radio rights for a number they consider worthwhile.

 

Streaming audio would bring their broadcast closer to where younger potential fans are. A broadcast should be helping to connect with new fans, Seaborn said.

 

“If no one is listening (to radio), how can I expand the marketplace? How can I sell tickets and merchandise? So maybe I bring it in house and I can generate incremental revenue, like with a presenting sponsor,” he said.

 

“It might make sense to control the whole vertical. If you own your own radio rights there’s lots of opportunity to monetize.”

 

pjohnston@postmedia.com

twitter.com/risingaction

Strange the article uses streaming in LA as a comparable to where we might be heading.  Pretty crappy article really.  Who in the heck compares any Canadian market with a US one?  Especially LA where hockey sits below the Home Shopping network and Frisbee golf for interest.  

We will have radio hockey broadcasts up here.  Only a moron would think we are going to what the losers in LA are doing.  

[Boudrias]

Bottom line is that sports teams provide content. Broadcasters are desperate for content so they are at the mercy of the providers no matter how they couch it. 

If I remember correctly the new USA broadcast deal with the NHL was delivering about $5 million per year to each NHL team. It made me think that CAP limits 

would increase faster than expected. 

[Coconuts]

CDC can do it, a few members a game can get hammered and have at er on the radio 

 

It'd be insightful (depending on said members) and entertaining 

Edited August 4, 2022 by Coconuts

[JM_]

4 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

CDC can do it, a few members a game can get hammered and have at er on the radio 

 

It'd be insightful (depending on said members) and entertaining 

[Coconuts]

7 minutes ago, JM_ said:

We can start recruiting at the whiskey thread 

[-SN-]

44 minutes ago, Coconuts said:

CDC can do it, a few members a game can get hammered and have at er on the radio 

 

It'd be insightful (depending on said members) and entertaining 

Just broadcast the GDT as text-to-speech, donezo. 

[JM_]

13 minutes ago, -SN- said:

Just broadcast the GDT as text-to-speech, donezo. 

dunno, last year we would have been inundated wth "FIRE GREEN" every 30 seconds. 

[Muttley]

My  

There are plenty of ways to make a radio show really good. I admit, it hasn't been great of late. there is one character that is on way too much. 

Tends to push his narratives a wee bit to much and often. You'd think his own digital magazine would be enough. Grr.

It would be a shame not to have the radio play by play. Doesn't quite sync up with the televised game but within 2 seconds.

All I know is hockey seems to lose out to other sports, way too much. That sucks. 

 

[Coconuts]

21 minutes ago, -SN- said:

Just broadcast the GDT as text-to-speech, donezo. 

And the PGT? Same as radio call ins anyway

[johngould21]

Back to NW, then I wouldn't have to listen to Jas Johal when the Canucks do their Eastern swing games. Not that I do anyway.

[rychicken]

9 hours ago, Sharpshooter said:

SportsNet will continue. 
 

This is just posturing. 
 

Like any preseason hockey contract. 
 

Otherwise AM730 will be the home of the Canucks, Lions and WhiteCaps, and I’ll never get a traffic report in the evening ever.  

I don't understand why they don't combine the traffic with the game play by play

 

"Baldisimo down the left touch line is met by a crowd of defenders.....speaking of meeting a crowd - there's a 4 car pileup on Highway 91 by the 8 road overpass."

"Touchdown Rourke! Speaking of a touch down...if you're near YVR, the Dinsmore bridge is currently stuck open"

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

1 hour ago, -SN- said:

Just broadcast the GDT as text-to-speech, donezo. 

Only if they use the Rocket Raccoon voice for text-to-speech.

[Mad Jon]

I suggest that Deb and Alf do the radio broadcasts. Deb would bring a lot of passion doing the play by play. And Alf. would bring….Well you know.

[rychicken]

7 minutes ago, Mad Jon said:

I suggest that Deb and Alf do the radio broadcasts. Deb would bring a lot of passion doing the play by play. And Alf. would bring….Well you know.

The sound of Alf emptying a bottle and clanging it with the other empty bottles every 4 minutes would be distracting....