Joe Keeper Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 Sportsnet has had the broadcast right in Canada for a good number of year now, but we are seeing a changing of the gaurd finally. Looking back, how would you rate their coverage of soccer overall during their reign, Canada (mens and womens) and club footie included? For me they they have atleast brought some badly needed coverage of the game to the airwaves. They have done a great job covering the EPL and Soccer Central has been a great program. They have done a laudable job covering The womens and youth teams most often, however when it comes to the mens WC team, I would give them a failing grade. Their coverage of friendlies seems spotty at best and nothing can erase the frustration I have with their WC qualifying overage. I will always remeber having to watch crucial games on tape delay at 1 in the morning or (my personal favorite) having the games original start time cut into. Both so they could air some meaningless Blue Jays end of season game or NASCAR race that nobody really cares about up here. Hopfully the CBC contract and the CSA's new desire to focus on the mens team a bit more will go hand in hand. However, I also hope that the women, who have done so much for our game domesticly, will not get the shaft from either party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 8, 2006 Share Posted November 8, 2006 EPL and Canada games are a whole different beast. EPL is in the morning and only cuts into what would have otherwise been Sportsnet News replays. Canadian National team: - Gold Cup: Good coverage, with all of Canada's games live (I believe) since 2000, including GCQ 1999. - Youth: Great U20 coverage in 2001 (U20 WCQ and WC), awful in 2003 (one tape-delay WCQ, 1/5 games at the WC with a bad signal), better in 2005 (no WCQ but all 3 WC games live). I think only 2000 OQ in Hershey and no U17 games I can recall. Throw in the odd friendly (such as the Brazil series). - Women's team I don't watch so can't rate (except for the U19 WWC in 2002, great coverage as host broadcaster). - MNT Friendlies: spotty, spotty, spotty - around 1/3 televised, usually from "first world" countries and about 1/4 live. - WCQ: this is where the sucked ass, when it counted (hey, just like the team :S): after the 8 live games (I believe) of WCQ 2000, we got the Belize series, then all of 3/6 in the semi-final round and *NO LIVE AWAY GAME* not to mention no showing of our final game in Guatemala (1-0). Instead, we were stuck with Blue Jays games or whatever. If you're the home broadcaster and you can't make WCQ your top priority, bumping a bigger property for a less important game, then you lose my respect as a fan. Overall: I'd say Sportsnet did a fantastic job for coverage from 1999-2002, after which they seemed to think that the men's teams weren't worth the money and time, drastically reducing coverage. 1999-2002: A- 2003-2006: C- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masster Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 quote:Originally posted by Daniel Overall: I'd say Sportsnet did a fantastic job for coverage from 1999-2002, after which they seemed to think that the men's teams weren't worth the money and time, drastically reducing coverage. 1999-2002: A- 2003-2006: C- Maybe they expected better ratings or a better response and when it didn't come they said to hell with this. Thats the only thing I can think of. I predict we will hear an announcement of the CSA with CBC by January. I think the Sportsnet deal runs out in December if I'm not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesW Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 I have never seen a Canadian MNT game on RSN. This is due to the fact that I only get over the air networks. For that reason I am thrilled RSN is losing the FIFA games. Do we know yet if CBC will take the Canadian games as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 quote:Originally posted by Jamit I have never seen a Canadian MNT game on RSN. This is due to the fact that I only get over the air networks. For that reason I am thrilled RSN is losing the FIFA games. Do we know yet if CBC will take the Canadian games as well? It's not confirmed, but it's in the works and seems inevitable. The Impact and Radio-Canada have signed a deal independantly to broadcast 14 games in 2007. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhat Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 I'd rate Sportsnet a "c+". The coverage was adequate, but there's room for BIG improvement. It was certainly better than TSN in the early years, but this is 2006 and a few games (Austria, Jamaica (away), Hungary, etc.) have not been/will not be shown. If the MNT is the focus of the CSA, it will have to improve on the product and the marketing of the product (ie. more games, more exposure). As for coverage of the WNT, they'd get an "A", despite the fact I find many of the womens' games painful to watch. But for Gold Cup coverage since 2000, Sportsnet has been exemplary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Crap coverage. I think you guys are being too easy on them with the Gold Cup coverage. Getting excited because the covered the matchs (Canada's anyway) at all. They did nothing to invest in the grooming of the product (ie international football as it relates to Canada). Not anything worth a damn anyway. But some of the blame may lay with the CSA for not being more demanding, co-operative or seeking alternatives earlier. So good riddance to bad rubbish so far as I'm concearned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 Crap coverage. I think you guys are being too easy on them with the Gold Cup coverage. Getting excited because the covered the matchs (Canada's anyway) at all. They did nothing to invest in the grooming of the product (ie international football as it relates to Canada). Not anything worth a damn anyway. But some of the blame may lay with the CSA for not being more demanding, co-operative or seeking alternatives earlier. So good riddance to bad rubbish so far as I'm concearned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhat Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 quote:Originally posted by Cheeta They did nothing to invest in the grooming of the product (ie international football as it relates to Canada). Not anything worth a damn anyway. So true, yet I don t expect a lot because Canadian sports TV aligns itself to the likes of American networks rather than other global sports media. I mean, if you look at the USA, there IS NOT one mainstream network that promotes the USA team other than FSC or even ESPN2, or another cable or digital channel, like Telemundo. (ABC does show the odd US MNT match, but it is like once a year.) I feel that FSWC could have picked up the slack when RSN couldnt get the rights to an MNT game, but like RSN they would rather focus their budget to their target market, and that DOES NOT include the Canadian national team. So yeah RSN could have done a better job in promoting the matches, including the Gold Cup, but like many of you, I wasnt expecting much from them in the first place, as a footie supporter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 RSN's coverage? on a scale of 1 to 10, i'd give them a F*CK YOU! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 From a national team perspective I don't recall any better soccer coverage in the last 25 years or so. The Soccer Central Cdn content is generally terrific and I've seen games covered that didn't have a prayer of being aired before Sportsnet. I get frustrated with missing MNT games and the delayed airing of games but overall I'd give them a thumbs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 9, 2006 Share Posted November 9, 2006 quote:Originally posted by Ed From a national team perspective I don't recall any better soccer coverage in the last 25 years or so. The Soccer Central Cdn content is generally terrific and I've seen games covered that didn't have a prayer of being aired before Sportsnet. I get frustrated with missing MNT games and the delayed airing of games but overall I'd give them a thumbs up. The television world is not the same as it was 25 years ago. Similarly, neither is the sporting landscape. Sportsnet gave up on the men after 2002, when the ratings didn't grow too much, and it shows in their coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10754& Can we lower their grade? Second "other" channel to pick up a game, after FSWC (Haiti GC02 and USA friendly 01/03). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Keeper Posted November 10, 2006 Author Share Posted November 10, 2006 I just cant believe RSN... we dont get GolTV here, but I am dyeing for it right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Keeper Posted November 10, 2006 Author Share Posted November 10, 2006 I just cant believe RSN... we dont get GolTV here, but I am dyeing for it right now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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