Rugby on TSN

[jonathanumpherville]

I think it speaks for itself, sign if you want.

http://www.petitiononline.com/rugbytsn/petition.html

 

[Swansea99]

Signed!!

 

[jonathanumpherville]

Right on, thanks bud. I've made a facebook group for this too and have e-mailed the petition to the folks at the TSN website. All you canucks, get your friends, team mates, coaches and anyone else you know to sign this. Even if TSN just start off covering the sport on Spotercentre with highlights, it will be a start.

 

[fcukernaut]

Right on, thanks bud. I've made a facebook group for this too and have e-mailed the petition to the folks at the TSN website. All you canucks, get your friends, team mates, coaches and anyone else you know to sign this. Even if TSN just start off covering the sport on Spotercentre with highlights, it will be a start. [/b]

Oh god just what we all want, TSN ruining another sport with **** poor production and stiff retards reading the teleprompters. If anything I want the Score to be coving more rugby.

 

[jonathanumpherville]

<div class='quotemain'> Right on, thanks bud. I've made a facebook group for this too and have e-mailed the petition to the folks at the TSN website. All you canucks, get your friends, team mates, coaches and anyone else you know to sign this. Even if TSN just start off covering the sport on Spotercentre with highlights, it will be a start. [/b]

Oh god just what we all want, TSN ruining another sport with **** poor production and stiff retards reading the teleprompters. If anything I want the Score to be coving more rugby.
[/b][/quote]

More people watch TSN than The Score. Also, since when does "**** poor production and stiff retards reading teleprompters" affect the quality of game played on the pitch? TSN shows all kinds of European Soccer, they should be showing some Rugby too, that's all I'm saying.

 

[Swansea99]

That's true, however it's also up to ESPN to start showing rugby in the states. Remember, Espn has a majority share in TSN

 

[fcukernaut]

I'm just saying the Score is the best sports network in north america.

 

[jonathanumpherville]

But more people watch TSN and how is Rugby ever supposed to grow in north america, especially canada, unless more people are exposed to it. I'm not saying The Score isn't better, thats not my point. My point is if TSN showed more international, club and amateur rugby then more young folk and older people might get interested in the game as more Canadians watch TSN than any other Canadian sports station.

 

[fcukernaut]

But more people watch TSN and how is Rugby ever supposed to grow in north america, especially canada, unless more people are exposed to it. I'm not saying The Score isn't better, thats not my point. My point is if TSN showed more international, club and amateur rugby then more young folk and older people might get interested in the game as more Canadians watch TSN than any other Canadian sports station. [/b]

But that is a completely urealistic expectation. Firstly, TSN has no history of showing any form of rugby or have shown any interest outside of "Canada was eliminated from the world cup" on sportscenter and they didn't even do that this time around. Where as if Sportsnet, The Score and Fox Soccer Channel all have. Sportsnet had the 1999 and the 2003 world cup, had the Lions tour and used to play a featured rugby game from the NPC or Super 14 every sunday morning at 10. The Score plays Total Rugby on Sundays and even advertises it and before Setanta came along Fox Soccer Channel, played any and all rugby inbetween. Secondly, TSN is just a corporate money making machine. They don't care about anything other than anything that will bring in ratings. There is a reason why they will play poker over rugby; it's far cheaper and will get higher ratings. More proof? look at the properties that TSN already owns: EUEFA Cup, NASCAR, NHL, Monday night football. They already have too many properties that sometimes high profile sports are played on their alternate channel. The Score just makes more logical sense than TSN. Sure, there are fewer viewers, but there is going to be a more receptive audience and a broadcaster who would be more interested in promoting the game.

But it's all for naught because the biggest problem of them all is the fact that Setanta already owns every major rugby property.

 

[DMac]

<div class='quotemain'> But more people watch TSN and how is Rugby ever supposed to grow in north america, especially canada, unless more people are exposed to it. I'm not saying The Score isn't better, thats not my point. My point is if TSN showed more international, club and amateur rugby then more young folk and older people might get interested in the game as more Canadians watch TSN than any other Canadian sports station. [/b]

But that is a completely urealistic expectation. Firstly, TSN has no history of showing any form of rugby or have shown any interest outside of "Canada was eliminated from the world cup"
[/b][/quote]


NOT true. Back in the early days, they showed alot of rugby. before ESPN bought them.


DMac

 

[markthenerd]

But it's all for naught because the biggest problem of them all is the fact that Setanta already owns every major rugby property.
[/b]

You hit the nail right on the head there.

Now, if Sportsnet (or TSN) were willing to put up a bit of cash in order to televise the rugby that we have here in Canada, they would be able to do that. Considering the amount of money involved and the likelihood that they'll loose most of it into thin air because of poor viewership, that won't happen either.

So we're basically stuck until Setanta's rights ownership expires in Canada. Even then, a Canadian broadcaster has to make a bid to carry to broadcasts.

That all being said, It can't hurt to push TSN (or Sportsnet) to carry rugby. If we keep bothering them, they're bound to get it into their heads that people WANT to watch Rugby, and might consider carrying some.

 

[NHH]

I signed it. The first and only time I have seen a rugby game on television was on a plane to New York that had Setanta Sports and rugby happened to be on.

 

[Corywalker]

I also signed it.. we've been showing some progress here in BC, our local radio (100.3) and newspaper (times colonist) have broadcasted local rugby events, especially the clash with the French Barbarians, and multiple other touring rugby matches. I was suprised.. if the radio and news can talk about rugby more, than progress would happen quite fast; most people have never heard of rugby, or don't know much about it when you mention it.. if the community can get better knowledge of the game, more people will play for schoo teams, club teams, and for regional/provincial/national teams.

 

[Swansea99]

That's true, however in BC, Rugby was already standing on Strong Ground. Out in the Eastern Part of Canada, it's not the same case (except in Toronto, but you also have to put population into account there) Rugby needs to be supported on TV (not just Rogers TV, but it's a start) and the Radio. When the Churchill Cup came to Eastern Ontario, there was barely a peep from the Radio stations. A major international Tournament (for North American Rugby) and no effort to advertise it????
For the game to grow, the word of rugby needs to spread beyond the Rugby Community and into the general public.

Oh ya, it's my Birthday today.

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

dude rugby has a huge following in ontario at the junior and schools level... its after this level where rugby in canada has really fallen behind the lot... kids have not been given a bridge from school rugby to club rugby and many kids don't go on to play after they finish school.

 

[Swansea99]

Ok, That's True. But Compared to BC, Ontario still has ground to make up. BTW, did you watch the Churchill Cup this year?

 

[O'Rothlain]

My personal opinion for you Canuks as well as all of we Yanks is that we pay for it. Pay for Setanta by satelite or broadband...Pay for f'n Mediazone (I hate Matt Brown, he's a right twat)...
Then ESPN and TSN or whoever will see the amount of US and Canadian revenue being spent on rugby viewing and will have some proper figures to play with. These sort of petitions have been floating around for ages, and while I'm sure they've made a small wave on the grand ocean that is the ESPN Empire it's barely a concern.
What we need is for the little that ESPN or whoever else do put on, is for it to be quality and not just **** local rugby. Hooray for Local Rugby, but I want to see Pro-Level Rugby, not some guys I have a chance of playing against. Give me something to aspire to, ESPN!!!

And i'm spent.

 

[Sportfreunde]

Maybe we should get a petition for Gaelic football next!

But I don't see it happening on TSN, they didn't even cover Champions League proper this year so I had to watch on p2p. Sportsnet is showing Champions League next year and don't they usually show national team games as well as the world cup? That would be the channel if it were to happen, TSN is just the Canadian ESPN...not really a sports channel.

 

[wayner]

What's wrong with Setanta? Sure it costs $15/month but you get almost all of the major rugby - TriNations, 6Nations, Super14, Heineken Cup, Guiness Prem, Magners, Currie Cup, ANZ, Lions Tours, RWC, etc.

The traditional sports channels in North America will never show enough rugby to satisfy the true fans of the game so that you will have to pay for it in another way. So buck up and sign up for Setanta - I have had it since day one and I hardly ever watch a soccer game. If you are a true rugby fan that it is easily worth the money.

By the way, I disagree that TSN is the Canadian ESPN if what you mean by that is that they just show ESPN content. TSN's most popular content is the stuff they produce on their own - NHL, curling, CFL, World Junior Hockey, etc.

Someone mentioned that TSN has no history of showing rugby but I am pretty sure that they showed the RWC in 2001. Sure that was a long time ago but they did show it.

 

[DonBilly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (wayner @ Jul 31 2009, 09:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

What's wrong with Setanta? Sure it costs $15/month but you get almost all of the major rugby - TriNations, 6Nations, Super14, Heineken Cup, Guiness Prem, Magners, Currie Cup, ANZ, Lions Tours, RWC, etc.

The traditional sports channels in North America will never show enough rugby to satisfy the true fans of the game so that you will have to pay for it in another way. So buck up and sign up for Setanta - I have had it since day one and I hardly ever watch a soccer game. If you are a true rugby fan that it is easily worth the money.

By the way, I disagree that TSN is the Canadian ESPN if what you mean by that is that they just show ESPN content. TSN's most popular content is the stuff they produce on their own - NHL, curling, CFL, World Junior Hockey, etc.

Someone mentioned that TSN has no history of showing rugby but I am pretty sure that they showed the RWC in 2001. Sure that was a long time ago but they did show it.[/b]

There was no RWC in 2001, it was either 1999 or 2003. I remember watching Rugby on TV5 when I lived in Montréal in between these two RWC.