Latest news with #Rogers
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
As 2026 FIFA World Cup looms, CRTC dispute between OneSoccer and Rogers drags on
As the one-year countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup looms, a fight to open the door to a wider TV audience for Canadian soccer drags on. On one side is OneSoccer, the subscription streaming service that carries Canadian national team games as well as the Canadian Premier League and Canadian Championship. On the other is telecom giant Rogers Communications Canada Inc., which has refused to carry OneSoccer. In March 2023, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) ruled in favour of OneSoccer, saying that Rogers, by refusing to carry OneSoccer, 'has given an undue preference to itself and to other services comparable to OneSoccer, and has subjected OneSoccer to a disadvantage.' The CRTC directed the two parties to submit 'by no later than 11 April 2023, proposed remedies for resolving the finding of undue preference and disadvantage.' Two years later, nothing has changed other than the case's paper trail has grown exponentially. 'Delays such as these are devastating for new independent programming services, such as ours,' OneSoccer said in a February submission to the CRTC. 'OneSoccer is spending millions of dollars this year to produce our channel, and we have very little revenue coming in.' OneSoccer remains available as a streaming service and as one of the channels provided by Fubo, also a subscription service. Telus cable subscribers in the West can also access it. Scott Mitchell, owner of OneSoccer's parent company Timeless Inc., as well as chairman of both the Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business, is 'perplexed' at the delay, saying the ruling was 'very clear.' 'Clearly Rogers has being doing what they can to delay that … It's been with the CRTC for several years now and clearly it's taken far too long,' he said in an interview. 'We have a home World Cup on the horizon and we clearly have a growing soccer audience and ecosystem. And this issue should be dealt with quickly.' Rogers declined to make a spokesperson available, issuing a brief statement while referring a reporter to past company filings. 'We offer our customers a wide variety of popular and premium sports programming from multiple leading content providers,' the statement said. 'For those who want even more soccer content, they have the option to subscribe to OneSoccer as a stand-alone streaming service.' As a result, Sunday's high-profile CONCACAF Champions Cup final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul is available only to OneSoccer and Fubo subscribers in Canada. 'It's disappointing that not as many Canadians are going to be able to watch the match as there should be,' said Mitchell. 'Because clearly there is an audience for it.' Mitchell reports OneSoccer subscriptions are up 40 per cent this year. But a larger audience is out there. Rogers, in the wake of its merger with Shaw, controls about half the linear TV audience in Canada, Mitchell points out. Rogers says there are 'valid commercial reasons' for refusing to distribute OneSoccer, saying the channel has 'limited appeal to Canadian consumers.' OneSoccer's audience is small other than for Canadian national team games, it argues. Rogers also notes that other major cable providers — including Bell, Cogeco, Videotron, Eastlink, and Sasktel — do not currently carry OneSoccer's linear television channel. Rogers has offered to show some of OneSoccer's programming on Rogers On Demand and on the OneSoccer app on Ignite TV. The two have partnered in the past. In 2021, Rogers Sportsnet carried OneSoccer's broadcasts of Canadian men's World Cup qualifying games, agreeing to split advertising revenue with the proviso there be no OneSoccer branding on the programming. In its submissions, Rogers has also argued that Timeless was 'under the control of a non-Canadian entity' when it filed its CRTC complaint, referencing foreign-owned Mediapro. It argues 'Canadian ownership and control' is a 'foundational tenet of the Canadian broadcasting system.' Mediapro was OneSoccer's production partner until the two parted in a legal dispute, since resolved. OneSoccer argues that while Mediapro 'ran day-to-day operations and provided other services for OneSoccer, this was done on behalf of and under the direction of Timeless. 'At all times Timeless retained the authority to make strategic or organizational changes. Therefore, the service was always controlled by Timeless.' Canada's upcoming games at the Canadian Shield Tournament are being shown on TSN as well as OneSoccer. While Mitchell's group owns the rights, he said it was happy to work with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which organized the event. But such deals are rare. 'To this day, we've not been offered a single penny of investment for any of the media companies in Canada to carry any of the matches,' said Mitchell. Canada's games in March at the CONCACAF Nations League Finals were carried by both TSN and OneSoccer. Michell said OneSoccer, which produced the games itself, did not get a rights fee. 'Unfortunately we've been pushed into, at times, doing deals that are very economically harmful to us. But we do feel a responsibility, particularly on the national team games, to get the games distributed as far and as wide as we can. Unfortunately giving away the content for free is just not economically feasible in the long term.' 'We appreciate TSN's willing to work with us on it but those arrangements are economically not feasible in the least.' While companies like Rogers don't like being told what to do, OneSoccer consultant Laura Mellanby believes Rogers' resistance is down to the bottom line. Cable providers are primarily willing to launch their own channels and work with inexpensive options, she argues. In contrast, One Soccer is a live sports channel with an expensive production budget. Mellanby, who has worked for both Rogers and Bell, points to Willow, a cricket-themed channel carried by Rogers, that takes feeds from others rather than produce games themselves. 'Production is very expensive, especially sports production. And you can only simplify it so much. You can't do a single-camera coverage of a soccer game.' If Rogers were to carry OneSoccer, it would pay the service a monthly fee negotiated on the basis of the number of subscribers. Rogers would then mark their fees up, to recover its investment. 'Cost is always a problem,' said Mellanby. But she argues that the shared risk of carrying a sports channel with high production costs also comes with a shared reward — especially with a channel featuring a sport 'that is in a pivotal moment in its history in this country.' 'A good investment, if you ask me,' she said. Mellanby says OneSoccer has had 'really productive conversations' with Bell about distributing the channel. But she says the rest of the industry is waiting to see what happens with the CRTC case. 'Nobody wants to spend any money … This is not a charity, it's a business,' she said. 'There needs to be a revenue stream.' Canada Soccer, which clearly wants to expands its audience, is understandably watching with interest, although CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue declined comment citing the ongoing CRTC case. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
As 2026 FIFA World Cup looms, CRTC dispute between OneSoccer and Rogers drags on
As the one-year countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup looms, a fight to open the door to a wider TV audience for Canadian soccer drags on. On one side is OneSoccer, the subscription streaming service that carries Canadian national team games as well as the Canadian Premier League and Canadian Championship. On the other is telecom giant Rogers Communications Canada Inc., which has refused to carry OneSoccer. In March 2023, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) ruled in favour of OneSoccer, saying that Rogers, by refusing to carry OneSoccer, 'has given an undue preference to itself and to other services comparable to OneSoccer, and has subjected OneSoccer to a disadvantage.' The CRTC directed the two parties to submit 'by no later than 11 April 2023, proposed remedies for resolving the finding of undue preference and disadvantage.' Two years later, nothing has changed other than the case's paper trail has grown exponentially. 'Delays such as these are devastating for new independent programming services, such as ours,' OneSoccer said in a February submission to the CRTC. 'OneSoccer is spending millions of dollars this year to produce our channel, and we have very little revenue coming in.' OneSoccer remains available as a streaming service and as one of the channels provided by Fubo, also a subscription service. Telus cable subscribers in the West can also access it. Scott Mitchell, owner of OneSoccer's parent company Timeless Inc., as well as chairman of both the Canadian Premier League and Canadian Soccer Business, is 'perplexed' at the delay, saying the ruling was 'very clear.' 'Clearly Rogers has being doing what they can to delay that … It's been with the CRTC for several years now and clearly it's taken far too long,' he said in an interview. 'We have a home World Cup on the horizon and we clearly have a growing soccer audience and ecosystem. And this issue should be dealt with quickly.' Rogers declined to make a spokesperson available, issuing a brief statement while referring a reporter to past company filings. 'We offer our customers a wide variety of popular and premium sports programming from multiple leading content providers,' the statement said. 'For those who want even more soccer content, they have the option to subscribe to OneSoccer as a stand-alone streaming service.' As a result, Sunday's high-profile CONCACAF Champions Cup final between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul is available only to OneSoccer and Fubo subscribers in Canada. 'It's disappointing that not as many Canadians are going to be able to watch the match as there should be,' said Mitchell. 'Because clearly there is an audience for it.' Mitchell reports OneSoccer subscriptions are up 40 per cent this year. But a larger audience is out there. Rogers, in the wake of its merger with Shaw, controls about half the linear TV audience in Canada, Mitchell points out. Rogers says there are 'valid commercial reasons' for refusing to distribute OneSoccer, saying the channel has 'limited appeal to Canadian consumers.' OneSoccer's audience is small other than for Canadian national team games, it argues. Rogers also notes that other major cable providers — including Bell, Cogeco, Videotron, Eastlink, and Sasktel — do not currently carry OneSoccer's linear television channel. Rogers has offered to show some of OneSoccer's programming on Rogers On Demand and on the OneSoccer app on Ignite TV. The two have partnered in the past. In 2021, Rogers Sportsnet carried OneSoccer's broadcasts of Canadian men's World Cup qualifying games, agreeing to split advertising revenue with the proviso there be no OneSoccer branding on the programming. In its submissions, Rogers has also argued that Timeless was 'under the control of a non-Canadian entity' when it filed its CRTC complaint, referencing foreign-owned Mediapro. It argues 'Canadian ownership and control' is a 'foundational tenet of the Canadian broadcasting system.' Mediapro was OneSoccer's production partner until the two parted in a legal dispute, since resolved. OneSoccer argues that while Mediapro 'ran day-to-day operations and provided other services for OneSoccer, this was done on behalf of and under the direction of Timeless. 'At all times Timeless retained the authority to make strategic or organizational changes. Therefore, the service was always controlled by Timeless.' Canada's upcoming games at the Canadian Shield Tournament are being shown on TSN as well as OneSoccer. While Mitchell's group owns the rights, he said it was happy to work with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which organized the event. But such deals are rare. 'To this day, we've not been offered a single penny of investment for any of the media companies in Canada to carry any of the matches,' said Mitchell. Canada's games in March at the CONCACAF Nations League Finals were carried by both TSN and OneSoccer. Michell said OneSoccer, which produced the games itself, did not get a rights fee. 'Unfortunately we've been pushed into, at times, doing deals that are very economically harmful to us. But we do feel a responsibility, particularly on the national team games, to get the games distributed as far and as wide as we can. Unfortunately giving away the content for free is just not economically feasible in the long term.' 'We appreciate TSN's willing to work with us on it but those arrangements are economically not feasible in the least.' While companies like Rogers don't like being told what to do, OneSoccer consultant Laura Mellanby believes Rogers' resistance is down to the bottom line. Cable providers are primarily willing to launch their own channels and work with inexpensive options, she argues. In contrast, One Soccer is a live sports channel with an expensive production budget. Mellanby, who has worked for both Rogers and Bell, points to Willow, a cricket-themed channel carried by Rogers, that takes feeds from others rather than produce games themselves. 'Production is very expensive, especially sports production. And you can only simplify it so much. You can't do a single-camera coverage of a soccer game.' If Rogers were to carry OneSoccer, it would pay the service a monthly fee negotiated on the basis of the number of subscribers. Rogers would then mark their fees up, to recover its investment. 'Cost is always a problem,' said Mellanby. But she argues that the shared risk of carrying a sports channel with high production costs also comes with a shared reward — especially with a channel featuring a sport 'that is in a pivotal moment in its history in this country.' 'A good investment, if you ask me,' she said. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Mellanby says OneSoccer has had 'really productive conversations' with Bell about distributing the channel. But she says the rest of the industry is waiting to see what happens with the CRTC case. 'Nobody wants to spend any money … This is not a charity, it's a business,' she said. 'There needs to be a revenue stream.' Canada Soccer, which clearly wants to expands its audience, is understandably watching with interest, although CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue declined comment citing the ongoing CRTC case. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2025.
Cision Canada
10 hours ago
- Health
- Cision Canada
/R E P E A T -- MEDIA ALERT - The Beaches, Rick Mercer, Mayor Olivia Chow to attend UHN's We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers/
, May 30, 2025 /CNW/ - WHAT: We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers is UHN's first ever large-scale public event. The walk will be followed by a live concert by Tom Cochrane, and celebration supporting University Health Network. We Walk UHNITED Presented by Rogers will bring together over 3,000 participants, special guests, and high-profile supporters in a one-of-a-kind celebration of Canada's #1 hospital. The Beaches, participating in the walk Rick Mercer, speaking during closing ceremonies Tom Cochrane, performing live Madison Tevlin and Sangita Patel, lead ambassadors Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation Dr. Kevin Smith, CEO of University Health Network Mayor Olivia Chow, speaking during opening ceremonies Mayko Nguyen, Canadian actress participating in the walk Sam Schachter, 2x Olympic Beach Volleyball athlete participating in the walk Aphrose, performing live Shilpa Raju, double lung transplant recipient from UHN participating in the walk WHEN: WHERE: Toronto General Hospital outdoor parking lot 201 Elizabeth St. (Gerrard St. W and Elizabeth Street) MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Celebrities, Mayor Olivia Chow, hospital dignitaries, patient ambassadors and participants all available for interview, as listed above Compelling visuals: stage moments, performances, crowd shots, live music, attendees and more Behind-the-scenes access to interview celebrity participants and performers SOURCE UHN Foundation
Newsroom
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsroom
The revival of a genre that never went away
Once considered niche and tucked away in dusty record stores or rural community halls, country music in New Zealand is enjoying something of a golden moment. From chart-topping Kiwi artists to two dedicated music stations in the past 18 months, the genre is striking a heartfelt chord with more people than ever before. Mark Rogers, host of Nashville Babylon on RNZ, grew up listening to country music, from Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash to Marty Robbins, and tells The Detail that it's all about the storytelling. 'As a kid, the songs and storytelling caught my imagination,' he says. 'The songs have no fat on them, they cut to the chase straight away, they are pretty simple, there's nothing too complicated about them, you know exactly where you are. 'And the classic country songs have something in them that will appeal to just about everyone. They hit home. They are easy to get and understand. People can identify with them. 'It's rare that they are talking about big flash cars or billion-dollar jewellery. It's the working man's music – that's been its appeal for many, many decades, and that will continue to ring true.' Kiwis, it seems, are falling more in love with the genre. And over the past 18 months, this has prompted the launch of not one, but two dedicated country music radio stations in New Zealand. First, broadcaster Mike Puru started Southern Cross Country, found on digital platforms. Then this month, NZME launched iHeartCountry NZ, offered on the iHeartRadio app and selected FM frequencies around the country. There are no presenters, just pre-programmed country music. Both stations showcase global legends and local voices. Among those voices, one name stands out: Tami Neilson. The Canadian-born, New Zealand-based powerhouse has been a trailblazer for years and has just won the inaugural Country Music Honour for Contribution to Country Music in Aotearoa, recognising her outstanding impact and unwavering dedication to the country music scene. 'What Tami is doing at the moment is astounding; she has been teaming up with Willie Nelson over in the States, which is a dream come true for her,' Rogers says. 'It's incredible and I'm super proud of what she is achieving…. I would like to think she will get on the (mainstream radio) playlists, because what she is doing is absolutely fantastic. The songs are great, and radio loves a good song, so there is no excuse not to play Tami.' But she is competing for airtime with unlikely country singers, including Beyonce and Post Malone, who have swapped pop and rap, respectively, for country beats. 'This has just exploded, and I think it's a good thing,' Rogers says. 'Admittedly, I'm not a massive fan of some of it, but I'm a big fan of others. 'I don't think it's cheapened the genre at all; it's just music developing.' And it's clear Kiwis want more of it, proving country music in New Zealand isn't just surviving. It's thriving. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers puts team first after shifting to backup role
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jake Rogers used to be the Detroit Tigers' No. 1 catcher. Now, he's their No. 2. The Tigers recently flipped their catching depth chart, elevating Dillon Dingler into the starting role. As Dingler emerged as one of MLB's best catchers, both offensively and defensively, Rogers shifted into the backup role. Advertisement "We got another great catcher," Rogers said Wednesday, May 28. "It's tough. I'm used to playing a lot, but that's just not my role anymore. I know my role. I'm going to be here for him with whatever he needs, and whenever they want me to play, I'm going to be ready." Rogers isn't bitter. He's bought in. Buy our book: The Epic History of the Tigers Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers (34) looks on during an at bat in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park in Detroit on Saturday, May 24, 2025. "As long as we're winning, I love it," Rogers said. The numbers don't lie. Dingler, 26, is hitting .289 with four home runs, two walks and 42 strikeouts in 41 games. He's also been worth plus-6 defensive runs saved in 342⅓ innings behind the plate. His offense ranks sixth among 20 catchers with at least 150 plate appearances, while his defense ranks fourth among 19 catchers with at least 300 innings. Only Boston Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez ranks higher than Dingler in both categories. Advertisement "We're a year removed from him being the guy getting the opportunity," manager A.J. Hinch said Wednesday of Rogers getting replaced as the No. 1 catcher. "Last year, Jake caught so much because we trusted him so much. Just because Dillon has done well doesn't mean we trust Jake less or we expect less of him. It's really important that we keep it all in perspective." Rogers, 30, remains an above-average defensive catcher, but his offense continues to lag behind. If Dingler weren't hitting, Rogers would probably still be the Tigers' No. 1 catcher. J.V. ON SKUB: Aces then and now: Justin Verlander wants Tigers to 'ride that horse' Tarik Skubal But Dingler is hitting. Advertisement And Rogers is not. "I want to play every day," Rogers said, "but when you got a player playing that well, it's tough to play every day." Despite the demotion, Rogers has the respect of his teammates — and then some. He hasn't lost the clubhouse. "Jake is awesome," said right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle, who owns a 1.50 ERA in six innings with Rogers catching. "He's been an incredible teammate. I've seen it since Day 1 of spring training. He came up to me and gave me a big hug. I was like, 'Oh, this is awesome.' He's a great catcher. He does everything for us. He will go out there, lay on the ground and pretty much die for you. I love that. That's pretty much everybody in here." Advertisement [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] For now, the plan is simple: Rogers will start once per three-game series, and Dingler will catch the other two games. In the Royals series, Dingler is scheduled to start Friday, May 30, and Saturday, May 31, with Rogers getting the nod Sunday, June 1. Left-hander Tarik Skubal is starting Saturday's game. It's another Skubal-Dingler pairing. With Dingler catching this season, Skubal has a 1.55 ERA with two walks and 74 strikeouts across 52⅓ innings in eight starts — including his most recent outing, even though Rogers was healthy. With Rogers catching, Skubal has a 5.51 ERA, five walks and 18 strikeouts across 16⅓ innings in three starts. Advertisement The Tigers are riding the hot hand behind the plate. JACK IS BACK: Jack Flaherty takes 'step in right direction' in best start of 2025 season Detroit Tigers pitcher Tommy Kahnle (43) shakes hands with catcher Jake Rogers (34) to celebrate 4-3 win over San Francisco Giants at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. Although Rogers isn't the No. 1 anymore, he still has a role on the Tigers — a team with MLB's best record, at 37-20, entering Friday. He is a veteran leader behind the scenes, a unifying presence in the clubhouse and a steady backup catcher. The Tigers need Rogers, even if they're not relying on him on the field as often. "We've got a group of guys in the clubhouse that are all in, and when you are that way, any given day, you can be the guy," Hinch said. "When he gets his opportunities, he's the same guy. When he doesn't get opportunities, he's the same guy. That consistency is indicative of a really healthy clubhouse that cares about winning and cares about where we're at." Advertisement Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers puts team first despite backup role
