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Rogers and Bell invest into Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, expect LOTS of mobile content in 2012
You can expect a bunch more Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC mobile content coming soon from both Rogers and Bell. Both carriers have announced today that they have joined together and will be acquiring a net 75% stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). Upon the deal closing (expected “next Summer”), KSI Investments will hold 25%, Bell and BCE Master Trust Fund will own 37.5%, and Rogers Communications will own 37.5%. It sounds like both Rogers and Bell dished out $533 million each to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for the joint agreement.
Mobile will be a big play in this, reading over the press release stated that “The investment advances Rogers’ strategy to deliver highly sought- after content anywhere, anytime, on any platform across its broadband and wireless networks and its media assets, while strengthening the value of its sports brand, Sportsnet.” Meanwhile, Bell, who “reaffirms its long-term commitment to the Montréal Canadiens”, will also be diving deeper into mobile content and noted that the investment into MLSE will “strengthen Bell Mobile TV” and help “deliver the best sports, news and entertainment media across its world-leading broadband networks to Bell Mobility, TV and Internet customers.”
Nadir Mohamed, President and CEO, Rogers Communications said “We’re excited to partner with MLSE to create highly interactive and engaging experiences for hockey, basketball and soccer fans, creating the perfect marriage of content and distribution. This investment fits squarely into our strategy of securing premium content and making it accessible to Canadians when, where and how they want it.”
2011 was the year of distribution, 2012 will be the year of mobile content. Expect more apps, more live coverage, more social features, more video, more exclusive content and, finally, more Rogers and Bell branding at the Maple Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC games.
Source: Bell & Rogers
(Live coverage here)
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54 comments for “Rogers and Bell invest into Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, expect LOTS of mobile content in 2012”
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so no HNIC on CBC?
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Not at all.
Just no HNIC over the Internet, unless you also subscribe to Rogers or Bell TV service. The goal of Bell and Rogers is to avoid competing on price or service by controlling key content, especially sports.
The funny thing is that they have pretty much come out and admitted that this is their strategy. In other countries they couldn’t because it would be illegal, but in Canada they don’t even have to pretend to compete normally.
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Last time I looked, HNIC was a CBC production, not TSN or Sportnet, or even owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Just because the Maple Leafs are on EVERY Saturday broadcast doesn’t mean they own it (it just happens that they get the highest ratings due to their market, so why give up the goose that lays the golden egg).
No HNIC on CBC? Only if TSN (Bell) or Sportsnet (Rogers) outbids the rights next time round, which is possible now that the Conserative government is forcing the CBC to actually account for their spending….go figure.
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In no way should these two companies ever team up in a way to make more money. If they are having chats it should be about dropping prices or changing the normal contract down to 2 years.
Also, doesn’t Bell own some of the canadians? how is this going to work out
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It’ll work out best for Bell. Look at the marketing and business potential by owning the wealthiest and most profitable hockey team in the world. Combine that with Canada’s two biggest mobile carriers (*ahem oligopoly). They’re going to monopolize our lives
. Rogers Arena, Toronto’s Rogers Centre 
, soon we’ll have passports that say “Rogers’ Government”….
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I wonder why Telus doesn’t invest in any sports….. Frustrating.
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They don’t invest in Eastern sports or Mobile TV like Bell does. But Telus does support the BC Lions team. Remember, they’re mostly a Western company.
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Telus may not invest DIRECTLY into any particular professional sports franchise, but they do sponsor way more events than Bell or Rogers. Just check out minor hockey and other non-major sports, Telus’s logo is always there, front and centre. Bell only seems to sponsor major events, the number of which you could count on one hand. Rogers is starting to get in the sports sponsorship game (Rogers Arena in Vancouver and Rogers Centre in Toronto as two examples), but it’s Telus who gets out in the community and actually spends the money to sponsor smaller events (you know, non-millionare teams) that need support.
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Right for Rogers and Bell. The big just got bigger. The controlling just become more controlling. We’re going to see Rogers or Bell bigger than the Canadian government and control more our daily lives. All the best to future Ontario Teachers pensions…
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How about the Jets too Rogers! Make it happen!!
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Go Leafs Go!
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Damn it. Better not raise my phone bill.
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Pretty much all of Ottawa won’t care about “Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.”
That being said, many people in Ottawa don’t have problems with the FC/Marlies/Raptors teams.
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Ottawa? How about 3/4 of Canadians that doesn’t live near Toronto?
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Hahahahaha, control our lives…my goooood you guys should really stress a little less!!! I see at least two people here who does not understand a thing in buisness!!
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Duh. The majority of the populace obviously doesn’t know anything about business since we’re the majority “regular joe”. If we all knew business, wouldn’t you think we’d all be affluent and well endowed in finance. Pretty arrogant of you to criticize the general populace’s understanding of business. One thing is for certain which the general public sees is that a company just became bigger by acquisition of another profitable business.
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Grrrrrrrrrrrrr 2 of the big 3 just got bigger. I was so content with living my daily life without Rogers or Bell. Now how am I suppose to watch the Leafs without supporting Bell or Rogers? NHL Gamecenter via Teksavvy?
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I suppose this should be all that surprising. After all, they previously teamed up to effectively “own” (ie control) the CRTC.
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@RichieRich…if you don’t want to support the big3 go with a small carrier and thats it. It’s not by watching tv that you are actually supporting a compagny.
The way you guys are talking, you actually think that we will have some Rogers and Bell schools lol. Can’t say that you don’t give me a good laugh!
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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Bell doesn’t ‘own’ the Montreal Canadiens per se. They have an 18% minority stake in the team, and according to NHL rules (which I’d recommend reading up before posting something like what you did) no single shareholder who controls more than 30 per cent of one NHL team can be involved in another franchise and according to the breakdown of Bell’s ownership Bell Corporate will own 28% while the BCE Master Trust Fund (which is a pension fund of the company’s employees) will own the remaining 9.5% of the MLSE ownership stake. Therefore, all is good according to the rules.
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Leafs suck!
I don’t get why people cheer this overpaid never going to win a stanley cup team.
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Hopefully someone can fix the bloated, slow, nearly useless Leafs’ Android app. Hmmm, come to think of it, those adjectives describe the team’s play of late too.
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where was your beloved Wind or Mobilicity? lol. you guys lose. Big 3 are king.
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Leafs are losers
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Wow what a surprise, Rogers matches Bell on something else yet again
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benji, don’t you mean the Big 2? Telus is not in on this either. I guess your comment should be directed towards every other telecommunications company other than Bell and Rogers.
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@Nick, I read that they are keeping the shares in the Canadiens because the purchase of mlse was done through a separate entity. I don’t if the NHL will approve that but we will find out soon enough.
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I guess this is proof that Rogers and Bell have always been on the same side, with price fixing our services. I’d rather have seen the americans buy MLSE.
Hopefully they shut down Leafs Tv and Raptors Tv instead of putting all the games on those channels.. But I doubt it they’ll probably put 90% of the games on those channels and then charge $14.99/mth.
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Also announced
“We are pleased to inform our existing customers for wireless, internet and TV that we will not be increasing our rates to pay for this purchase, as some have recklessly assumed. We are also pleased to announce a new fee for all services. The SAF-GRRF-MLSE fee will not be applied to all services in order to enhance the customer experience.
Going forward, we are also excited to provide better value to Maple Leaf fans. Effective immediately, all tickets will have a 113% surcharge added that will enable us to bring the hockey experience to an entirely new level in the industry.”
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“will not” = “will now”
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where is the mighty Wind Mobile? absent I see.
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^Oh and that was jokes
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Your move, Mobilicity
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Pros:
- MLSE will purchase (i.e. hoard) all the good players, scouts, coaches and equipment but never use them (can’t give small market teams a chance to win)
- Any disloyal fans wishing to leave the arena earlier will be charged an early termination fee of $30/minute (minimum $100, maximum $300)
Cons:
- An Arena Access/Improvement Fee will be charged on all tickets
- Rates for concessions, paraphernalia and tickets can be raised during the event without notice
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I could be wrong on this but doesn’t MLSE own the new buildings around the ACC aswell. So I guess Rogers and Bell are in on Residential Real Estate Now ?
WOW forget media Mogul They are now owners of the GTA.
So I wonder when they build a new outdoor stadium will they ask the city and province for money or will they pay for everything themselves? Afterall look how much money these companies have.
Rogers= TV, wireless, home phone, internet, Rogers plus Blue Jays, Leafs, Raptors, TFC, Marlies, Condos, Skydome, ACC, City News, City TV, Sportsnet, OMNI, Shopping Channel, Macleans Magazine, Canadian Business Magazine, 44 Radio Stations such as Fan590, 680news….etc etc etc
Bell = im too tired to list it
Look at how much these companies own.
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O Yea, Don’t Forget the NFL, they’ll be pushing real hard for one. I hope not though, Toronto is not a NFL city i prefer driving to the states.
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now introducing system access fee’s on raptors tickets
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when did it become wrong for companies to want to grow? bashing rogers and bce?
why not bash General Electric, IBM or Johnson and Johnson who are in hundreds of different industries
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The difference is, the type of industries these companies get involved with IBM deals mostly with business to business transactions (sold their PC business to lenovo). GE, and J&J have A LOT of competition out there.
When it comes to BCE and Rogers it seems they have the government (CRTC) in their back pocket, plus they control most of media outlets out their nowadays, they sign non-competition agreements with other players in the industry.
They block the smaller telecom companies from growing every chance they get
Media is owned by these companies, media influences the opinions of those who watch, listen, read. You wont and never do hear about the negative stories.
Now they want to start financial services (credit cards, bank accounts etc)
THE PROBLEM IS WHEN WILL IT END.
When one person/company is in control of everything, what ends up happening; Monopolies, and monopolies are not good for consumers.
and yes i do use Rogers/BELL products
I never used to be a basher of these companies, but it seems they are growing too big, and have too much control
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Its getting really hard to stay with telus when they allow the competition who already have excellent mobile entertainment (blue jays, tsn etc) to keep improving while telus does nothing. Hell I can’t even watch QMJHL games on my android phone andthats really the only entertainment they’ve got!
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Can someone explain how this is not collusion?
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This is like like Hitler and Stalin buying a time-share in Poland.
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LoL yea… it’s exactly like that *rolls eyes*. You guys need to chill out a little, everytime someone at RoBelUs farts 50 people come on here and have a Sh!tF!t.
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Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
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It will no longer call Rogers Centre but RobBell Centre
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So does this mean Bell will keep Solo Mobile? Off topic I know
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Hope I get an employee discount on tickets.
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I hope the sale MLSE’s majority stake to Rogers and Bell won’t mean the end to CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada because Rogers and Bell have to keep in mind that not every sports fan has a cable or satellite TV subscription to Rogers Sportsnet, Sportsnet One, TSN or even TSN2 and that it would create a serious disadvantage in that regard.
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Wow, did hell freeze over?? I never thought in a million years that Rogers and Bell would make a deal together! All I care about is bring home LORD STANLEY TO TORONTO!!!
GO LEAFS GO!!!
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I don’t have a problem with corporations wanting to grow. Diversifying your business is strategic.
However, I do have a problem with Rogers Communications Inc investing $533 million in MLSE when their 3G network has many problems. This is evident by threads in HowardForums. Also, they could build out to other communities. There are many places in BC that has NO Rogers coverage, yet Telus does.
C’mon Rogers. Get it together.
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This is just more proof of collusion. How would Bell and Rogers agree on the same stake at the same price if it wasn’t?
Bell and Rogers are claiming more content delivery, but for non-Bell and non-Rogers customers it’s not a good sign. You can bet the CRTC which is run by a bunch of old Telco execs will not care that there will not be fair access to the content. Being on a Regional Telco for coverage you’ll be screwed. Rogers has next to nothing for coverage in SK for 2G and 3G (aka faux-G) only in Regina and Saskatoon. As many mentioned they should be investing in coverage not content that will max out data caps.
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This deal is not good for consumers or ticket buying fans.
Now for the unionized teachers’ pension plan this is a sweet return on investment indeed.
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doesnt this only effect people in toronto/cheer for toronto teams? I see no way how this will effect me, Im never going to be a subscriber of bell or rogers and i always cheer against toronto unless its the jays but they kind of suck.
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