Post Tagged with: "internet streaming"

Canadian Broadcasters and BDUs: Can They Compete With “Free”?

Appeared in the Toronto Star on May 21, 2011 as Can Canadian Broadcasters Compete With Free? Earlier this month, Bell and Quebecor, two giants in the Canadian broadcasting and telecom landscape, became embroiled in a dispute over Sun News Network, the recently launched all-news network. At first glance, the dispute […]

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May 24, 2011 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Disruptive Internet Streaming May Lead to New Canadian Broadcast Bargain

Appeared in the Toronto Star on April 3, 2011 as U.S. web-streamed TV could change game for Canadian broadcasters The month of March may be associated with spring, the return of baseball, or a weeklong school holiday in some households. For me it is all about “March Madness”, the annual […]

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April 5, 2011 Comments are Disabled Columns Archive

Disruptive Internet Streaming May Lead to New Canadian Broadcast Bargain

The month of March may be associated with spring, the return of baseball, or a weeklong school holiday in some households. For me it is all about “March Madness”, the annual U.S. college basketball tournament that wrapped up last night following nearly a month of shocking finishes and Cinderella stories.  

The tournament provides hours of overlapping games with television networks zipping between the closest ones. This year’s tournament has been as exciting as ever, yet the coverage has changed. In Canada, TSN purchased the rights to broadcast the tournament and owing to an already packed schedule, proceeded to shift the games between channels.

Initially out of frustration and later out of convenience, I shifted my tournament viewing to the Internet. The National Collegiate Athletic Association, which runs the tournament, offered a live streaming Internet feed of all the games as well as an iPhone app that provided good quality video. All the games – including the U.S. commercials – were readily available to Canadians without the need for a cable television subscription or a Canadian broadcaster.

My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that while the use of the Internet to by-pass Canadian broadcasters is still relatively rare – most U.S. programs bundle the broadcast and Internet rights together – the decision to stream the games directly into the Canadian market could soon become the norm.  

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April 5, 2011 19 comments Columns

CTV and ABC Strike Online Drama Deal

The Globe and Mail reports that CTV and ABC have struck a deal to stream episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy in Canada.

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April 27, 2008 2 comments News