NHL centre ice options

[Prime Minister Koivu]

1 hour ago, hab29RETIRED said:

They don’t make it easy to understand!!! So it’s Sportsnet+ premium, you still get the games televised by tsn?

 

i think k if I can get all games through the Sportsnet+ and national/Amazon prime, I’d still rather go that route - much cheaper.’only advantage of Sportsnet + premium and centre Ice, is I can watch non-Habs games - which I really don’t care about.

It is a ridiculous tragedy that there isn’t a simple, all encompassing subscription to watch all games. 
 

[dlbalr]

11 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

Well, there used to be the main package, and then the much cheaper French-only package. Naturally I signed up for the latter. I guess that's no longer a thing? Or am I confused, as usual?

 

I think Bell and Rogers still have it, not sure though.  I subscribe to the full Centre Ice package on Bell and the French channels are included in there.

 

2 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

That looks like a much better deal than centre ice. So with this package, does that mean that. If 60 games are regional, the other 24 will be either on National or Amazon prime? So if you have the regular spoetsnet, and Amazon prime you would still get all 84 games, plus exhibition games?

 

the other question is it says the broadcast is in French (I’m assuming that is play by play), but th rest of the viewing experience is in English. Does that mean, intermission will still be in English (which works better for me), or that commercials would be in English?

 

Correct, the French package gets you the Montreal (and Ottawa) regionals only (likely minus the EDM/CGY matchups due to where you live).  Sportsnet and Amazon have the national games.

 

The French package is simply the RDS feed, play-by-play, commercials, intermissions, etc.

[tomh009]

2 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

They don’t make it easy to understand!!! So it’s Sportsnet+ premium, you still get the games televised by tsn?

Yes ... Sportsnet games, TSN games and sometimes it's just a US feed.

[hab29RETIRED]

Thanks Commandent, Dblar, and tomh009.

will have to make a decision, do I want to pay more for being able to understand the play by play (which will be more important to son), or save some money and not have to listen to the the annoying lousy/announcers they had on TSN during the play by play.

 

I’m paying through the nose to take my son to that MTL @ CGY and MTL@EDM games (lower bowl front row seats), so relatively speaking the packages are a hell of a lot  cheaper than what I’m paying for those two games, but I had paying the telecoms bill go provide shit service and support. It’s unbelievable how the streaming landscape has made things so difficult - makes zero sense that you pay to subscribe to TSN and Sportsnet, but than have to pay extra for out of region games. The bundling of packages is bad enough, but than the I have to pay for American networks like CBS, NBC ABC, etc, and have those same networks have their own separate streaming subscriptions (Paramoont, peacock, etc), ridiculous! 

where I live, my only Internet/tv provider is Telus (Telus/Shaw split up the rural market) and since I’m 5 min out of Calgary, I only have one option and Telus has horrible service and  extremely slow internet- no fibre where we are. I’m stuck getting cable, becuase cost of unlimited Internet only is only marginally cheaper than the package with cable, internet and phone. 

[tomh009]

Do you have a good mobile signal? If you do, that could be an alternative to a conventional Internet connection.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

4 hours ago, tomh009 said:

Wait wait … I just found the Sportsnet French Pass:

https://support.sportsnetplus.ca/hc/fr-ca/articles/20575467493778-Laissez-passer-Sportsnet-hors-marché-en-français
 

60 Habs games for $60!

 

Thanks. Turns out my subscription has been automatically renewed, so I was grumpy-ing out for nothing. I'm just terrified that they'll scrap the French option some day and force me to pay through the nose instead.

[hab29RETIRED]

1 hour ago, tomh009 said:

Do you have a good mobile signal? If you do, that could be an alternative to a conventional Internet connection.

It is, but I can’t watch a n my big screen with that.

 

anyway, regarding the Sportsnet+ option on the their site, you can manually check which games are televised in Sportsnet + standard/premium.
 

unless Sportsnet hasn’t updated their calendar, So far the following games don’t appear to be available on Sportsnet+ or nationally/prime or the local Sportsnet broadcasts in AB (ie edm/CGY):

-oct 9 vs Detroit (tsn2 and are only)

- Oct 14 vs Seattle (tsn2 and rds only) - even though it’s the home opener

-Oct 16 vs Nashville (tsn2 and rds only)

-Oct 28 vs Seattle (tsn2/Rds only)

-Nov 4 vs Phil (tsn2 and rds only)

-Nov 6 vs NJD (tsn2 and rds only)

 

 It doesn’t appear that Alberta the games that are on TSN2 and RDS are available on Sportsnet l+ premium or standard.” According to thier broadcast listing by a territory (Alberta) and the selected teams (Habs).

 

I’ll see what rates and coverage are for NHL centre ice (ie games on TSN2 included or not in Alberta region). Otherwise the RDS French package looks like the only option for Alberta to get the regional TSN/RDS games.

[BCHabnut]

Wow so sn+ premium is 350+ now? That ridiculous.  Can you do the french one in the west? I may go that route and find other ways to watch the other games.

[tomh009]

1 hour ago, BCHabnut said:

Wow so sn+ premium is 350+ now? That ridiculous.  Can you do the french one in the west? I may go that route and find other ways to watch the other games.

Yes you can.

[tomh009]

5 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

It is a ridiculous tragedy that there isn’t a simple, all encompassing subscription to watch all games. 

Sportsnet+ Premium is close:

 

 

1286 of 1312 games ... that's only 26 games not included? That would roughly correspond to the Amazon Monday night game exclusions.

 

I do think that doesn't account for games that are on CBC (free) and not on Sportsnet.

 

[DON]

1 hour ago, hab29RETIRED said:

I’ll see what rates and coverage are for NHL centre ice (ie games on TSN2 included or not in Alberta region). Otherwise the RDS French package looks like the only option for Alberta to get the regional TSN/RDS games.

NHL Centre Ice package $209.00 (seems reasonable these days) and get majority of regional NHL games, aside from Amazon ones.

[tomh009]

30 minutes ago, DON said:

NHL Centre Ice package $209.00 (seems reasonable these days) and get majority of regional NHL games, aside from Amazon ones.

Is that assuming you have SN/TSN cable subscription? Because that would add $660/year on Rogers.

[dlbalr]

9 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

It is a ridiculous tragedy that there isn’t a simple, all encompassing subscription to watch all games. 

 

If you think it's bad now, just wait until the new media rights deal kicks in.  It's going to make the current setup seem cheap and easy to follow.

[tomh009]

The ideal thing would be for NHL to provide their own streaming service, akin to what F1 is doing now. The national TV deals can still exist but NHL could provide a premium streaming product with enhanced content and no blackouts.

 

One can only wish ...

[Commandant]

52 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

The ideal thing would be for NHL to provide their own streaming service, akin to what F1 is doing now. The national TV deals can still exist but NHL could provide a premium streaming product with enhanced content and no blackouts.

 

One can only wish ...

 

The problem is that the broadcast deals become less valuable without  Sportsnet and ESPN controlling the streaming rights. 

 

and

 

Local team broadcast deals become less valuable if you can bypass watching on the local channel with streaming packages. 

 

So this will never happen. 

[BCHabnut]

So the french regional broacast is through rds?  I think ill go that route. Or alternative streams. 375 with tax is insane. The old rogers stream was 190 a year and way better quality. It will be hard to navigate the french languge for log in, but looks like the best option for folks with no cable.

[tomh009]

14 hours ago, Commandant said:

The problem is that the broadcast deals become less valuable without  Sportsnet and ESPN controlling the streaming rights. 

That was the case for F1, too, though: previously the national broadcast deals included exclusive streaming rights. In the end they found a solution. It may include a revenue share of the streaming revenues with the national broadcaster, or some other concessions. The goal, of course, is to increase the total (broadcast+streaming) revenue; if you can do that, then it's a matter of figuring out how to divide up that pie.

[hab29RETIRED]

I was on the phone with Telus for over 1.5 hrs yesterday. It was ridiculous. Apparently, I need to order centre ice using there optix box (cat be fine on phone or through the wood app to change your regular channel package), but by box is too old. One of them wasn’t working two weeks ago and they were going to send me a new one (still haven’t received it). At the time they told me they have to send a different box becuase the one I have is discontinued). I asked if that’s the case, if I can replace all of them and they said no, becuase they aren’t eligible to be replaced if still working).

so yesterday he said incn place the order when I get the med box, but when he cached, he found that the one they were suppose to ship, hasn’t been processed. He also said that since they are over 7 years old, I’m eligible let for their new Roku boxes. But I can’t order centre ice until I receive the new boxes.

 

It really pissed me off how screwed over we are by telecom rates, services and pricing compared to the USA. Cellular rates are also ridiculous compared to to the USA.

 

anyways, hopefully the new boxes get in before the season starts - it’s going to take around two weeks for them to ship them out!!

 

[tomh009]

7 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

It really pissed me off how screwed over we are by telecom rates, services and pricing compared to the USA. Cellular rates are also ridiculous compared to to the USA.

Haven't looked at cable rates since we moved 10 years go and didn't get a cable connection at our new place. 😊

 

But mobile phone rates really aren't all that much different any more. Rogers 100 GB plan (the cheapest one!) is $70; Verizon starts at US$65 (C$90) for unlimited and T-Mobile at US$50 (C$70) for 60 GB. And even in Canada you can pay much less: Freedom Mobile is just $39 for 60 GB ... 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

23 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

I was on the phone with Telus for over 1.5 hrs yesterday. It was ridiculous. Apparently, I need to order centre ice using there optix box (cat be fine on phone or through the wood app to change your regular channel package), but by box is too old. One of them wasn’t working two weeks ago and they were going to send me a new one (still haven’t received it). At the time they told me they have to send a different box becuase the one I have is discontinued). I asked if that’s the case, if I can replace all of them and they said no, becuase they aren’t eligible to be replaced if still working).

so yesterday he said incn place the order when I get the med box, but when he cached, he found that the one they were suppose to ship, hasn’t been processed. He also said that since they are over 7 years old, I’m eligible let for their new Roku boxes. But I can’t order centre ice until I receive the new boxes.

 

It really pissed me off how screwed over we are by telecom rates, services and pricing compared to the USA. Cellular rates are also ridiculous compared to to the USA.

 

anyways, hopefully the new boxes get in before the season starts - it’s going to take around two weeks for them to ship them out!!

 

 

I have this cockamamie theory that we need new anti-trust laws that make it illegal to control (say) over 12% of the market. The minute you pass that threshold, we treat you like a monopoly and break you up. That would at least take a hammer to Canada’s ridiculously oligopolistic economic structure.

 

You know, you can just stream Sportsnet+ on your device (laptop or tablet). The French feed is pretty affordable. Works for me, anyway.

[GHT120]

32 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

I have this cockamamie theory that we need new anti-trust laws that make it illegal to control (say) over 12% of the market. The minute you pass that threshold, we treat you like a monopoly and break you up. That would at least take a hammer to Canada’s ridiculously oligopolistic economic structure.

 

You know, you can just stream Sportsnet+ on your device (laptop or tablet). The French feed is pretty affordable. Works for me, anyway.

My heart agrees ... my head asks what sort of service could a series of 12-13-14-15-?% telecommunications companies provide given Canada's population and population distribution ... for example Rogers, Bell and TELUS each have 28-34% market share ... would smaller companies make the same infrastructure investments to provide even the service (however bad) we get from them now ... would the banking sector have been as stable during the 2008/2009 recession if not so centralized ... etc.

[dlbalr]

The Habs have reached an extension with TSN and RDS for regional games.  Right now, RDS shows 60 games a year and that will drop to 45 moving forward.  I suspect that means TVA Sports might get a few more while a bunch will go to streaming only (likely Crave).  TSN will get 50 games per season, matching their current number.  That will leave national nights for Sportsnet and a handful for streaming only (likely Amazon and maybe one more company).

 

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/article/montreal-canadiens-tsn-and-rds-announce-landmark-long-term-rights-extension/

[tomh009]

1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

The Habs have reached an extension with TSN and RDS for regional games.  Right now, RDS shows 60 games a year and that will drop to 45 moving forward.  I suspect that means TVA Sports might get a few more while a bunch will go to streaming only (likely Crave).  TSN will get 50 games per season, matching their current number.  That will leave national nights for Sportsnet and a handful for streaming only (likely Amazon and maybe one more company).

 

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/article/montreal-canadiens-tsn-and-rds-announce-landmark-long-term-rights-extension/

My Sportsnet+ Premium (now $325) renews on Tuesday. I was going to go ahead but now I'm having last-minute thoughts to do the French coverage instead, and improve my language skills. For this year that would be 60 games (only 45 next year, natch) but would most of those remaining 22 (national games) be available on CBC, then?

[dlbalr]

4 hours ago, tomh009 said:

My Sportsnet+ Premium (now $325) renews on Tuesday. I was going to go ahead but now I'm having last-minute thoughts to do the French coverage instead, and improve my language skills. For this year that would be 60 games (only 45 next year, natch) but would most of those remaining 22 (national games) be available on CBC, then?

 

I think there are only three CBC games this year, two against the Leafs and one in January when Toronto isn't playing.  Most of the rest of the Saturday games will probably be on City TV, however.  (Also, Wednesday's opener was one of the 22 national that TVA had.)

[tomh009]

CityTV (streaming) needs a subscription, does it not? It looks like all the Saturday games are also on TVA, is that really a free streaming option? I have never tried watching TVA.