Bell ExpressVu (BEV), a Canadian direct-to-home
satellite company, launched a "new lineup of channels and in
doing so thumbed its nose" at the NHL's TV rights policy,
according to William Houston of the Toronto GLOBE & MAIL.
The company will broadcast NHL games that were "previously
limited to local markets" in Canada. For example, Oilers
games carried locally on Edmonton's A-Channel will be
broadcast in the previously prohibited Toronto, Montreal and
Vancouver markets. One TV exec: "It's like tearing down the
Berlin Wall." BEV President & CEO Michael Neuman,
acknowledging the NHL's unhappiness with the move: "The NHL
would rather we didn't." Houston writes that the fans are
the "winners in ExpressVu's disregard" of the NHL's policy
because they'll get more choice. The NHL's Canadian TV
partners CTV SportsNet and the CBC are the "losers," as they
will no longer have exclusivity of games. CTVS Marketing
Dir Frank Abels said that the net "has no problem" with the
move as long as the blackout policy "is followed," which
Neuman said it would be. Houston says a BEV/NHL deal will
"probably" be cut this spring (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 11/25).
WHAT ABOUT FOOTBALL? In Toronto, Rob Longley reports
that BEV is "continuing its battle for NFL viewers" with
Rogers Communications, Canada's biggest cable company. BEV
has appealed its dispute with Rogers to the Federal Court of
Canada. Last spring, Rogers signed a deal to become the
exclusive carrier of the NFL Sunday Ticket package. BEV
"opposed" the deal, but the protest was denied by the
Canadian Radio-Television Commission. But in an "aggressive
new programming package," BEV will offer seven or eight of
the 11 weekend games in most Canadian markets, via North
American over-the-air channels it carries (TOR. SUN, 11/25).
