Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment VP Tom Anselmi
"denied" a story published yesterday that said the company
"was looking into buying" CTV SportsNet "if federal
regulators forced the parent CTV network to sell the cable
network," according to Chris Zelkovich of the TORONTO STAR.
Anselmi: "We haven't had any discussions internally. We're
watching the situation with CTV and TSN. Our desire is for
competition. ... If (Sportsnet) is on the market, would we
look at it? Probably." But Zelkovich reports that any deal
for SportsNet "would face some big obstacles," such as
gaining approval by federal regulators. Another "hurdle"
would be convincing SportsNet partners Molson, Fox and
Rogers, which control 60% of the network, "that the deal was
in their best interests." But sources of Zelkovich say that
a Maple Leaf broadcasting empire "could be successful" by
"forming a partnership with or purchasing" the Blue Jays.
One source: "If they bought the Jays, that would change
everything. But that's a pretty huge expenditure combined
with buying a network" (TORONTO STAR, 7/21). In Toronto,
William Houston, on the possibility of Maple Leaf buying
SportsNet: "It's a good tale, but it is never going to
happen." One source: "It's pie in the sky." Another source
called the deal: "Very naive" (GLOBE & MAIL, 7/21).
IS BASEBALL THE KEY TO CHARLOTTE RSN? In Charlotte,
Rick Bonnell follows up his story from Tuesday on the
Hurricanes' interest in joining with the Hornets on a
possible RSN. Bonnell: "Baseball's arrival could prompt the
start of a Carolina-based sports network." Industry
"insiders" say that Fox, ESPN and Turner "might all jump at
the chance to back such a network." Scheer Sports CEO Carl
Scheer: "There's a lot of potential in a regional sports
network, if baseball is there. You put the Hornets,
Hurricanes and, say, Expos, together and you have a very
attractive package" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/21).
