Canucks, Oilers, Flames Broadcast Partnership Talks Stall

Canucks-Oilers-Flames Partnership Reportedly Has Stalled Over Split Of Revenues

A "disagreement over how much more" the Canucks think they are worth than the Oilers and Flames "has produced a breakdown in negotiations to form a broadcast partnership among the teams," according to Bruce Dowbiggin of the GLOBE & MAIL. The teams, who currently share a Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission PPV broadcast license, "have been trying to create a more broad-based project that would allow them to create either their own model" based on the Maple Leafs' Leafs TV, "or else sell their joint rights to a broadcaster or third party for a lump sum." Dowbiggin noted C$100M "has been dropped as a desired price" for such a sale. But the "problem has been in deciding how the revenues should be broken down," as the Canucks "would like a share that reflects the value" of their TV and Internet properties. Sources said that a 60-20-20 split "has been tabled." The talks "about such a revenue split have caused the parties to disengage." Oilers President & CEO Patrick LaForge said his team and the Flames "will continue to work together, and Vancouver will keep working on what they do." LaForge: "We've agreed the three of us will talk down the road when we're a little more advanced in our planning" (GLOBESPORTS.com, 3/18).