For Rogers Sportsnet, the combination of a Blue Jays playoff appearance and the second year of their NHL deal "means they are looking ahead to a very busy October -- and some programming traffic jams," according to Raju Mudhar of the TORONTO STAR. Rogers President of Sportsnet & NHL Properties Scott Moore said, "It’ll be fun. There are some challenges, but I’ve been through the October schedule and I’m very confident we’ll be able to give viewers what they want. Put it this way: we have seven channels and we’ll use them." Moore said that the Blue Jays will "take priority and always be on the main Sportsnet channels." The net's "Hockey Night in Canada" will "be anchored on CBC." One of the issues is that Sportsnet is "waiting to see a finalized baseball playoff schedule, which likely won’t be set until after the regular season is over." Blue Jays TV ratings have "been going gangbusters for the past month," averaging a record 1.9 million viewers in the recent Yankees series. Moore said that the season average is "just under a million" -- up 56% from last year. Moore said of potential playoff ratings, "I believe there’s significant room to grow. ... As the games get more important, they tune in for more, and that means your average goes up." He added that he "considers anything over 2.5 million gravy for the Jays" (TORONTO STAR, 9/26).
