Charging viewers for the telecasts of sporting events is a strategy that is moving, thankfully, very slowly.
Canadians were required to pay big dollars for the rugby World Cup a year ago, but rugby is a niche sport in this country and there was neither the audiences nor advertising revenue to support free coverage.
Soccer rises well above the level of niche and, therefore, watching Euro 2008 on TSN and Rogers Sportsnet will not cost you anything other than your basic cable fee - with one exception.
If you're at work, say, on Monday and you wish to watch Netherlands-Italy on your computer, the online telecast will cost you $9.99.
That's the price of each game online.
The service is actually a Union of European Football Associations property that will be posted on TSN.ca and Sportsnet.ca and redirected to the UEFA website. The networks receive a percentage of the revenue earned.
For television, TSN and Sportsnet have produced a schedule that should satisfy the crankiest of the soccer fans. Either TSN or Sportsnet will air the games live during the day with the other network repeating the content in prime time or late at night. All the telecasts will be available in high-definition TV. TSN will air 16 games, including the first semi-final and final; Sportsnet will show 15 games including the second semi-final.
TSN's Vic Rauter and Sportsnet's Gerry Dobson will switch off as hosts of a studio show consisting of analysts Dick Howard with Craig Forrest. In the first round, the telecasts will start at 11:30 a.m. (all times Eastern) followed by the first game at noon. The studio show will continue until the start of the second at 2:45 p.m. The play-by-play will be handled by the host broadcast British announcers Tony Jones, John Helm, Dave Woods and Steve Banyard.
Euro 2008, the European soccer championship, is big and arguably a more competitive tournament than the World Cup, but there is one important element missing from this one - England.
None of the British teams or Ireland qualified.
Will that hurt the Canadian audiences?
"We're all asking that question," Dobson said. "Some suggest the ratings will be down. Others believe no, it doesn't matter because the best teams are there and that's all that does matter. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
"But I'm pretty sure the ratings will hold up. Anybody who follows the sport knows what a quality tournament this is. It's better than the World Cup, because there are hardly any weak links."
England is a perennial underachiever at the international events, but it can always be counted one for plenty of drama, whether it's a temper tantrum (Wayne Rooney), an devastating injury (Michael Owen), a stupid foul (David Beckham) or a controversial manager (take your pick). Those sorts of stories, juiced by the British press, will be missing.
Still, the field is strong. And if you're looking for a compelling story, this year's Group of Death will have powerhouses Italy, France and the Netherlands along with Romania scrambling to live and fight another day.
TSN has the opener today, Switzerland-Czech Republic, followed by Portugal-Turkey, with Sportsnet replaying the telecasts later in the day.
Big Brown payday
ABC's decision three years ago to acquire the Belmont Stakes was based almost completely on today's scenario: a thoroughbred running for the Triple Crown.
Big Brown should triple ABC's ratings, which have been between 3.0 and 3.9 (percentage of potential U.S. households tuned in) for the past two telecasts of the Belmont. The bid of Smarty Jones in 2004 for the triple at Belmont produced an 11.3 for NBC. During a conference call this week, Len DeLuca, a senior vice-president for ESPN (which will produce the telecast for ABC), said advertising sales spiked immediately after Big Brown won the Preakness to set up a run for the triple.
ABC's telecast, also carried on TSN, begins at 5 p.m.
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