MLSE deal official: Rogers, Bell buy majority stake

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2011/12/09/rogers-bell-buy-majority-stake-in-mlse/

So much for being off the market.

 

Bell can keep Montreal Canadiens shares so long as they don't own more than 30% of the Maple Leafs. Apparently acquisition has Bell taking 28% of the Maple Leafs, rest to Rogers.

 

Are Rogers & Bell competitors? Seems odd they would team up on something like this.

And, I don't remember, but how/when did the teacher's pension fund end up owning MLSE?

The way franchise values for all teams have continued to grow, I'm surprised we haven't seen more investments like this.

 

They are serious competitors, particularly in telecommunications. Rogers owns the Sportsnet series of regional channels while Bell has a huge chunk of TSN. They came together to show the Vancouver Olympics and that was apparently a raging success in all areas.

 

The fine print of this is going to be the thing.

 

Here's the stupidest understatement of the year. The Competition Bureau "intends to review the transaction. A spokesperson for the Ottawa-based watchdog said it was part of the bureau’s mandate to determine if the deal will “result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition.”

Lessering?

This deal effectively eliminates competition. It's a duopoloy

So, this means more Leafs games on Sportsnet?

Their Leafs broadcasts are already one long infomercial and with the exception of Joe Bowen, they're all bush league. I wish a player would spear that fanboi looser Paul Hendricks in the nuts during one of his inane between period interviews monologues

And Greg Millen could put you to sleep during overtime in game seven.

Wonder what will happen to HNIC when the deal with CBC ends? Those guys are still the best (that includes you, Elliotte)

 

Former owner Steve Stavro sold off his shares to CTV Globe Media and Teacher's Pension Fund in the late 90's--not exactly sure of the year however. M

 

From reading DirecTV forums on the Internet, you would get the impression the Leafs' broadcasts are second only to the CBC, and every Canadian broadcast is better than an American one.

 

I'll take TSN and CBC's # 1 team(Mark Lee and Kevin Weekes are horrific) over anything NBC and versus offer

 

I think Mike Emrick on NBC is terrific but his colour guys are second rate.

IMO, the best two pairings are Cuthbert/Ferraro on TSN and Hughson/Simpson on CBC. No one else comes close.

And it's so nice not to have to hear Pierre McGuire on any Canadian broadcasts. He was picked up on waivers by NBC/Versus

Sportsnet is fucking awful It's like listening to Jack Edwards without the screaming.