Sports Package Ripoff

[coachcrump]

Can anyone explain to me why I pay for seven Canadian sports channels only to have the same program on at the same time on a majority of channels and why there may be three NHL games on 3 of 5 TSN channels and 1 of 2 Sportsnet channels and they are all in blackout mode! So I effectively only have 3 of seven channels working! I know they are "packages" but over all we pay x number of dollars for number of channels. We should be "reimbursed" if we can't get programming on the channels! Complete garbage.......... Am now looking to stream instead and cancel all the sports channels!

[rickatk]

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@coachcrump wrote:

Can anyone explain to me why I pay for seven Canadian sports channels only to have the same program on at the same time on a majority of channels and why there may be three NHL games on 3 of 5 TSN channels and 1 of 2 Sportsnet channels and they are all in blackout mode! So I effectively only have 3 of seven channels working! I know they are "packages" but over all we pay x number of dollars for number of channels. We should be "reimbursed" if we can't get programming on the channels! Complete garbage.......... Am now looking to stream instead and cancel all the sports channels!

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I would like to echo this. I don’t understand why hockey games in Calgary and Toronto are blacked out or repeated on the other sports channels when I live on the West Coast. Seems to me if I pay for four separate sports channels I should be able to see four separate games. Further if I pay for these sports channels with the understanding the games will be made available they should be made available.  I shouldn’t be subject to black outs on the channels I am paying for at all. Seems to me that the sports networks are being greedy! 

[mdk]

> Seems to me that the sports networks are being greedy! 

To me, it seems that the NHL team-owners are the greedy ones. They want you to either pay for the NHL Centre Ice TV package, or to buy a ticket to a home-game, e.g., your Vancouver Canucks, which is scheduled at the same time as an eastern game.  So, those owners force Sportsnet/TSN to "black-out" the other games.

Have you tried "streaming" the blacked-out game via the Sportsnet web-site? You will have to give your Shaw ID/password to that web-site, to confirm that your TV package includes a subscription to the Sportsnet package of channels.  Cancel your subscription to the Sportsnet channels, and the validation will fail, and you won't be able to stream the game(s).

[coachcrump]

Hey Grasshopper & mdk!

I am not even a hockey fan! Turned it off after the strike! If they are going to black out alll these games shaw should at least give a credit! The other thing that drives me NUTS is that we get the SAME programming on multiple channels! If we have 5 TSN and 3 Sportsnet we should have 8 different events/games/analytics/anything on the channels! I am so sick of seeing "Sportscenter" on 4 of 5 TSN channels! The providers (Shaw, Telus etc) have to say to these so called "sports" channels that if they don't improve there programming they should just drop them! CRTC should also get involved!! Now I know that some areas of Canada only get a couple of channels etc but why are they catering to them! If the sports channels went to a separate way of delivering their product I am sure they would not be around for long!

coach

[rickatk]

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@coachcrump wrote:

Can anyone explain to me why I pay for seven Canadian sports channels only to have the same program on at the same time on a majority of channels and why there may be three NHL games on 3 of 5 TSN channels and 1 of 2 Sportsnet channels and they are all in blackout mode! So I effectively only have 3 of seven channels working! I know they are "packages" but over all we pay x number of dollars for number of channels. We should be "reimbursed" if we can't get programming on the channels! Complete garbage.......... Am now looking to stream instead and cancel all the sports channels!

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I found this after a quick google search: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/b301.htm

This gives a little clarity around the issue. Apparently the CRTC thinks as consumers we should work with our service providers and even the sports leagues to get better sports coverage policies. Perhaps a bill of rights not unlike airline passengers is in order. Regardless if Shaw is charging for sports channels we should be able to watch the sports channels we pay for and not be subject to blackouts.

[coachcrump]

The CRTC saying that we should contact our provider, TSN and the NHL what a cop out! The provider is easy (sort of)... have you ever tried to contact TSN? IMPOSSIBLE. TSN deals with providers not users and all they care about is their interests! We live in Canada and most viewer get their sports channels to WATCH HOCKEY if the NHL deems that we can't then take there business elsewhere and let us watch darts! I can't wait until the NHL season is over then we get to watch Sportscenter or SC with Dan and Jay on at least 3 of 5 channels talking about off season hockey news!!

Give me a U.S. satellite dish!!!!

[mdk]

> Hey Grasshopper & mdk ...

Within this forum, users, such as the ID "mdk", are assigned ranks, just like the Canadian Armed Forces, e.g., "private" or "general".

So, "grasshopper" is just a name for the current rank for that ID.

Maybe, the name was taken from one of those Kung-Fu movies -- grasshopper, when you can snatch the pebble ...

[DDD2]

Another corporate rip-off by a clumsy and inept system simply failing to stay in the game in the name of its customers.  I'd like some money off the monthly fee, not to mention the price of my time I wasted listening  employees telling me how they can't help. Please advise.

[mdk]

@DDD2 -- welcome to this peer-to-peer discussion forum. It is not a path to Shaw Support, but it is a place for your comments & gripes & kudos.

My advice is to scroll-down while reading this message, and click the "Your Voice" hyperlink, to contact Shaw.