Fox Sports 1 is launching in the United States today, replacing Speed on the dial on most US cable and satellite providers. This has caused confusion among Canadians wondering if we will receive Fox Sports 1 instead of Speed as well. So, I’ve pulled together a list of questions people have asked me over the past few weeks into this post. I hope it clears everything up a bit. I have received official word from media relations at Fox Sports/Speed on this, so these are not just guesses. If you have any other questions, ask away in the comments and I’ll update this post to include them.
First here is a rundown of the official word I’ve heard from Fox Sports/Speed on the situation.
Canada, among other countries, will continue to get Speed after Fox Sports 1 launches in the United States. It will still be called Speed and carry the same live programming. This live programming will come from Fox Sports 1 in the States.
Oh, and please don’t ask a question without reading this first. Mostly everything should be covered.
Q: Will Fox Sports 1 be available in Canada?
A: No. Fox Sports 1 is not regulated for carriage in Canada, similar to other general interest sports channels such as ESPN and NBC Sports Network.
Q: Will Speed still be available in Canada?
A: Yes. Speed will continue relatively unchanged in Canada. In the US most of Speed’s live NASCAR, Moto GP, Rolex Sports Car Series, Whelen Modified Tour, V8 Supercars and Barrett-Jackson Auctions. This coverage will continue to air in Canada on Speed. NASCAR Race Hub, which continues on Fox Sports 1, will also continue to air on Speed (nightly at 6pm ET). As will NASCAR Raceday and Victory Lane. Some other studio programming including Wind Tunnel and Speed Center are no longer produced, so they won’t air on Speed.
Q: Why isn’t Fox Sports 1 available?
A: There are a few reasons. It isn’t licensed for Canadian carriage. Speed’s license specifically states that it is a motorsports channel. It cannot air other sports because then it would no longer be a niche channel and it would compete with TSN and Sportsnet. This goes against CRTC regulation which prohibit a US-owned specialty channel from directly competing with a Canadian-owned specialty channel.
Q: But when The Nashville Network re-branded as Spike it was still available?
This is a common question, and a good one. TNN completely changed its style of programming when it rebranded as Spike, and almost was removed from the CRTC’s list of approved channels because of this. The difference here is Fox Sports 1 is NOT a rebrand of Speed, but a completely new channel. Speed is shutting down, Fox Sports 1 is replacing it. Any American providers who want to carry Fox Sports 1 have to negotiate a new contract, even if they already have an existing contract for Speed. The same applies for Canada, where in order for Fox Sports 1 to be carried here, a Canadian provider would have to apply to the CRTC asking for it.
Q: I want to see Fox Sports 1 programming, why is the CRTC denying me this right?
Most of FS1’s programming is available in Canada. In fact more of FS1’s programming will be available in Canada than ESPN. All of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches will air on Sportsnet. Every UFC fight, as well as other UFC programs and The Ultimate Fighter will air on Sportsnet 360. As previously mentioned motorsports programming will still air on Speed. Some college football coverage (featuring Pac-12 and Big 12) will air on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet ONE.
Those are the generic commonly asked questions I’ve thrown together. Here are some specific ones from readers.
Q: Seems Rogers or Bell would be smart enough to include FS1 in some package, given the obvious demand?
No because it is not approved for carriage here. I’m not even sure the demand would be that great if fans realised that FS1 programming would mostly be blacked out due to Canadian broadcasters (usually Sportsnet) owning exclusive rights here (similar to Thursday Night Football on NFL Network or F1 on Speed). Except for Fox Sports Live (Jay & Dan’s new show), which there is demand for in Canada, FS1 isn’t providing a lot of programming that isn’t otherwise available in Canada.
Q: How much college football that would be on FS1 will end up on SN360?
I don’t have an exact answer on this yet, but Sportsnet will probably have a schedule available sometime in the next couple weeks, so check back then.
Q: When can I see Jay and Dan on Canadian TV again?
No Canadian network has released any plans to show Fox Sports Live (Jay and Dan’s new show). However, the pair have released a new (video) podcast that is available in Canada. You can watch it here. In the podcast Dan offered that he heard “it might happen”, referring to the new show airing here. However, a bunch of their clips will get uploaded to YouTube and FoxSportsLive.com.
Q: My cable/satellite on-screen guide says something different than you?
On-screen guides are done by a independent third party (neither Speed nor the cable companies). There are often mistakes, especially in a situation such as this.
A Rouge Point 
I will be going back to shaw as soon as my contract expires with telus
Shaw cut us off today
We can no longer get Nascar Race Hub on TV since you moved to Fox!
I agree I always watched Race Hub we don’t get it now in Canada
Will bell or rodgers be getting speed back or wil I have to switch to shaw to get monster energy supercross or will it be able to get on a different station?
shaw does not carry the speed chanell any more either, the only carrier who does is eastlink in Halifax Nova Scotia and they are a cable company
What a disgrace for canadian people that want to heard something else about hockey, sportnet & TSN is almost entirely for hockey. The CRTC is born in Russia during Staline period, i’m almost sure of that.
Its all stick and ball and car racing.Need my supercross big time.May have to stream through android box.
Torque.TV
Im with Telus. How the heck am I going to watch Supercross? This is absolutely outrageous that nobody seems to give a crap about thos sport. Why does Telus not carry Speed still?
i give a crap. i am pissed. with bell and no speed
I am also extremely pissed that I can’t watch supercross in Canada through my provider anymore
Im thinking of a smart tv and streaming it.comes with a price tho.
lwant back speed tv with fox sports1 supercross&motocross 2015 continues for life
I think just because we’re Canadians doesn’t mean all we want to watch is Hockey but we seem to have 20 channels showing hockey and no mma fights except ppv. Do you know how many people like to watch mma? All I get to watch on channel 1410 is that stupid ass WWE crap.
I want Speed back too. I am with Cogeco in Oakville Ontario. I enjoyed watching all of the racing and Monster Trucks provided by Speed and also Race Car Hub. I have already missed the 24 hours at Daytona. Give me options. I miss racing. Get to work!
I think we need to look at this in a different way. It seems like allot of our problem is that we rely more and more on US channels(Programming). I think there are allot of motor sports fans who watched the original Speedchannel and it diverse programming. When Fox took over it became mostly Nascar. We need to encourage a made in Canada solution to all of this not try to bring in more US Channels. I have a home in the US an can tell you that the Cable/Sat programming is atrocious, we all pay too much money for our programming and it just gets worse (i.e. The History Channel). There seems to be allot of small producton companies that provide motor sports content we just need someone with enough balls to put it together and create our own channel. I read the comments about the CRTC and it bothers me that we seem to be at the mercy of the big companies who’s main priority is making money and controlling our TV, remember we are the customers and we need to make allot of noise to get the product that we want and not have it rammed down our throats. Motor Sports has become big dollar businesses(F1 and Nascar) and we the enthusiasts are being treated like pawns. Sorry for the ramble but I think I wish back to the days of F1 on CBC with Murray Walker and James Hunt .
l need back supercross& motocross everyone upset but if you back on tv will everyone happy cogeco
I love my Nascar, all series, Sprint, Xfinity, Camping World, K & N, etc. but it is rarely available to watch any other series then the Sprint. Now I have learned that Shaw will not be carrying Speed after April 01/15, then there will be NO Canadian provider with Speed nor Fox Sports 1. Is there any way that we can have our races and race hub in Canada? I am willing to go to any provider or source, satellite, cable, etc.
it would be nice to have Speed back I have Max tv and we are missing alot of the NASCAR racing we would love to have it back maybe if we complain alot then they will bring it back
I’ve read a lot of comments and some ring loud. Motorsports is indeed a big dollar business. Huge, in fact. With various Motorsports events held WORLDWIDE, it is literal short-sightedness and even ignorance that somebody, somewhere in this Multicultural Country of ours has essentially blocked what we as consumers pay our own big dollars to view and enjoy.
I’m pissed about it. Nascar, MotoGP, F-1, MTRA (Monster Trucks) and lots more. At least I’ll get more outside time because Shaw is being released as my TV channel carrier. Letter writing will help…so will disconnecting your TV.
Certainly has a person thinking Who is behind the demise of Motor Sports in Canada. I like almost everything but why have 5 channels all broadcasting the same curling or hockey games.
Networks here come up with New names and logos and play the same shows, over and over and over again! I’m thinking that if I can’t follow what I enjoy, the way I WANT TO. I may do the same thing or at least cut things down to the basics.
i think the big three or four carriers stink, when a small local carrier like Eastlink can carry the speed channel it sure dont look good for the other three crooks, i say think of your cudtomers and bring the speed channel back to Canada,
For those of us in Canada that love motor sports, we must yell loud to crdc and tell them — WE WANT SPEED CHANNEL again and again and again. The more of us the better. This is 2015 and we are still are being told what we can’t watch, just like kids.
We want speed
We want speed
I pulled the plug on cable. I could not get my supercross or outdoor motocross from the USA so the heck with it. Maybe they will listen when no one is subscribing. I get to watch the outdoor motocross on the internet anyway.
SUPERCROSS!!!!! Where is my supercross ? All tsn and sportsnet air is the same crap other channels carry why does the same football game need to be on two maybe even three channels? The Monster Energy Supercross in the states and the Canadian national moto series are my favorite sporting events to watch on tv . Please I have 250 channels and my two shows are never on. Ofcourse there really is nothing good on tv anyway, if there was I wouldn’t be typing this
My main concern is the Supercross series.Not only do we not get outdoor mx , des nations, or what is really insane, the Canafian mx nationals, now we dont get the supercrss series.That would make available dirtbike racing nil from shaw which im through.We still get hockey and football playing on 5 different channels.This is ridiculous.Maybe a petition is the answer.
Is there a chance that we will be able to see NHRA Drag Racing on Bell satellite in the GTA>?? It used to be carried on TSN during mid day which was fine if you had a PVR. With Bell I do not have speed channel and would like to know if there is a Station that will carry this racing. Would my current Fox channel carry it? Maybe on 1203?
no nhra for u or me and nobody cares all we get is what THEY want to give us
I truly miss NHRA drag racing. Since I can no longer view on any of my 250+ channels, I will send if I can steam on comp.
TSN sucks shit ! I just want to watch Supercross and Motocross they got darts and cricket and all this other shit wtf ! For the love of god dose anyone know how I can watch Supercross this season ? I have Bell can I get it ? Is there some were I can pay to watch Supercross dose not do a good job promoting their sport it’s fucking ridiculous