Lots of small bits of news to get to heading into the weekend.
- theScore has picked up game 5 of the Tigers-Athletics series tonight. The game will air at 9:30pm ET. It conflicts with the NFL on Sportsnet and the Orioles-Yankees game on Sportsnet One. I’m glad that Rogers has found a better solution than the original plan they sent to the media last night, which was to air it on OMNI.2 in Toronto and OMNI Alberta. Of course Rogers bought theScore in in August. The deal still isn’t finalized. Since it happened Sportsnet has broadcast select Fox Sports college football games, which theScore owns rights to in Canada. However, this is the first time a Rogers broadcast has moved to theScore.
- Sportsnet has finally confirmed their World Cup Qualifying schedule for tomorrow afternoon. Confirmation of the schedule was delayed due to the uncertainty of baseball’s postseason schedule tomorrow. Sportsnet ONE leads the way with four games: Russia v. Portugal (11am), Armenia v. Italy (1pm), England v. San Marino (3pm) and Canada v. Cuba (7pm). Sportsnet has a pair: Finland v. Belarus (11:30am) and Holland v. Andorra (2:30pm). As does Sportsnet World: Czech Republic v. Malta (12pm) and Belarus v. Spain (2pm). Sportsnet’s coverage begins at 10:30am with a pregame show. Soccer Central: Road to Rio will recap the day at 1pm ET on Sportsnet World, with a repeat at 3am on ONE.
- GolTV also has a pair of games with Faroe Islands v. Sweden (12pm) and Republic of Ireland v. Germany (2:30pm).
- Here are the NFL games this weekend. At 1pm CTV has Cowboys @ Ravens just about everywhere (it is also on RDS2, for those who prefer French); those in Ottawa will receive Lions @ Eagles. TSN2 has Colts @ Jets. Later on at 4pm its Bills @ Cardinals on Citytv Toronto and Sportsnet West/Pacific. New England @ Seattle will air on the rest of the Citytv stations, Sportsnet East/Ontario and RDS.
- ESPN is adding John Madden impersonator Frank Caliendo to their Sunday Countdown pregame show. The show, like Caliendo, became unwatchable years ago. However, as the Fan 590’s Greg Brady reminded me on Twitter, his first appearance on Letterman as Madden was funny.
The following are the latest ratings in sports. Huge thanks to Whitey Fisk on Twitter for the baseball ratings. Don’t have a clue who you are, or how you get these, but thanks nonetheless.
CFL
HAM-EDM, Oct 5, TSN: 642, 000
CGY-BC, Oct 6, TSN: 614, 000
WPG-MTL, Oct 8, TSN: 799, 000
SSK-TOR, Oct 8, TSN: 1.055 million
The 13th Man, Oct 8, TSN: 530, 000
MLB
TEX-BAL, Oct 5, SN: 532, 000
CIN-SF (g1), Oct 6, SN: 295, 000
NYY-BAL (g1), Oct 7, SN: 127, 000
NYY-BAL (g2), Oct 8, SN: 485, 000
BAL-NYY (g3), Oct 10, SN: 638, 000
DET-OAK (g4), Oct 10, SN: 202, 000
NFL
NYJ-HOU, Oct 8, TSN: 619, 000
One last note heading into the weekend. I’d like to start a new mini-project. It will take 7 CFL fans who would like to review an Engraved on a Nation documentary. I’d prefer someone review an episode that focuses on their team. It doesn’t need to be anything long, or special, but I’d like to review all eight and I know I won’t have the time or interest to myself. Plus you guys probably know more about your favourite CFL teams than I do.
The 13th Man – Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Chuck Ealey Story – Hamilton Tiger Cats
The Kid from La Puente – Montreal Alouettes
Playing a Dangerous Game – Ottawa Rough Riders
The Crash of Flight 810 – Calgary Stampeders
The Photograph – This one’s on the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes, so anyone who’s interested
Western Swagger – Edmonton Eskimos (or anyone from Alberta, really)
Greatest Team that Never Won – Toronto Argonauts
I plan to do the Chuck Ealey Story because I am a Tiger Cats fan, and/or Playing a Dangerous Game. If you’re a Lions or Bombers fan, please volunteer for whatever one you want since your teams were left out. If you are interested in doing this, either leave a comment or email me (contact info is on the top right of the screen). You don’t have to be a regular blogger or a regular reader of this blog to do this. I’m really looking for any CFL fan.
A Rouge Point 
I’m surprised game one of the NY/Baltimore series managed to get the lowest ratings of any of those games. You’d think a Yankees game would draw in the viewers. But with a really good game last night, it make sense that so many people watched: I bet they picked up a bunch after Ibanez hit that dinger to tie it.
Also, I remember a couple of years ago, The Score picked up a NBA playoff game that couldn’t run on TSN or Sportsnet because of Jays/NHL and NBA playoff coverage, but I forget if that came from TSN or Rogers.
Probably directly from the Raptors. They control the games in Canada. Usually TSN/Sportsnet/NBA TV get first priority. If all 3 are busy, then theScore gets it.
As for Yankees-O’s, game 1 was delayed by a few hours. Probably explains it. Went head-to-head with Sunday Night Football and another baseball game on SN1 as well.
You don’t have numbers from any of the NL series, do you? I’m curious how the league not represented in Canada (and the Nats, who have a Canadian legacy) compare
No, sorry. Will probably see some for the NLCS.
Wow, Rogers was actually going to put baseball games on certain Omni stations? That meant the Vancouver and Edmonton Omni stations would not have had the game? Good thing that decision was reversed. Nice to see Sportsnet tell fans to watch the Score channel for game 5 of Det-Oak, RDS will join that game in progress after the Bal-NYY game. Jamie Campbell did mention earlier on that all the Sportsnet regional channels will join the Det-Oak game after the NFL game. RDS and RDS2 have been doing a good job picking up all the games today. RDS2 had the STL-WAS game, with RDS airing the rest of them.
I’m surprised Sportsnet is showing Patriots-Seahawks, is Giants-49ers airing anywhere?
Its on most FOX stations (not Seattle though). Hence the main reason Rogers chose NE-SEA. They can simulcast it on Citytv in Alberta and BC. Plus they can show it on Sportsnet East, where it will do better than the other games.
The Giants @ 49ers won’t be on FOX Minneapolis either, that station will be getting the Vikings @ Redskins. The Seahawks are not always simulcasted on Rogers and City, they weren’t for weeks 1 and 5.
I forgot to say that it’s slim pickings again for CTV choosing only 2 games. You’re right that all together there are 2 games where the teams aren’t below 500. The only other game to choose would be the 3-2 Rams @ 2-3 Dolphins since both of those teams are in really tight divisions. The other could be Raiders @ undefeated Falcons.
Well no they haven’t, but they weren’t playing the Patriots those weeks either. Nor were they expected to be very good heading into week 1. And they were on the road week 5, so Citytv could simulcast the CBS game as well. There are many factors that go into Rogers’ choices. The first is ability to simulcast in Toronto. Then a combination of simulcasting in Vancouver/Alberta and the best games available for Sportsnet.
CTV’s main reason for a lack of games is that CBS (singleheader network) had games at 4:00 ET on most of their channels that are available in Canada (Seatte, Spokane, Buffalo, Detroit and Boston). And FOX is showing DAL-BAL just about everywhere. Truth is most other choices simply don’t make much sense.
Thanks for the info, it makes sense on the simulcasting and the best games. You’re right that out of the 7 CBS border stations, 6 are showing a 4:00 game and the 7th station is showing what’s on TSN2. Same goes with all 8 FOX border stations at showing their 2 games which are being simulcasted. I understand the Bills games being simulcasted in Toronto first regardless of their record or the opponent’s. It’s ironic that the Bills @ *Cardinals* is being picked up by City and SN this week but in week 1 the Seahawks @ *Cardinals* was not. Again, I understand why as you explained and playing the Cowboys in week 2 would be why Seattle was shown. Maybe the Seahawks being on the road is a factor although they were simulcasted on the road in week 4.
Remember that Rogers has a vested interest in the Bills, with the Bills in Toronto series. They don’t really in the Seahawks. Not to mention the Cardinals are a bit more attractive now than they were week 1.
Week 4 the Seahawks were the only team on the Seattle stations in the 1pm ET/10am PT timeslot, hence a major reason why their game was chosen by CTV. When they are on the road on the singleheader network (hence the doubleheader network can and will show a game head-to-head with them) it makes a difference. When they are on the road on the doubleheader network, the singleheader network usually won’t go head-to-head with their game. I hope that makes a bit of sense.
Kinda makes sense and does make sense with Rogers and the Bills. The Patriots have been simulcasted every game this season so far. The Vikings are like the Seahawks and have also had 2 games not simulcasted (weeks 5 & 6).