Rumor: RDS and TSN could be sold

The sports media market is changing.

On the traditional media side, the costs of producing sports shows are rising, while program revenues are falling. This is obviously not a good combination.

This forces companies to think of different solutions.

In radio, for example, turning to on-air podcast formats with live sports may be a solution. It’s happening more and more, in fact.

But more drastic solutions also need to be considered for some companies.

And right now, Bell is considering divesting itself of its sports stations. We’re talking about numerous radio stations across the country (several TSN stations have closed overnight in the past), as well as RDS and TSN on TV.

Jonah Sigel, an insider who’s had some inside info in the past, says that the sale of RDS and TSN could be under active consideration right now.

Breaking: The winds of change are blowing through the Canadian sports media landscape! : https://t.co/vqROLtucU9

– jonah (@yyzsportsmedia) December 9, 2024

Well-placed people have been talking to him about it.

Because sports aren’t paying very well these days (nothing good for increasing the company’s stock market dividends), one senses a desire on Bell’s part to detach itself from sports. One example is the company’s sale of its stake in MLSE.

4 ways to look at this mega Ontario sale from a Québécois perspective → https://t.co/kdiUfRqgG8

– DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) September 18, 2024

We can also think about the fact that duels between Canadian teams (in English) on Monday nights are now the domain of Prime – and no longer TSN – until 2026.

And consider the next NHL TV contract, which may not include – from a Québécois point of view – the regional rights to the Habs for Bell customers.

With streaming platforms increasingly in the picture, is it illogical to think that a giant like Amazon might be tempted to buy RDS and TSN?

It’s not illogical to me, in any case.

It’s worth noting that we made a few calls on this subject to well-placed people at RDS. They denied the news (no surprise here), telling us that Bell had plans for several years with RDS in Montreal.

Obviously, with no clear buyer identified, it’s not likely that a sale will take place any time soon. But we’ll keep an eye on it.

Extension

Right now, in the world of sports, Bell seems to be betting on live sports on TSN and RDS (whether out of interest or to facilitate a certain transition, so as not to potentially sell an empty product) for the future.

As a general rule, however, Bell’s attention could turn to other projects (telecoms, for example), to the detriment of sports.