Rogers Sports & Media

Rogers Sports & Media's main television brands are Citytv — which operates 7 stations in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal, and Saskatchewan (cable-only) and has three private affiliates, Omni Television — a multicultural television system with two stations in Ontario, and stations in Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver, and Sportsnet — a group of sports specialty television channels. It also operates the shopping channel TSC, and is the Canadian licensee of FX Networks (FX and FXX) and WWE (distributing WWE Network in Canada and airing its programs on Sportsnet). The Rogers Radio unit owns 55 stations across Canada.

Rogers was a partner in DTour (since acquired entirely by Corus Entertainment) and Viewers Choice (shut down after majority control achieved by Bell Media). Rogers acquired full ownership of OLN from CTVglobemedia and Comcast in 2007.

Rogers Media was established in 1960 when Ted Rogers and Joel Aldred acquired CHFI.[2] The origins of Rogers can be traced to 1925 when Edward S. Rogers Sr. launched a radio station that would eventually became CFRB. Rogers and Aldred formed Baton Aldred Rogers Broadcasting (a forerunner to present day competitor Bell Media) when it acquired the license for CFTO-DT which launched the following year.[2] In 1962, Rogers bought Aldred’s shares of CHFI which changed its name to CHFI-FM Limited then Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. By 1964, CFTR went on the air.[2]

In 1986, Rogers acquired CFMT, Canada’s first multicultural station. It also acquired many stations from Selkirk Communcations in 1989.[2]

In a biggest acquisition to date, Rogers Media acquired the assets of Maclean Hunter broadcasting properties in 1994 though it resold various properties to Western International Communications.[2]

In 2000, Bell GlobeMedia acquired NetStar, the parent company of TSN, which ultimately divested the stake of Sportsnet[2]

In June 2007, as part of CTVglobemedia's acquisition of CHUM Limited, Rogers announced its intent to acquire their Citytv stations. CTV had originally intended to sell CHUM's A-Channel stations and several other specialty channels to Rogers, but the CRTC required the Citytv stations to be divested to comply with major-market ownership restrictions.[3] CTV maintained ownership of flagship Toronto station CITY-TV's local news channel CP24, prompting Rogers to establish its own short-lived CityNews Channel in 2011 as a substitute, in cooperation with CITY-TV and sister news radio station 680 CFTR. The network folded in 2013.[4]

On January 16, 2008, the CRTC rejected an application by Rogers to establish a new rock radio station in Parry Sound, citing that it would have an undue negative impact on its North Bay stations and local competitor CKLP-FM/.[5]

Rogers acquired a minority interest in the web-based video production firm Vuguru in 2009.[6] In 2010, Rogers acquired CHST-FM in London, Ontario from CTVglobemedia.[7]

On August 25, 2012, Rogers Media acquired Score Media's broadcast business (including The Score Television Network) for $167 million, including a 10% stake in its digital business. The channel has since been rebranded to Sportsnet 360.

On November 26, 2013, Rogers announced that it would become the exclusive national media rightsholder for the National Hockey League beginning in the 2014–15 season, under a 12-year contract valued at $5.2 billion. This gave Rogers rights to broadcast national telecasts on the Sportsnet networks and CBC Television (the latter as part of a sub-licensing agreement to maintain Hockey Night in Canada), and handle distribution for the NHL's out-of-market packages.[8][9][10][11]

In October 2014, Rogers announced a $100 million joint venture with Vice Media to establish a production studio in Toronto,[12] and launch Vice-branded television and digital properties in 2015.[13][14] On November 5, 2015, Rogers and Vice announced that it would launch Vice's upcoming specialty channel Viceland in Canada on February 29, 2016, replacing the existing Biography Channel Canada.[15][16]

In September 2016, Rogers acquired Tillsonburg Broadcasting Company's CJDL-FM and CKOT-FM in Tillsonburg.[17][18][19] In January 2018, Rogers announced its acquisition of CJCY-FM in Medicine Hat, Alberta from Clear Sky Radio.[20]

After Rogers pulled out of its venture with Vice, Viceland shut down on March 31, 2018.[21][22] In March 2019, Rogers announced that it would sell its remaining print publications, including Maclean's, Chatelaine, Hello! Canada, Today's Parent, and the digital operations of former magazines Canadian Business and Flare, to St. Joseph Communications.[23][24]

In February 2020, Rogers Media was rebranded as Rogers Sports & Media to "more accurately [reflect] our mix of assets".[25] However, the subsidiary's legal name did not change.[1]

• Official website
• History of Rogers Media - Broadcasting - Canadian Communications Foundation