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Originally Posted by dirtdiver
dont they have showtime in canada?
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No. We can't even access their website from Canada believe it or not. I think part of the reason Showtime is kept out is because Canada has a population that is around 35 million people, and there is only so much television media to go around. You factor in advertisers want to be able to advertise on Canadian stations and the CRTC (Canadian Radio-Telvision and Telecommunications Commision) wants to protect "Canadian content". As it stands right now, we have one premium movie network which is called "The Movie Network" (I know very original), and Showtime is kept out. I know they offer more than movies, but the CRTC grants the licenses for television stations to air their programs in Canada. ESPN for example, are not in Canada. There is an ESPN Canada, but its not a major sports channel like TSN (The Sports Network) or Rogers Sports Net, or even The Score.
Basically Showtime is kept out because the CRTC likely feel Canadians have enough options as far as what we watch, but the crux of the matter is that Canadian companies can't advertise on these American stations to target Canadian consumers. I know that you can't adverise on Showtime, but they might fragment the movie subscribing audience more, and seeing that TMN is Canadian, the CRTC comes to bat for them.
The CRTC is a crock of shit as far as their Canadian content is concerned because any of the major national stations here that get any sort of ratings purchase US programming every year in LA, and we watch essentially American shows, on Canadian television stations. We still have US stations with US ads, but they tend to be niche (or as Americans would say "nitch") stations like TBS and other regional Super Stations.
We have the Fight Network, which is a Canadian company, probably going to expand more into the United States carrying Elite XC as wella as other MMA, boxing, kick-boxing, and pro-wrestling content. I don't know how their station will/is in the States as far as having the rights to air Elite XC shows, they probably have to broadcast something else during that time. I think eventually without a massive injection of cash, the Fight Network will be squeezed out of the market by other organizations that have their own television network (the Showtimes, HDnet's of the world). I think the Fight Network will have to get into the promotion end of the business in order to survive, or get by on the feeder leagues that aren't afflicated with Pro Elite or other organizations that have ties to much larger networks.
