By Connie Thiessen
Bell Media is seeking an injunction against Rogers Sports & Media, attempting to quash its competitor’s ability to broadcast some Warner Bros. Discovery content, starting next year.
Rogers announced earlier this month it had acquired the brand and content licencing rights to Warner Bros. Discovery’s suite of English-language U.S. lifestyle and factual brands in Canada, including HGTV, The Food Network, Magnolia Network, The Cooking Channel, and OWN – which are currently operated by Corus Entertainment – and Discovery, MotorTrend, Science, Animal Planet and ID (Investigation Discovery), the rights to which have long been held by Bell.
Beginning in January 2025, Rogers would become the home of that programming in Canada, making it available on its on-demand service Citytv+, and Citytv, OMNI, FX, and FXX, among other linear and streaming options.
“Our long-standing partnership, content, and brand arrangements for the Discovery Canada channels include protections against the launch of competing services,” a Bell spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue. “We can confirm that we filed a claim asserting our rights and seeking an injunction and damages against Warner Bros. Discovery and Rogers Sports & Media on June 19.”
According to Rogers, the injunction being sought would only apply to the broadcast of linear channels for a period of two years.
“Bell is asking the Court to block Canadians from seeing these Discovery channels for two years – stopping anyone in Canada from distributing them and stopping anyone in Canada from watching them,” Rogers said in a statement. “Bell’s claims against Rogers are without merit and we will fight to make sure Canadians can continue watching the programs they know and love.”
