OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The score is Rogers – 1, Bell – 0, after the CRTC dismissed Bell’s complaint Monday that Rogers’ GamePlus online hockey viewing app provides that company with an “anticompetitive advantage.”
GamePlus is a feature within GameCentre Live. GameCentre Live is Rogers’ online platform that allows fans to stream over 1,000 NHL regular season and playoff games online and to whatever device they like for $200 a season, a subscription which is open to anyone. GamePlus offers different camera angles, exclusive interviews, highlights and advanced stats, and is exclusive to Rogers’ TV, Internet, home phone and wireless customers who also subscribe to GameCentre Live.
As Cartt.ca reported, Bell filed a complaint with the CRTC last October asserting that GameCentre Live and GamePlus violate sections 3 and 5 of the Exemption Order for Digital Media Broadcasting Undertakings, allegations that, not surprisingly, Rogers strongly denied.
In its decision, the Commission said that the way that Rogers offers GamePlus complies with the Digital Media Exemption Order. Agreeing with Rogers that the GamePlus programming is produced for distribution on digital media and not for linear television broadcasts, it also found that any preference or disadvantage extended by Rogers by distributing GamePlus only to its customers was neither undue or unreasonable.
“In order to stand out, creators, producers and distributors have to be creative and find innovative ways to create and deliver content to Canadians through digital media”, said CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, in a statement. “Rogers’ GamePlus service is a complementary service available online to enhance the viewer’s experience. I encourage other companies holding broadcasting rights to be innovative online in order to provide Canadian and international audiences with content that they want to see.”
Rogers Media president Keith Pelley called the move “a smart decision (that) is good for hockey fans”.
“Our customers are using their mobile devices more than ever, which is why GamePlus is such a great add-on to watching the traditional game broadcast,” Pelley said in a statement. “We won’t stop giving fans new ways to watch hockey and we won’t stop looking for other innovative ways to deliver programming.”
