Sportsnet PPV
| Sportsnet PPV | |
|---|---|
| Launched | January 1996 |
| Owned by |
Rogers Communications (Rogers Communications Partnership) |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Country | Canada |
| Broadcast area | National |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Formerly called | Sports/Specials Pay-Per-View Rogers Sportsnet PPV |
|
Availability
|
|
| Cable | |
| Available on Rogers Cable, Cogeco Cable and Source Cable | Channels vary by provider / region |
Sportsnet PPV is a Canadian pay-per-view (PPV) service owned by Rogers Communications. It is the PPV service used by Rogers Cable, Cogeco Cable and Source Cable for offering out-of-market sports packages and occasionally other special events. Since October 1, 2014, Rogers and Source (potentially among others) have also used Sportsnet PPV as their main general-interest pay-per-view provider, replacing Viewers Choice which shut down the previous evening.
The "Sportsnet PPV" name was not originally used on-air, as individual packages and programs were marketed directly by participating service providers. Following its expansion to general-interest programming, the service launched a barker channel which promotes special events under the Sportsnet PPV brand, as well as adult programming under the Adult4U brand. Unlike Viewers Choice and most other pay-per-view services in Canada, the service does not carry mass-market movies, though its barker channel shows previews of movies which are promoted as being available through individual cable companies' video on demand services.
The service was first licensed in December 1995 as a direct-broadcast satellite-only PPV service under the name "Sports/Specials Pay-Per-View", and launched shortly thereafter in January 1996. At the time the service was 60% owned by CTV, 20% by Molson, and 20% by a subsidiary of Liberty Media (later transferred to Fox Sports Net). The partners were also three of the four partners in the regional sports service licensed a few months before which would become Sportsnet. At the time its planned programming was described as featuring "coverage of professional and amateur sports competitions" along with occasional coverage of non-sports special events, such as G7 summits or papal visits. An accompanying digital terrestrial PPV licence was issued in September 1996.
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