Going concern

Phil King, CA
President, TSN

Company profile: Self-dubbed “Canada’s sports leader,” TSN was the country’s first 24-hour sports television network. It has grown from a mere 323,000 subscribers in 1984 to almost nine million in 2009. Co-owned by CTVglobemedia and US sports channel ESPN, it is the country’s fourth-largest broadcaster. In 2008, it launched a new digital network, TSN2, to offer more live sports coverage. TSN has secured high-profile sports properties such as the World Junior Hockey Championship and the CFL’s Grey Cup. It even bought the rights, in perpetuity, to the iconic former theme song for Hockey Night in Canada. TSN also has one of the most popular websites in Canada, averaging 4.9 million unique visitors and 72 million page views per month.

Hot factor: Having recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, TSN continues to broaden its reach by offering improved access via wireless devices. Calling itself a multiplatform provider of sports, news and information, it offers live and video-on-demand programming on its website, as well as a portable web version called TSN Mobile.

Cool Projects: TSN will deliver more than 300 hours of live coverage from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games — up to 20 hours a day. Through its various platforms and affiliate stations, it will be possible to follow almost every athlete and every sport. “If you want to know what a particular Norwegian cross-country skiier is doing,” says King, “you’ll be able to find him.”

In his own words: “We’re cautious about the new platforms because the economics haven’t been totally figured out. Devices like the BlackBerry and the iPhone are game-changers, though. We’re discovering that viewers will watch live sports on the best screen available, whether that’s a 60-inch television or a small portable wireless device.”

John Shoesmith