Ryan Reynolds, Jays’ booth and a major launch: English Canada’s top media stories to watch in 2023

Ryan Reynolds, Jays’ booth and a major launch are the top stories to watch in English Canada in 2023. In the United States, the long-predicted future of sports television has begun to unfold. YouTube, Apple and Amazon have begun buying sports rights deals. Sportsnet”s $5.232-billion contract with the NHL runs through the 2025-26 season. Independent podcasters have rushed to fill a vacuum in markets where legacy sports radio has retreated.

Ryan Reynolds wants to buy the Ottawa Senators. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman met with Reynolds. Wrexham A.F.C. reported merchandise sales soared to more than $590,000 over a one-month period earlier this year. The Senators are not based in a Welsh town, but their brand has endured some tough times in Ottawa. The story will be a major story to follow in Canada and beyond.

Sportsnet has parted ways with Pat Tabler, a colour voice with the Blue Jays. His broadcast partner Buck Martinez revealed the news on The Bob McCown Podcast. Martinez and Tablers were at the end of their contracts. They were not invited to return in 2023. In an earlier interview Martinez hinted he was considering retirement.

Professional Women's Hockey Players' Association is planning to launch a new league for the 2023-24 season. It would not have any affiliation with the existing professional league. Three Canadian networks broadcast games from PWHPA this season: TSN, Sportsnet and CBC. In 2022, more Canadians tuned in to watch the women's gold medal hockey game at the Beijing Olympics than any other event at that time.

Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph were broadcasting a game in Florida last season from a studio in Toronto. They were reduced to one camera view and briefly switched to a soccer game. The pair cover one of the most popular teams in the NHL.

Neither network committed to sending the Leafs on the road for the playoffs in 2022. If they win a playoff round this spring, it will be their first since 2004.

Sports betting is booming in Canada. Dr. Nigel Turner is an independent scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Chris Grove is a betting industry analyst based in the U.S. In 2023, the story to follow is whether calls to reform the market gain traction. It will affect the way companies attract new clients and maintain existing users. Ryan Reynolds, Jays’ booth and a major launch are the top media stories to watch in English Canada in 20th century.