Are the Canucks preparing to give Sportsnet 650 the boot?

Are the Vancouver Canucks preparing to break up with their radio broadcast rights partner?

The regular season is just 64 days away. Vancouver’s preseason schedule begins in 47 days.

Canucks prospects will begin suiting up for games in Penticton at the Young Stars Classic in only 36 days.

And still, the Canucks are without a local radio broadcast rights deal.

They’re without a colour commentator too, as Corey Hirsch left Sportsnet in June and has yet to be replaced.

It’s sparking rumours that the Canucks won’t have a radio broadcast partner at all for the first time in franchise history.

This is something that Daily Hive’s sports media insider Tyler Green has been following for months.

Daily Hive first reported that the radio broadcast rights could be on the move in August of last year. Seven months ago, Daily Hive reported that in-house streaming could be an option for the Canucks, rather than renew with Sportsnet.

A deal was close to being struck in February, but it never came to fruition.

Both the Canucks and Sportsnet are remaining quiet on the issue, with spokespeople for both organizations declining to comment when asked by Daily Hive this morning.

I would not be the least bit surprised if the @Canucks pull their games on radio in house this year. Speculation was 1 more year as is, but looks more like in house this season

— jonah (@yyzsportsmedia) August 8, 2022

On Monday, YYZ Sports Media reported that the Canucks “could pull their games off the radio airwaves as soon as this season,” and that multiple sources have indicated that it’s merely a decision between making the move this year or next.

As Green reported for Daily Hive months ago, the Canucks wouldn’t be the first pro team in North America to move away from radio in favour of online streaming.

The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks have followed this model for years, and the New Jersey Devils have followed suit to some degree. The Oakland Athletics in Major League Baseball, as well as MLS teams like the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls also follow similar streaming formats.

What all those teams have in common is that they have to fight for attention in their respective marketplaces. The Canucks are king in Vancouver, so this would be a highly unusual move in that respect.

“This is the next wave of broadcasting and I would be surprised if the Canucks chose to go back to regular radio,” a broadcast insider told Daily Hive in January. “With streaming, the Canucks [could] control the rights, the content, the costs, and the advertising dollars. Everything they have, want, or need is already in place. It makes so much sense.”

While there certainly would be benefits for the Canucks, there would be consequences for Canucks fans.

Could Vancouver’s only all-sports radio station survive losing the Canucks broadcast rights?

Fans have complained about “house radio” ever since CKNW owned the rights. Imagine what in-house radio will sound like.

Will anyone ever get criticized, or will Canucks broadcasts become something of a propaganda machine aimed at brainwashing the masses?

How often will players, coaches, management, and ownership be available for interviews by independent outlets when they’ve effectively become the competition?

Perhaps the way in which Canucks content is packaged needs to change with the times, but ensuring that a third party is involved is important. Fan engagement is paramount for any pro sports team, and that’s difficult to generate when discussion is coming from team employees.