– Amended condition of licence includes expanded, flexibility in news
programming –
– $17.1m in tangible benefits to be invested in sports programming,
athletes and community –
– The Score to be rebranded under the Sportsnet umbrella on July 1 –
– Tim and Sid and HOCKEY CENTRAL Playoff Extra begin this week on The
Score –

TORONTO, April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ – Rogers Media today received final
regulatory approval from the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to acquire Score Media Inc., which
has been held in trust since October 19, 2012. With today’s approval,
Rogers Media will integrate the operations and financial results of
Score Media effective immediately.

The acquisition of Score Media includes The Score, Canada’s third
largest specialty sports channel with 6.6 million television
subscribers, closed captioning service Voice to Visual Inc., and mixed
martial arts program The Score Fighting Series. As part of the
transaction, Rogers Media’s parent company, Rogers Communications Inc.,
acquires an 11.8 per cent equity interest in theScore Inc. (Score
Digital).

The total consideration paid by Rogers Media in October 2012 was $167
million.

“The Score delivers niche sports news and information programming,
complementing Rogers Media’s robust multiplatform sports offerings and
significant investment in sports content and experiences,” said Keith
Pelley, President, Rogers Media. “Last year, we made the bold
statement to make Sportsnet the #1 sports media brand in Canada, and
together with The Score, we take another step forward in achieving this
goal.”

The Score will be rebranded under the Sportsnet umbrella, which
continues to experience double-digit audience growth year-over-year*
and deliver award-winning content across five platforms. The rebrand
will be unveiled on July 1.

Rogers Media received approval for its request to amend The Score’s
condition of licence, allowing for an enhanced viewing experience for
Canadians while upholding The Score’s nature of service as a headline
sports news service. The changes to the condition of licence are an
increase in the amount of analysis and interpretation programming to
15% from 10%, and flexibility to break into live sports event
programming every hour to present sports results and video highlights,
instead of every 15 minutes. Rogers Media plans for The Score to
continue providing sports updates once every 15 minutes during live
events when possible, as the nature of the game being played permits.

Rogers Media’s tangible benefits package of $17.1 million (representing
10% of the value of the transaction) will have a positive long-term
impact on regional and national amateur sports in Canada, athletes,
sports organizations, and sports fans. The funds, which will be
directed over a five-year period, will be used to create new
programming opportunities for the independent production sector and
help foster skills development in multimedia and/or digital media
production.

As part of its programing strategy, The Score will continue to deliver
its own unique mix of programming and be the prime destination for
breaking sports news, analysis and highlights. While some sports
properties will be shared between The Score and the Sportsnet networks
(Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet World), The Score will be the home
of exclusive content in Canada, including WWE and the newly-created
HOCKEY CENTRAL Playoff Extra, which debuts tonight at 5 p.m. ET and
will air daily until the end of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In addition,
Tim and Sid, which currently airs on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, will be
returning to The Score in simulcast, beginning tomorrow from 1 to 4
p.m. ET weekdays. Additional programming details will be announced in
the coming weeks.

The Score will continue to operate out of the station’s studio on King
St. in Toronto’s downtown core, with support from the extended
Sportsnet and Rogers Media family.

About Rogers Media Inc.
Rogers Media Inc., a division of Rogers Communications (TSX: RCI; NYSE:
RCI), is a diversified leading Canadian media company that engages in
television and radio broadcasting, publishing, digital, and sports
entertainment. Rogers Broadcasting has 55 AM and FM radio stations
across Canada; television properties include seven City stations, five
OMNI multicultural television stations, Sportsnet (consisting of four
regional channels and the nationally-distributed Sportsnet ONE and
Sportsnet World), and The Shopping Channel, a televised and internet
shopping service. Rogers Publishing produces many well-known consumer
and online magazines, such as Maclean’s, Chatelaine, L’actualit ,
Canadian Business, and is the leading publisher of a number of
industry, medical and financial publications. Rogers Media’s suite of
digital assets includes 90+ owned and 300+ premium partnership sites.
Rogers Media Inc. owns Rogers Centre stadium, a year-round sports and
entertainment facility, and the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club.

*Source: BBM Canada, 2+ AMA, Jan. 1 to April 14, 2013 vs. Jan. 1 to
April 15, 2012, Sportsnet Regional Networks + Sportsnet ONE, Total
Canada

SOURCE Rogers Media