Score Media

Score Media Inc. was a Canadian sports-media company built around The Score, a national specialty television service focused on sports news, scores, highlights, live events, analysis, and related entertainment programming. The company developed from Sportscope Television Network, founded in 1994 by John Levy with Clairvest Group as majority shareholder. Its early service, Sportscope, primarily displayed continuously updated sports information in an alphanumeric format. A subsequent regulatory approval allowed the business to add video and anchored programming, leading to the launch of Headline Sports in 1997. The channel was later renamed The Score. The company expanded beyond its core television service through radio, digital media, specialty-channel investments, accessibility services, and sports-related ventures. In 1998, it obtained rights to produce the Toronto Blue Jays radio network under the Headline Sports Radio banner, with CJCL serving as the flagship station. In 2001, the company launched PrideVision, described as Canada's first specialty channel devoted to LGBTQ+ audiences; the service was later rebranded as OUTtv and majority-controlled by a consortium led by William Craig. Score Media also owned Voice to Visual Inc., a closed-captioning service, and The Score Fighting Series, a mixed martial arts promotion. Digital products became increasingly important to the company's strategy. Before the 2012 restructuring, its portfolio included ScoreMobile, ScoreMobile FC, SportsTap, and TheScore.ca, as well as a minority interest in mobile and web-development firm NuLayer. The company also operated The Score Satellite Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio until that service closed in September 2011. As the cost of acquiring sports broadcasting rights increased, digital properties and mobile applications were viewed as potentially more attractive growth assets than the television network itself. Ownership changed several times. Alliance Atlantis acquired an approximately 47.85 percent interest in 1999 after a competing Shaw Communications proposal was rejected by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Score Media became publicly traded in 2000 through a reverse takeover of Old Canada Investment, operating at the time as Headline Media Group. Canwest acquired Alliance Atlantis in 2007 and thereby obtained its interest in Score Media, but sold that stake back to the company in February 2009 amid Canwest's financial difficulties. The decisive transition came in 2012. Score Media announced that it would sell its television business to Rogers Media, owner of the Sportsnet networks, while separating its digital assets into a new company called theScore Inc. The television sale was approved in April 2013. Rogers subsequently integrated the service into its Sportsnet group and renamed The Score as Sportsnet 360 on July 1, 2013. The separated digital business later became known as Score Media and Gaming and was acquired by Penn National Gaming, now Penn Entertainment, in 2021 for approximately US$2 billion. Thus, Score Media's original corporate identity ended through the disposal of its television assets and the separation of its digital operations, while elements of its legacy continued under Rogers and Penn.

Score Media originated in 1994 as Sportscope Television Network, Ltd., founded by John Levy with Clairvest Group as its majority shareholder. The original Sportscope service supplied continuously updated sports scores, news, and betting information in an alphanumeric format. Because it did not initially transmit conventional television programming, it operated outside the principal Canadian specialty-channel licensing framework. In 1996, the company received approval to launch Sportscope Plus, a service permitted to add video highlights and presenter-led content. The channel launched in 1997 as Headline Sports and was later renamed The Score. The business broadened its media activities in 1998 by acquiring rights to produce the Toronto Blue Jays radio network. The operation used the Headline Sports Radio identity and CJCL as its flagship station. In 1999, Alliance Atlantis obtained a 47.85 percent interest after the CRTC rejected Shaw Communications' proposed acquisition on undue-preference grounds. Alliance Atlantis viewed the sports channel as complementary to its wider portfolio of specialty services. In 2000, the company completed a reverse takeover of Old Canada Investment and became publicly traded as Headline Media Group, with Levy and Alliance Atlantis continuing as important shareholders. Score Media pursued additional specialty and digital opportunities during the early 2000s. In 2001, it launched PrideVision, a Canadian specialty service aimed at LGBTQ+ audiences and described as the first of its kind in the country. Alliance Atlantis had initially been expected to own 30 percent, but transferred that interest to Headline Media Group before launch. In 2003, the company sold a majority interest in the service to a consortium led by William Craig. The channel subsequently became OUTtv. The company also developed digital sports properties and diversified into adjacent services. These included ScoreMobile, ScoreMobile FC, SportsTap, and TheScore.ca. Score Media held a 20 percent interest in NuLayer, a mobile and web-development company, until the 2012 restructuring. It owned Voice to Visual Inc., which provided closed-captioning services, and operated The Score Fighting Series, a mixed martial arts promotion. The company also had interests in OUTtv and operated The Score Satellite Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio, although the satellite-radio service closed on September 1, 2011. Corporate ownership changed again when Canwest acquired Alliance Atlantis in 2007 and inherited its stake in Score Media. Canwest also subcontracted The Score to provide sports segments for Global Ontario after the station closed its internal sports department. As Canwest experienced financial problems, it sold its Score Media interest back to the company in February 2009. By 2011, Score Media was reassessing the balance between its television and digital businesses. Rising costs for sports rights placed pressure on conventional specialty-channel economics, while mobile applications and online properties offered a potentially more scalable growth path. In October 2012, the company announced an agreement to sell its television assets to Rogers Media, the owner of Sportsnet. The Score television service was placed in a blind trust while regulatory approval was pending. At the same time, Score Media separated its digital properties into a new company, theScore Inc. The television transaction received approval in April 2013. Rogers integrated the service into Sportsnet and renamed it Sportsnet 360 on July 1, 2013. The remaining digital business continued independently and was later renamed Score Media and Gaming. In August 2021, Penn National Gaming acquired that business for approximately US$2 billion. Score Media therefore ceased to exist as the original integrated media company, but its principal television and digital legacies continued through two different owners: Rogers in Canadian sports broadcasting and Penn in digital sports media and gaming.

1. 2021Penn acquires the digital successor

   Penn National Gaming acquired Score Media and Gaming, the successor to the spun-off digital business.

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2. 2013The Score is renamed Sportsnet 360

   Following regulatory approval of the Rogers transaction, The Score was rebranded Sportsnet 360 on July 1.

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3. 2012Television and digital assets are separated

   Score Media announced the proposed sale of The Score to Rogers Media and spun off its digital assets as theScore Inc.

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4. 2011The Score Satellite Radio closes

   The company's sports-radio service on Sirius Satellite Radio ceased operations on September 1.

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5. 2009Canwest sells its interest back

   Canwest sold its stake in Score Media back to the company amid Canwest's financial difficulties.

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6. 2007Canwest inherits Alliance Atlantis stake

   Canwest's acquisition of Alliance Atlantis transferred Alliance Atlantis' Score Media interest to Canwest.

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7. 2003Majority interest in PrideVision is sold

   A consortium led by William Craig acquired a majority stake in the LGBTQ+-focused channel.

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8. 2001PrideVision launches

   The company launched PrideVision, a Canadian LGBTQ+-oriented specialty television service later known as OUTtv.

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9. 2000Public-market listing through reverse takeover

   The company used a reverse takeover of Old Canada Investment to become publicly traded as Headline Media Group.

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10. 1999Alliance Atlantis takes a major stake

    Alliance Atlantis acquired an approximately 47.85 percent interest in the company.

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11. 1998Toronto Blue Jays radio rights acquired

    The company acquired rights to produce the Toronto Blue Jays radio network under the Headline Sports Radio banner.

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12. 1997Headline Sports launches

    Sportscope Plus launched as Headline Sports, the service later known as The Score.

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13. 1996Approval for Sportscope Plus

    The company received approval to add video highlights and anchored programming to its sports-information service.

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14. 1994Sportscope Television Network is founded

    John Levy founded Sportscope Television Network, Ltd. with Clairvest Group as majority shareholder.

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A Canadian sports-media operator combining a national sports specialty television service with mobile, web, radio, accessibility, and sports-event businesses.

• The ScoreSports specialty television network1997

  The Score was Score Media's principal asset and a Canadian national specialty television service. It combined continuously updated sports information with news, scores, highlights, analysis, live events, and other sports-related programming. The service evolved from the alphanumeric Sportscope operation and became the company's central broadcasting brand. Rogers Media acquired the television business in 2013 and renamed the channel Sportsnet 360.

• ScoreMobileMobile sports application

  ScoreMobile was a digital sports property providing mobile access to sports scores, news, updates, and related information. It formed part of the company's strategy to extend its sports-information franchise beyond linear television and was separated into theScore Inc. during the 2012 restructuring.

• TheScore.caSports website

  TheScore.ca was Score Media's online sports destination, complementing The Score television network with web-based sports news, scores, and related content. It was among the digital properties separated from the television business and placed in the successor company theScore Inc.

• The Score Fighting SeriesMixed martial arts promotion

  The Score Fighting Series was a mixed martial arts promotion owned and operated by Score Media. It represented the company's effort to participate in sports-event production and promotion in addition to broadcasting and digital publishing.

• PrideVisionLGBTQ+ specialty television channel2001

  PrideVision was launched by Score Media in 2001 as a specialty television service for LGBTQ+ audiences. It was described as Canada's first specialty channel dedicated to that community. Score Media sold a majority interest in 2003, and the service later became OUTtv.

• Voice to VisualClosed-captioning service

  Voice to Visual Inc. was a closed-captioning business owned by Score Media. It extended the company's activities into media accessibility and production support rather than consumer-facing sports programming.

• 2012Sell the television business to Rogers MediaM&A

  Score Media faced a changing sports-media market in which escalating rights costs increased pressure on the economics of its linear television operation, while its mobile and web assets offered a different growth profile.

  What changed. The company announced the sale of The Score television assets to Rogers Media and placed the service in a blind trust while awaiting Canadian regulatory approval.

  Aftermath. The transaction was approved in April 2013. Rogers integrated the channel into Sportsnet and renamed it Sportsnet 360 on July 1, 2013.

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• 2012Spin off the digital propertiesStrategy

  Score Media's digital applications and websites were considered strategically distinct from its television operation and had become increasingly important as sports-rights costs rose.

  What changed. The company separated its digital assets, including ScoreMobile and other online properties, into a new company called theScore Inc.

  Aftermath. The digital successor later became Score Media and Gaming and was acquired by Penn National Gaming in 2021.

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• 2021Penn National Gaming agrees to acquire Score Media and Gaming

  The separated digital sports-media and gaming business, by then called Score Media and Gaming, was acquired by Penn National Gaming.

  M&A
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• 2013CRTC approves Rogers acquisition of The Score

  Canadian regulatory approval cleared Rogers Media's purchase of Score Media's television assets.

  M&ARegulation
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• 2013The Score becomes Sportsnet 360

  Rogers rebranded The Score as Sportsnet 360 and integrated the service into its Sportsnet network group.

  Product generation
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• 2012Score Media announces proposed sale of television business to Rogers Media

  Score Media announced plans to sell The Score television service to Rogers Media while separating its digital assets into theScore Inc.

  M&A
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1. Score Media