The Toronto Raptors are not just one of the hottest teams in the current NBA season, the team’s brand is getting a boost from Bell and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which have partnered together on expanding the reach of its behind-the-scenes show called Open Gym.
Though some diehard Raptors fans may already be aware, others may be surprised to know that the show already had two previous seasons. It had aired on NBA TV and TSN2 but never had a specific timeslot. The current third season will see all 26 episodes air on TSN4, every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and every Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The focus in distribution goes beyond TV and into mobile devices as well. Bell offers the same episodes with additional exclusive footage on its Bell TV app for iOS, Android and BlackBerry a full day before starting Mondays at 1 p.m. The Open Gym After Show is another exclusive, this time on Bell Local (channel 1217), and is designed to be a roundtable discussion on reaction to the most recent episode.
The mobile episodes are exclusive to the Bell app, so consumers subscribed to rival carriers won’t be able to tune in. This is interesting considering Bell has publicly complained about Rogers’ handling of the NHL GameCentre streaming service, where it owns the rights in Canada, and thus offers exclusive features only to its customers.
Bell executives have stated that they are willing to partner with other carriers or providers to share the expense and benefit from the show’s production. But for the time being, Bell’s investment in giving the show more stability and a higher profile will see it remain as an exclusive. Until or unless Rogers complains about it.
The show itself is reality TV with a sports twist in that players are followed both on and off the court, similar to how the 24/7 series was done on HBO. There is a similar production called 24CH that follows the Montreal Canadiens throughout the course of the season, and is also produced by Bell. Extended episodes of that show are also available on the Bell TV app every Friday night.
Open Gym’s higher profile coincides with what is now a winning product on the court. When the show started for the 2012-13 season, the Raptors were still a rebuilding franchise that lost many more games than they won. After a thrilling playoff series last season and a resonant rebranding of the team via the We The North campaign, the Raptors have become popular throughout Toronto and Canada. With rising ratings on TV, Bell is hoping the renewed interest in the team will spark more viewers to tune in on their smartphones and tablets as well.
