Monday, March 26, 2012

Has Canadian TV gone American? (CASTANET.NET)


Sean Bean portrays Eddard Stark in a scene from the HBO series, "Game of Thrones." If you've noticed that your cable package looks a lot more American these days, with more brands like HBO, MTV and Fox's FX Canada, you're not alone, and Canadian TV executives are betting that increased familiarity those sexy names will convince you to tune in. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP Photo/HBO, Nick Briggs


by The Canadian Press - Story: 72949 Mar 25, 2012 / 7:42 pm

If you've noticed that your cable package looks a lot more American these days, with more brands like HBO, MTV and Fox's FX Canada, you're not alone, and Canadian TV executives are betting that increased familiarity those sexy names will convince you to tune in.

The trend has picked up momentum, particularly over the past year with the planned launch of no less than five new U.S.-branded networks in Canada, including Oprah Winfrey's OWN network and ABC Spark, which debuts on Monday. Later this year, the Cartoon Network lands in Canada as part of a joint venture with Teletoon, bringing with it the popular Adult Swim prime time lineup, a programming block of mostly animated shows targeting adults, which have seen a ratings boom in the U.S. for years.

The pairing of U.S. brands and Canadian broadcasters is part of a proven marketing strategy that has grown in favour with local executives over the past decade as they look to cut costs and find more reliable business strategies.

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