June 10 (Reuters) - Rogers Communications ( RCIAF ) has
entered into multi-year deals with Comcast ( CMCSA )-owned
NBCUniversal and Warner Bros Discover to bring sports
and entertainment content to Canada, the telecom giant said on
Monday.
The move comes at a time when Rogers is looking to boost its
presence in sports and entertainment content to attract a
reliable and loyal audience amid stiff competition.
Rogers will launch NBCUniversal's Bravo channel in September
and it will hold the English-language content rights in Canada.
Starting January 2025, it will have access to Warner Bros.
Discovery's ( WBD ) brands including HGTV, and The Food Network among
others.
Rogers said with the new U.S. licensing deals it is
planning to increase investments in original content and
independent production over the next decade.
"This investment also advances our position as a strong
Canadian broadcaster that can compete with foreign streamers"
said Colette Watson, president, Rogers Sports & Media.
Financial details of the deals, however, were not disclosed.
The company said it had invested $6.9 billion in Canadian
content over the last ten years.
In April, Rogers Communications ( RCIAF ) signed a 10-year deal with
Comcast ( CMCSA ) to bring Xfinity products, which offers cable TV,
internet and phone service to Canada.