Scott Moore to exit Rogers

The longtime broadcast exec, most recently president at Sportsnet, will leave at the end of the month.

copied from media in canada - scott moore01Well-known Canadian broadcast executive Scott Moore has announced he is leaving Rogers Media at the end of this month.

Moore has been the president of Sportsnet and NHL Properties since 2014, and has overseen the brand through a period of significant disruption and change. A specific reason for his departure was not given, with Moore only offering in a statement that he felt it was time to move on. “I’m so proud of what our team has accomplished. We have exceeded my goals, and it’s now time for me to explore my next personal challenge,” he said.

Moore took over at Sportsnet during the Keith Pelley era, soon after the media co brokered its blockbuster 12-year, $5-billion rights deal with the NHL in 2013. Prior to that, as president of broadcasting at Rogers Media (2010-2014), he had a programming-centric role in an era that saw the broadcaster turning Citytv into a greater prime-time contender by acquiring big-ticket U.S. series, as well as bringing premium cable brand FX to Canada.

During his time leading Sportsnet, Moore has overseen the rollout of the NHL schedule on the channel, launched an OTT product to complement the linear brand, and overseen the development and launch of the Rogers Hometown Hockey flagship program. There have been bumps along the way: the company’s move to update the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast team saw it sign, and then ultimately release, Canadian personality George Stroumboulopoulos in 2016 after a ratings decline and fan outcry, and hockey ratings struggled for several years. But recent upticks in viewership, the reinstatement of Ron MacLean, and better performances by the Toronto Maple Leafs have all resulted in better ratings for hockey in recent years.

A replacement for Moore has not been named; Rogers Media president Rick Brace will oversee the brand in the interim.