A new survey indicates that TSN is the TV channel Canadian sports viewers prefer for sports coverage and overall viewing.

According to the 2007-08 Roper Reports Canada survey, 42% of respondents chose TSN as the channel they most enjoy watching overall — a result that outpaced by a wide margin other all-sports channels as well as Canadian and American conventional networks. CBC followed at 14%, then Sportsnet at 11%, and The Score at 9%. The major U.S. networks — including ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX — received a combined 16% of sports viewers’ votes.

In ‘best channel for watching sports,’ TSN took 46% of the votes, followed by The Score at 12%, CBC at 11% and Sportsnet at 9%. The combined U.S. nets got 14% of the vote.

In ‘best channel for sports news,’ TSN took 48% of the votes, followed by The Score at 15%, Sportsnet at 11%, and CBC at 10%. RDS, TSN’s French-language counterpart, took 45% in the Quebec market.

In ‘best overall quality of sports coverage,’ TSN took 44%, followed by The Score at 16%, while CBC, Sportsnet and the U.S. nets tied with 11% each.

TSN president Phil King says the results of the survey are ‘a testament’ to the quality of the net’s lineup and coverage. Meanwhile, Sportsnet director of communications Dave Rashford says the survey is an ‘attitudinal, not a behavioural’ study.

Taking into account measured viewing, Rashford says Sportsnet is number one in B.C., number two in Canada, and number three among all specialty channels. TSN, however, disagrees with Sportsnet’s claim for West Coast supremacy.

The survey looked to reveal attitudes and trends about all-sports channels among Canadian sports fans. Between Nov. 16, 2007 and Feb. 15, 2008, the report queried 1,200 Canadian adults 18+, including 953 English-language respondents who watch TV sports.

From Media in Canada