Launched November 2005 Slogan Playful When You Are Broadcast area National Founded 2005 | Country Canada Headquarters Toronto Motto Playful When You Are | |
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Owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment Owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment Profiles | ||
GameTV is a Canadian English language Category B television channel that broadcasts primarily game and competition-based programming such as game shows, reality television, and sports-related programming.
Contents
GameTV's licensee is the GameTV Corporation which is owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment.
History
In September 2001, Stuart Media Group was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch The Gaming Channel, described as "a national, English-language Category 2 specialty television service, providing live-event interactive programming about gaming or involving gaming. The service will offer programming including shorts and Canadian original programs about gaming that will be knowledge-based and entertaining, with a focus on providing unique insights into daily events of the gaming world and its participants. The service will also allow viewers to play along with Bingo Games, and will provide experimental, interactive and informational programming on gaming odds, lotteries, and the gaming experience in general."
In December 2004, Stuart Media Group announced that it had reached an agreement with Casino and Gaming Television, Inc., owners of the Casino and Gaming Television (CGTV) brand, which would see Stuart Media Group launch The Gaming Channel as a Canadian version of the yet-to-be-launched American television channel of the same name. The agreement would see the Canadian channel launch in May 2005 on Bell ExpressVu and act as, what the companies called, a "test bed" for the American channel which would also launch later in 2005.
The channel would later launch in November 2005 as Casino and Gaming Television (CGTV) Canada on Rogers Cable instead of initially on Bell ExpressVu. Programming on the channel primarily focused on poker, including live and pre-taped tournaments; however, programming on other casino games and casino-related programming did occur.
Upon the launch of the channel in 2005, CGTV Canada was owned by Stuart Media Group, who in turn was owned by a variety of investors, although was ultimately majority owned by what is now called Kilmer Group. The channel was however operated by Insight Sports, of which Kilmer Group was an investor in as well. The channel would go through several corporate reorganizations throughout its history; however, always majority owned by Kilmer Group until it would sell its interest in the channel in 2016.
On October 26, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. EST, CGTV was renamed GameTV to broaden its appeal to a larger audience by focusing on game-related programming including game shows, reality programming, poker and non-sports gaming, and feature films.
In October 2012, GameTV debuted a new logo and on-air graphics, and tweaked its format by removing all casino-related gaming programming from its lineup, focusing specifically on game shows, competition-style reality series, and feature films, which would air nightly.
On August 2, 2016, Anthem Sports & Entertainment announced that it would acquire 100% of GameTV pending CRTC approval. The CRTC approved the purchase in November 2016.
Programming
A list of notable shows that air on GameTV, as of March 2017: