RDS

Sports Broadcastingrds.ca

RDS (Réseau des sports) is Bell Media's French-language Canadian sports television network providing live broadcasts, video-on-demand, and mobile streaming of NHL, CFL, FIFA World Cup, F1, and other major sports to Quebec and French-speaking Canadian audiences.

Company typePrivate
Founded1989
HeadquartersMontreal, Canada
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What RDS does

RDS (Réseau des sports) is a French-language Canadian sports broadcasting network operating under Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc. The network delivers live sports broadcasts, video-on-demand content, sports news, and analysis across linear television channels (RDS, RDS2, RDS Info), a mobile application for iOS and Android, and digital streaming integration with Bell Media's Crave platform. RDS holds exclusive Canadian French-language broadcast rights for premium sporting properties including the FIFA World Cup 2026 (all 104 matches), NHL games featuring the Montreal Canadiens, the CFL under a six-year deal commencing in 2027, and the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). The platform serves Quebec and French-speaking Canadian sports audiences and covers a broad portfolio of leagues including NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, CFL, F1, tennis, golf, combat sports, and the Olympic Games.

The underlying technology stack includes a streaming video platform with multi-channel delivery, mobile applications supporting live streaming and video-on-demand, and an interactive fantasy sports game (Grand Pool). RDS has integrated third-party technology partnerships including Spalk for multi-language broadcast commentary and WSC Sports for AI-powered vertical video highlight generation used for social media distribution. RDS monetizes through three primary revenue streams: recurring subscription revenue via Crave and RDS platforms (monthly and annual tiers), television and digital advertising sold against sports programming, and broadcast rights licensing revenue derived from holding exclusive Canadian French-language rights to major sporting events. Go-to-market is distribution-led, leveraging Bell Media's integrated platform infrastructure with content available through traditional cable/satellite providers, Crave streaming, Amazon Prime add-on subscriptions, and mobile app stores.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary within the BCE conglomerate, RDS does not operate with independent financials, outside investors, or a standalone publicly-traded structure; however, the network anchors Bell Media's French-language sports strategy and benefits from cross-promotion with sister properties including TSN, CTV, and Crave. The parent corporate entity is Bell Média inc., headquartered in Toronto, while RDS's primary audience is concentrated in Montreal and the broader Quebec market.

RDS firmographics

Firmographics

Name: RDS
Legal name: Bell Média inc.
Website: https://rds.ca
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1989
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: RDS (Réseau des sports) is Bell Media's French-language Canadian sports television network providing live broadcasts, video-on-demand, and mobile streaming of NHL, CFL, FIFA World Cup, F1, and other major sports to Quebec and French-speaking Canadian audiences.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

RDS industry classification

Industry

Product category: Sports Broadcasting
NAICS: Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
SIC: Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
akta.pro primary industry: National & Regional Sports TV Networks (Linear) (MPABAJAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms (MPAKAOAA), Sports Cable Networks (MPABAFAD)

Keywords

French-language sports broadcasting
Live sports streaming
Sports television network
Video-on-demand sports
Fantasy sports gaming

Where RDS is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Montreal
HQ country: Canada
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

RDS business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Subscription Revenue: Monthly and annual subscription fees for streaming service access through Crave and RDS platforms, billed recurring until cancellation
Advertising Revenue: Television and digital advertising inventory sold during sports broadcasts and programming
Broadcast Rights Licensing: Revenue from holding exclusive Canadian French-language broadcast rights for major sporting events (FIFA World Cup, NHL, CFL, PWHL, Montreal Canadiens)

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Monthly and annual subscription options with different feature levels

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

RDS product offering

Product offering

Core offering

RDS (Réseau des sports) is Bell Media's French-language Canadian sports television network that broadcasts live sporting events, video-on-demand content, sports news, and analysis programming through linear TV channels (RDS, RDS2, RDS Info), a streaming platform (Crave), and a mobile application for iOS and Android. The network holds exclusive Canadian French-language broadcast rights for major events including the FIFA World Cup 2026, NHL (including Montreal Canadiens regional coverage), CFL football, and PWHL hockey, and operates an interactive Grand Pool fantasy sports game for subscribers.

Product overview

RDS (Réseau des sports) is Bell Media's French-language Canadian sports television network and streaming platform. The core offering includes the RDS main channel, RDS2 secondary channel, and RDS Info news channel, along with an iOS/Android mobile app and web streaming service. The platform provides live broadcasts of NHL (including exclusive Montreal Canadiens French-language coverage), CFL, MLB, NBA, Formula 1, FIFA World Cup, and other major sports. Key features include a video-on-demand library (Vidéothèque), live streaming via the RDS app, and the Grand Pool fantasy sports game. RDS competes alongside Bell Media's English-language TSN network and is available through traditional cable, streaming platforms, and digital subscriptions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

RDS2: Secondary sports channel under the RDS brand offering additional live sports coverage and programming
RDS Info

Products and services

RDS (Réseau des sports) Television Network French-language Canadian sports television channel owned by Bell Media, providing live game broadcasts, video-on-demand content, sports news, and interactive features to sports fans across Canada.
RDS Mobile App (iOS/Android)

Quantifiable outcome

Nearly 16 million unique viewers for Super Bowl LX on Crave platform
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use RDS

Customer profile

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

RDS technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

RDS partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Bell Media / TSNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 June 2026Bell Media's TSN and RDS networks serve as exclusive Canadian broadcasters for FIFA World Cup 2026, airing all 104 matches from June 11 to July 19, 2026 across television and streaming platforms including CTV, Noovo, and Crave
CFL (Canadian Football League)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2026Six-year broadcast deal beginning 2027: TSN continues with 60 regular season games plus playoffs; DAZN exclusively streams 21 games as 'Saturday Night Football' reaching ~200 countries; YouTube as Premier Platform Partner
PWHL (Professional Women's Hockey League)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 November 2025Broadcast partner for 2025-26 season covering 120 games and 7,200 minutes of live action across Canada through Sportsnet, TSN, RDS, CBC/Radio-Canada, and Prime Video
Montreal CanadienscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 October 2025Long-term broadcast rights extension with TSN and RDS for regional coverage of Canadiens games - 50 games on TSN and 45 on RDS each season in Quebec and Atlantic Canada with streaming options
Amazon PrimeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTSN available as separate add-on subscription on Amazon Prime for streaming access to sports content in Canada
NFLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSuper Bowl LX broadcast rights - first time on Crave platform, previously only on TSN, CTV, and DAZN. Achieved record 16 million unique viewers
FIFA World CupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive Canadian broadcaster for 2026 FIFA World Cup - 48 nations competing across 104 matches in USA, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026

Scale indicators3 records

RDS competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

TVA Sports: Quebecor-owned French-language Quebec sports broadcaster offering NHL, NFL, F1, UFC. The closest direct French-language competitor to RDS in the Quebec market.
TSN (The Sports Network): Bell Media's English-language sister sports network, sharing parent, distribution stack, and rights portfolio (NHL, CFL, FIFA). Most directly comparable peer — same business model, same parent company, same Bell Media platforms.
Sportsnet: Rogers-owned Canadian English-language sports network holding competing rights to NHL (national), MLB, and other leagues. Directly competes with RDS/TSN for Canadian sports rights, ad dollars, and subscriber attention.

Broad incumbents

ESPN (Disney): Dominant US/global sports broadcaster and rights holder. Operates ESPN+ streaming and is the benchmark for multi-platform North American sports distribution against which RDS/Crave compete for premium rights and ad CPMs.
beIN Sports: International multi-language sports network owned by beIN Media Group holding rights across football, motorsports, and tennis globally. Comparable multi-language, multi-platform sports broadcaster with rights-licensing business model similar to RDS.

Emerging players

FloSports: Subscription-based niche sports streaming platform covering hockey, combat, and other sports RDS also broadcasts. Emerging OTT competitor targeting the same sports-fan subscription dollar with lower rights overhead.
Amazon Prime Video Sports: Global OTT platform now distributing TSN (and by extension RDS content) as an add-on subscription, plus holding NFL Thursday Night Football and other rights in the US. Represents both a distribution partner and a rights competitor.
DAZN: Global sports streaming platform that has secured exclusive Saturday Night CFL rights (2027+) reaching ~200 countries. A growing OTT competitor that increasingly bids for premium rights RDS has historically controlled in Canada.
YouTube (Sports): Premier Platform Partner in the new CFL deal; increasingly secures sports rights (NFL Sunday Ticket in US). Represents the emerging free-ad-supported sports distribution model that threatens traditional pay-TV sports economics.

Regional players

Canal+ Sport: French-language sports broadcaster operating in France and Francophone Africa. A regional peer sharing RDS's French-language value proposition but operating in different geographies; useful benchmark for French-sports monetization.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

RDS financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

RDS leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

RDS funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

RDS M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RDS

What does RDS do?

Is RDS a public or private company?

RDS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was RDS founded?

RDS was founded in 1989. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is RDS based?

RDS is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, in the North America region.

How does RDS make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are advertising Revenue and broadcast Rights Licensing.

Who are RDS's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are TVA Sports, TSN (The Sports Network) and Sportsnet. Broad incumbents are ESPN (Disney) and beIN Sports. Emerging players are FloSports, Amazon Prime Video Sports, DAZN and YouTube (Sports). Canal+ Sport is listed as a regional player.

Does RDS have an API?

No public API is recorded for RDS.

What industry is RDS in?

RDS's product category is Sports Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAJAA, National & Regional Sports TV Networks (Linear), with a secondary code of MPAKAOAA, Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sports Streaming Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51612 and its SIC code is 4833.