Game nights in Calgary
Hockey season revolves around the Flames, and nothing fills a Calgary living room like a Battle of Alberta night against Edmonton. Regional and national sports networks that carry Flames games are part of the lineup, along with US channels for games against American teams. The Wranglers, the Flames' AHL affiliate, give you another hockey option on quieter nights.
In summer and fall the Stampeders take over, with CFL coverage through the national sports networks. Add the Surge in the CEBL, Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League, the NFL on Sundays and plenty of rodeo and western sports around Stampede time, and there's rarely an empty week.
Want to follow the whole NHL? Our guide to watching the NHL without cable lays out your options.
Getting Mountain Time right
Calgary sits two hours behind Toronto and one ahead of Vancouver, which makes network schedules awkward. Where networks broadcast separate East and West Coast feeds, we carry both. Many Calgarians watch prime time on the Pacific feed so shows start at 7 or 8 p.m. local, and pick up live sport on the Eastern feed. Catch-up fills the gaps on supported channels.
Internet in Calgary
Calgary was Shaw's hometown, and its former cable network is now run by Rogers. Telus has built fibre across most neighbourhoods, and both offer plans far faster than IPTV needs. Smaller providers resell capacity on those networks at lower prices, which also work well.
New builds in the suburbs often come with a router placed in a basement mechanical room, far from the main-floor TV. If you see buffering on only one television, that's the usual reason. A mesh Wi-Fi system or an ethernet run solves it. Our buffering guide walks through the other common causes.
For families and newcomers
Calgary is one of Canada's fastest-growing cities, with large Filipino, South Asian, Chinese, Latin American and Arabic-speaking communities. The international section brings news and entertainment from home in dozens of languages, and a multi-screen plan means grandparents can watch their channels while the kids watch cartoons in another room.
Canmore, Airdrie and the acreage
The same login works across southern Alberta. In Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks and Chestermere you'll usually have the same Telus or Rogers options as the city. On acreages and in the foothills, fixed-wireless and satellite internet can handle IPTV if it delivers a steady 15 Mbps or more per HD screen. A multi-screen plan also covers a condo in Canmore, so the TV there is ready when you arrive.