TORONTO – In a little over two weeks, Canadians (assuming carriage agreements are in place…) will have another TV sports option to pick from.
Rogers Communications today announced Rogers Sportsnet One, a new sports specialty that will feature over 800 hours of live events, all in high definition, will launch August 14th.
The national live-event line-up features the Toronto Raptors, National Basketball Association, the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Major League Baseball and Barclay’s Premier League.
This also marks the return of pro basketball to Sportsnet. Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet One and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment have signed a deal to broadcast 35 Toronto Raptors games each of the next three seasons.
Sportsnet One will televise a minimum of 23 games during the 2010-11 season, while the remaining games will be broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet. In addition, the Sportsnet group of channels will broadcast at least 35 other regular-season NBA games plus 22 playoff games each year. Schedules will be announced at a later date.
Sportsnet previously carried Raptors and NBA games from network launch in 1998 through the conclusion of the 2007-2008 basketball season.
“We are excited about the return of the Raptors and the NBA to Sportsnet," said Doug Beeforth, president, Rogers Sportsnet. "The Raptors will be a flagship property for Rogers Sportsnet One, as will the many other NBA games we will offer Canadian basketball fans.”
The NHL’s Vancouver Canucks also announced today that the team has reached a three-year agreement to broadcast 13 regular season games a year on Rogers Sportsnet One, beginning in the 2010-2011 season (league regional restrictions still apply though). This new partnership is in addition to Rogers Sportsnet Pacific’s 45-game Canucks broadcast schedule.
However, all 58 games will be available via live streaming on Canucks.com and sportsnet.ca.
“We know there is an incredible appetite for live-event sports, and we plan to fulfill that need," said Beeforth. "We are confident that Rogers Sportsnet One will be a must watch for Canadian sports fans, and a great addition to the sports broadcasting landscape in this country."
Rogers Sportsnet One launches Aug.14th with three live events starting at 12 noon (ET) with a BPL match featuring defending champion Chelsea and West Brom, followed by a 4 p.m. (ET) matchup of top NL West teams San Diego and San Francisco and a 9 p.m. (ET) broadcast of the Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels.
Rogers Media received approval from the CRTC for a category 2 mainstream sports channel licence in March, since the Commission decided to remove the genre protection for mainstream sports and news channels. The national channel has the ability to broadcast regional content, too.
