CFL, TSN, AND RDS ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR MEDIA RIGHTS EXTENSION
Bell Media’s sports networks continue to be the league’s exclusive home with long-term agreement
TORONTO (November 21, 2019) – As the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats prepare to clash in Calgary this Sunday, November 24 to become the 107th Grey Cup champions, the Canadian Football League (CFL), TSN, and RDS have announced a long-term extension of their partnership.
TSN and RDS will continue to receive exclusive Canadian broadcast and digital media rights in all languages to all pre-season, regular season, and playoff games, as well as exclusive Grey Cup radio rights in all languages.
“To us, this is by far the best partnership in Canadian sport – one built on trust, respect and a shared love of the great game of Canadian football,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL. “Our league’s growth strategy, CFL 2.0, is about expansion, innovation and literally taking on the world. We are thrilled to reach an agreement that allows us to look to the future as we continue to grow with our loyal and committed partners at TSN and RDS by our sides every step of the way.”
“As one of our biggest and most iconic sports properties, the CFL has become synonymous with TSN and RDS. The league is built upon a rich history and a dynamic on-field product that’s beloved by millions of passionate fans across the country,” said Stewart Johnston, President, Media Sales and Marketing, Bell Media, and President of TSN. “We are very excited to work with Randy and his entire team on their forward-thinking CFL 2.0 vision, and to continue to shine the national spotlight on this amazing league across TSN platforms for years to come.”
Prior to the Grey Cup, which consistently ranks as one of the most-watched sports broadcasts on Canadian television, the 2019 CFL season on TSN and RDS reached more than 15 million Canadian viewers or 41 per cent of the country’s population.
CFL games have aired on TSN since 1986, and on RDS since 1989. The two networks became the league’s exclusive broadcasters in 2008. The new extended agreement will see the CFL, TSN, and RDS continue to develop their signature properties, including THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL in the summer, FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL throughout the regular season, and featured games on Saturday nights.
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About TSN
TSN is Canada’s Sports Leader and provides world-class content across its industry-leading platforms including five national television feeds, TSN Direct, TSN.ca, and TSN Radio stations across the country. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers more championship events than any broadcaster in the country. The network’s deep and diverse roster of live sports programming includes the Grey Cup, IIHF World Junior Championship, Spengler Cup, Hockey Canada events, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Winnipeg Jets, Season of Champions Curling, FIFA World Cup™, Canada Soccer, CONCACAF Gold Cup, MLB, Golf’s Majors, NASCAR, F1, Grand Slam Tennis, UFC, NCAA March Madness, and Skate Canada and Rugby Canada events. TSN comes from Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. More information about TSN is available at TSN.ca.
About RDS
RDS is Canada’s French-language sports broadcasting leader. In addition to its world-class content delivered across multiple platforms, including RDS, RDS2, RDS Info, RDS.ca and the RDS app, RDS offers the broadest portfolio of French-language sports programming in the world. Official broadcaster of the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators, CFL and Grey Cup, NFL and Super Bowl, MLB and World Series, Olympic Games until 2024, FIFA World Cup until 2026, exclusive French-language broadcaster of the Montreal Alouettes, Laval Rocket, Formula 1, RDS’s slate of channels present more than 4,000 hours of live programming each year, including UFC, the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and World Junior Championship, NASCAR, PGA Tour golf including all four majors, ATP tennis, all four Grand Slam tournaments, Season of Champions Curling and Skate Canada events. RDS comes from Bell Media, Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. More information about RDS is available at RDS.ca.