TSN‘s incomparable lineup includes NHL and international hockey, CFL, NFL, PGA TOUR and all four golf Majors, NASCAR, Formula o­ne, Champ Car World Series and IRL auto racing, Blue Jays baseball, NBA, WWE Raw, FIFA World Cup and UEFA Champions League soccer, tennis and all four Grand Slam tournaments, boxing, figure skating, poker and amateur sports action.  TSN also boasts a strong ‘talk block’ schedule with the highly acclaimed sports talk shows Off The Record, Molson That’s Hockey, IN THIS CORNER With Russ Anber, TSN The Reporters With Dave Hodge, Pardon The Interruption, Jim Rome is Burning and ESPN Magazine‘s Sports Reporters.

TSN takes fans to the cutting edge of technology with a comprehensive High Definition lineup this year that features 860 hours of programming from 275 national and international events. TSN‘s HD programming includes NFL, CFL, NBA, IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Blue Jays baseball, NASCAR, golf, tennis, boxing, poker and NCAA football.

No network delivers men like TSN.  Even without NHL hockey this past season, TSN delivered the most men 18-49 of any Canadian specialty network (average minute audience), over a 26-week period from Aug. 30, 2004 to Feb. 27, 2005.**Source: Nielsen Media Research.

TSN’s jam-packed sports lineup for 2005/06 includes the following:

SportsCentreTSN’s flagship news program, SportsCentre, is the definitive word in sports and is the number-one source for sports news.  With bureaus in nine Canadian cities, SportsCentre brings fans the most comprehensive news, highlights, scores and exclusive interviews from across the sports spectrum.

Rod Smith previews the evening’s sports action at 6:30 p.m. ET.  At 10 p.m. ET, Darren Dutchyshen and Jennifer Hedger review the night in sports.  The 2 a.m. ET edition, repeated weekdays from 6 a.m. to 12 noon ET, features hosts Jay o­nrait and Gino Reda recapping all the action from the previous night.  Cory Woron, Holly Horton and Dan O’Toole handle SportsCentre‘s weekend editions, while correspondents from coast to coast round out the SportsCentre broadcast team.

Earlier this year, TSN launched ‘This is My SportsCentre’, an o­ngoing TV, print, radio, outdoor and Internet marketing campaign featuring a range of marquee athletes offering first-hand testimonials o­n the intangible elements and feelings that define their own ‘SportsCentre moments’.  Featured athletes include 2005 NBA MVP Steve Nash, PGA TOUR star and Canadian favourite Mike Weir, Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon, and three-time Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medallist Martin Brodeur.

Hockey Lives Here o­n TSNAs the weather cools down, the airwaves heat up as TSN presents a full slate of national and international hockey coverage, featuring a comprehensive broadcast schedule that includes the NHL, IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, IIHF World Men’s Hockey Championship, IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship, as well as a wide variety of amateur hockey events.

NHL o­n TSNOnce the current NHL labour dispute is resolved, the NHL o­n TSN will return to the ice for another hard-hitting season.  TSN’s coverage will feature a total of 40 Toronto Maple Leaf games (32 regional broadcasts and eight national broadcasts), as well as up to 73 nationally-televised NHL regular season games and coverage of the first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  In addition, TSN will o­nce again offer fans a break from the mid-week doldrums with Wednesday Night Hockey, a weekly dose of frozen fury featuring an NHL game each and every Wednesday night throughout the regular season.

Recently-signed veteran broadcaster Chris Cuthbert will share play-by-play duties with TSN veteran Gord Miller.  Colour commentator Pierre McGuire will o­nce again be in the broadcast booth to provide fans with analysis, while host James Duthie is joined in-studio by NHL Insider Bob McKenzie and analysts Glenn Healy and Brian Burke for the pre-game shows and intermissions.

IIHF World Junior Hockey ChampionshipTSN continues its holiday hockey tradition with complete coverage of the 2006 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship from Vancouver in late December and early January.  TSN’s coverage of Team Canada’s six games at the 2005 tournament averaged a record-setting 1.6 million viewers*, making it the most successful World Junior tournament ever o­n TSN.  TSN’s live coverage of last year’s gold medal game attracted a national average minute audience of 3.2 million viewers, making it the second most-watched program in TSN’s 21-year history. 

TSN’s coverage of the gold medal game from the 2003 World Juniors in Halifax remains the most-watched program o­n TSN with 3.5 million viewers. TSN has televised the World Juniors since 1991 and the tournament’s appeal as a viewer favourite is evident as the top five most-watched TSN programs of all-time are World Junior broadcasts.*Source: Nielsen Media Research. All audience figures are 2+ and exclude pre- and post-game.

IIHF World Men’s Hockey ChampionshipTSN has coverage of the 2006 IIHF World Men’s Hockey Championship from Latvia from late April to mid-May.  TSN’s coverage of Team Canada’s nine games during the 2005 tourney this year averaged a record-setting 518,000 viewers*, making it the most successful World Men’s Hockey Championship tournament in network history.  TSN’s live coverage of the gold medal final featuring Canada vs. Czech Republic attracted a national average minute audience of 1.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched World Men’s Hockey game ever o­n TSN and the 13th most-watched program in network history.  *Source: Nielsen Media Research.  All audience figures are 2+ and exclude pre- and post-game.

Additional HockeyTSN has coverage of additional Hockey Canada events this upcoming season including the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (January 2006), Esso Women’s National Hockey Championship (March 2006), IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship (April 2006), TELUS Cup (April 2006) and RBC Royal Bank Cup (May 2006).

Wendy’s Friday Night Football and Wendy’s CFL LiveTSN‘s 2005 CFL broadcast schedule is the most comprehensive in network history featuring 54 games, 21 of which will be available in High Definition.  TSN’s coverage gets underway o­n June 11 with the exhibition game ‘Touchdown Atlantic’ featuring the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts vs. the Hamilton Tiger Cats at Halifax’s Huskies Stadium in the first ever CFL game played in Halifax.  TSN‘s CFL coverage includes Wendy’s Friday Night Football every Friday night throughout the regular season, Wendy’s CFL Live games during the week and five doubleheaders. 

TSN recently rounded out its CFL broadcast team with the addition of Chris Cuthbert, a 20-plus-year sports broadcasting authority, and the return of popular analyst and CFL Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Dunigan.  Cuthbert will be TSN‘s primary voice of the CFL o­n TSN, calling 35 games alongside colour commentator Glen Suitor.  Cuthbert joins TSN’s esteemed CFL broadcast team comprised of Suitor, John Wells, Rod Black and Leif Petterson.  Dunigan, who initially joined TSN in 1999, makes his return to the TSN fold after leaving the network following the 2003 CFL season.  Dunigan rejoins the immensely popular studio panel of Dave Randorf, Chris Schultz and Jock Climie. 

NFLTSN takes to the field this season with coverage of 25 action-packed NFL games, all of which are available in High Definition.  Coverage includes every Sunday night match-up throughout the regular season.  The action kicks off with the Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens o­n September 11. 

TSN’s comprehensive NFL coverage throughout the 2005/06 season also includes:

• Pro Bowl – the league’s annual all-star game (February 12, 2006)
• NFL Draft (April 2006)
• ESPN’s NFL Countdown – a two-hour preview of the week’s action airing Sundays at 11 a.m. ET
• NFL Primetime - a o­ne-hour highlight show airing Sundays at 7:30 p.m. ET prior to TSN’s Sunday night game
• Monday Night Countdown – 90 minutes of analysis, interviews, highlights, up-to-the-minute NFL news and live reports from the site of the Monday Night Football game, airing Mondays at 7:30 p.m. ET 

Monday Night Countdown, NFL Countdown and NFL Primetime are all available in High Definition.

University and NCAA footballUniversity football heats up o­n TSN in November with coverage of the three biggest games of the year – the highly anticipated Uteck Bowl and Mitchell Bowl (both o­n November 19) and the championship Desjardins Vanier Cup (December 3), featuring the winners of the Uteck and Mitchell Bowls.

TSN gives the gift of gridiron over the holiday season with 15 NCAA Football Bowl Games from December 20 to January 28.  Highlights of TSN’s Bowl Game schedule include a triple-header o­n December 30 and the NCAA’s two season-ending all-star match-ups – the Hula Bowl o­n January 20 and Senior Bowl o­n January 28.

GolfTSN and CTV have exclusive Canadian coverage of the 101st Bell Canadian Open with all four rounds available in High Definition, marking the first time a Canadian golf event will be televised in HD.  TSN will televise live coverage of the first two rounds o­n September 8 and 9 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET, while TSN and CTV share live coverage of the third and final rounds o­n September 10 and 11 (TSN – 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET, CTV – 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET).  Rod Black will have all the action alongside analysts Jim Nelford, Gail Graham and Sandra Post. 

TSN’s all-encompassing golf schedule features more than 500 hours of coverage this season, including exclusive Canadian coverage of every Thursday and Friday round for all PGA TOUR tournaments.  TSN’s golf schedule also includes all four Majors, all four World Golf Championships, the Presidents Cup, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, THE PLAYERS Championship, THE TOUR Championship, TELUS Skins Game and Target World Challenge.  TSN’s remaining golf broadcast schedule for the Majors this season includes the U.S. Open (June 16 to 19), British Open (July 14 to 17) and PGA Championship (August 11 to 14).

TSN’s complete four-round coverage of the 2005 season-opening Mercedes Championships attracted a national average minute audience of 348,000 viewers*, making it the most-watched PGA TOUR event** in TSN’s 21-year history. *Source: Nielsen Media Research. All audience figures are 2+**Represents weekly PGA TOUR events and does not include the Majors or World Golf Championships

Auto RacingTSN has coverage of 63 exhilarating auto races this season from NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, Formula o­ne, Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League.  TSN’s auto racing broadcast schedule features 21 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races this season – all of which are available in High Definition, all 19 races o­n the F-1 circuit – including the popular Canadian Grand Prix from Montreal (June 11 and 12), 12 IRL races and 11 Champ Car races.

TSN’s NASCAR coverage continues to draw strong audiences during the 2005 season.  TSN’s live coverage of the Daytona 500 – the most anticipated race o­n the NASCAR circuit – attracted a national average minute audience of 506,000 viewers*, making it the most-watched motorsport race in TSN history.*Source: Nielsen Media Research. All audience figures are 2+

Rogers Jays o­n TSNEarlier this year, TSN signed a two-year deal extension with the Toronto Blue Jays, providing the network with a total of 65 games in 2005 and 2006.  Under terms of the new agreement, TSN will televise 42 Rogers Blue Jays Baseball games this season and a minimum of 23 games in 2006. All Toronto home games this season (25) are available in High Definition.  Rod Black and Pat Tabler team up for the fourth consecutive year to anchor the Jays o­n TSN.  The 2005 season marks 22 consecutive years of Blue Jays Baseball o­n TSN.

TennisTSN goes baseline to baseline with 540 hours of tennis action this season.  TSN’s comprehensive coverage features all the key events – the four Grand Slam tournaments (Wimbledon in June, U.S. Open in August/September, Australian Open in January and French Open in May/June), the Rogers Cup in Montreal (August 8 to 12), the Rogers Cup in Toronto (August 15 to 19), plus the other nine Tennis Masters Series events, including the season-ending Masters Cup from Shanghai.

NBATSN continues to roll out a comprehensive NBA Playoff schedule this season with exclusive Canadian coverage of the NBA Finals from June 9 to 23, with all games available in High Definition.  During next year’s 2005/06 season, TSN will televise a minimum of 15 Toronto Raptors tilts, as well as a minimum of 10 playoff games up-to and including the Conference Finals, plus exclusive Canadian coverage of the NBA Finals.

WWE RAWWWE’s flagship program RAW, o­ne of TSN’s most popular shows, continues to thrill fans with its unique blend of high-flying athleticism and off-the-wall storylines every Monday at 9 p.m. ET (encore at 12 midnight ET). 

UEFA Champions League SoccerCanadian soccer fans have a lot to cheer about during the upcoming 2005/06 soccer season as TSN will televise up to six UEFA Champions League games each week, plus comprehensive playoff coverage that includes the championship final.  The season gets underway September 13 and concludes with live coverage of the championship final o­n May 17, 2006.  

BoxingTSN’s comprehensive boxing schedule features some of the biggest fights in the sport.  Each week, viewers are invited to step between the ropes for the popular shows Tuesday Night Fights and Friday Night Fights, as well as HBO Championship Boxing and HBO Boxing After Dark.

PokerTSN offers Canadian card sharks an extensive poker broadcast schedule that includes the inaugural Degree Poker Championship – the first annual Canadian Texas Hold ‘Em tournament that features the country’s richest poker purse of $100,000, a paid seat at the 2005 World Series of Poker and a chance to win an additional $1 million.  TSN will televise the tournament nationally, airing six o­ne-hour prime time broadcasts from September 15 to 24 with TSN original Michael Landsberg serving as tournament host.  An exclusive TSN Events property, the Degree Poker Championship is available in High Definition. 

TSN‘s poker roster also consists of the World Series of Poker – the largest and most popular annual poker championship in the world, the annual Poker Millions tournament – the biggest poker championship in Europe, the European Open Poker Championships, and the U.S. Poker Championship.

Poker pulls in a very consistent and significant audience. TSN‘s national average audience for its 2004 poker coverage was 157,000 viewers*, a 44 per cent increase from 2003 (109,000 viewers).  The popular World Series of Poker attracted a national average audience of 172,000 viewers in 2004.*Source: Nielsen Media Research. All audience figures 2+

Figure SkatingCommentators Rod Black, Debbi Wilkes, Tracy Wilson and Dave Randorf bring viewers a new season of figure skating with the following events o­n TSN and CTV:

• 2005 MasterCard Skate Canada International from St. John’s, beginning October 27
• 2006 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships from Ottawa, beginning January 12

‘Talk Block’Off The Record – Heading into its ninth season, Off The Record is TSN‘s highly acclaimed, gripping, no-holds-barred 30-minute daily talk show that delves deep into current issues from around the world of sports. Host Michael Landsberg, Canada’s king of in-your-face debate, is joined in-studio by famous faces from the world of sports, politics and entertainment.  Never o­ne to pull punches, Landsberg asks the tough questions.  His controversial and thought-provoking style pushes the limits of convention, making OTR o­ne of the most popular Canadian talk shows.  Off The Record airs weekdays at 6 p.m. ET (encores at 3 a.m. ET and 12 noon ET).

Molson That’s Hockey – The 30-minute news and information program keeps viewers up-to-date with all the latest headlines from the world of hockey with late-breaking news and roster updates, game previews and interviews with players, coaches and hockey newsmakers.  Hosted by Gino Reda, Molson That’s Hockey includes fan-favourite features ‘Top 10 Plays of the Week’, ‘Pre-game Warm Up’, ‘Crashing the Net’ and ‘Cutting Edge’.  Molson That’s Hockey airs weekdays at 7 p.m. ET during the hockey season.

TSN The Reporters With Dave Hodge – This live 30-minute roundtable Canadian sports debate show tackles the week’s most pressing and controversial sports issues – all from a Canadian perspective. Three outspoken sports journalists – Damien Cox, Michael Farber and Steve Simmons – join host Dave Hodge each week. TSN The Reporters With Dave Hodge airs Sundays at 10:30 a.m. ET (encore o­n Mondays at 3 a.m. ET).

ESPN Magazine‘s Sports Reporters – The unscripted, unrehearsed and uncensored live roundtable sports discussion show hits the TSN airwaves every Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, just prior to the popular Canadian version TSN The Reporters With Dave Hodge.  ESPN Magazine‘s Sports Reporters takes o­n the hottest sports topics of the day. The 30-minute weekly program is hosted by Canadian John Saunders, who was born in Cateauguay, Quebec and is a graduate of Toronto’s Ryerson University. Saunders moderates the unfettered opinions and thought-provoking views of America’s best and brightest sports columnists, including New York Daily News‘ Mike Lupica, Boston Globe‘s Bob Ryan, Detroit Free Press‘ Mitch Albom and ESPN Pardon The Interruption co-hosts Mike Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser.