TSN today announced its 2007 CFL broadcast campaign featuring 50 games, which will be available for the first time ever on multiple distribution platforms – TSN, TSN HD and TSN Broadband. All 50 games will air live on TSN and TSN Broadband, with a minimum of 35 broadcasts produced and televised in High Definition on TSN HD. The majority of HD telecasts will air Friday nights during the 11th season of the weekly staple Wendy’s Friday Night Football.
TSN’s CFL broadcasts continue to grow in popularity, as evidenced by the past two seasons – the most successful CFL seasons in TSN history. In 2006, TSN drew a per game average audience of 356,000 viewers, the second-most watched CFL season on TSN, while 2005 attracted record-setting audiences with an average of 395,000 viewers. In fact, the average audience of the 2005 and 2006 seasons is nearly double TSN’s average audience throughout the 1990s (376,000 viewers vs. 189,000).
TSN’s 2007 broadcast schedule gets underway on June 28 with a season opening doubleheader featuring B.C. @ Toronto followed by Winnipeg @ Edmonton. Additional highlights include two Grey Cup rematches featuring Montreal vs. B.C. (Aug. 31 and Sept. 9), the traditional Labour Day Classic Weekend with Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan on September 2, a rematch of the Labour Day game between provincial rivals Calgary @ Edmonton on September 7 and the Hall of Fame Game featuring Winnipeg @ Hamilton on September 15. Also in the mix are 13 games featuring the Grey Cup champion B.C. Lions and 11 doubleheaders.
The CFL on TSN broadcast team is back for another season, anchored by award-winning play-by-play announcer Chris Cuthbert and game analyst Glen Suitor, both of whom won Gemini Awards last year for calling CFL games on TSN. Rod Black will provide play-by-play for approximately 20 games this season. Brian Williams returns as on-site host, while Dave Randorf hosts the TSN Studio Show alongside the always informative – and entertaining – analysts Chris Schultz, Hall-of-Famer Matt Dunigan and Jock Climie.
TSN has been televising CFL games for 21 years (since 1986) and recently announced a new five-year broadcast partnership beginning in 2008 that provides TSN with broadcast and digital rights for the CFL’s entire 77-game package annually, including all regular season games, divisional playoff matches and the Grey Cup.
TSN’s 2007 CFL Broadcast Schedule
June
Thursday, June 28 B.C. @ Toronto 6:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, June 28 Winnipeg @ Edmonton 9:30 p.m. ET
Friday, June 29 Saskatchewan @ Montreal 7:30 p.m. ET
July
Thursday, July 5 Montreal @ Winnipeg 8 p.m. ET
Friday, July 6 Edmonton @ B.C. 10:30 p.m.
ET
Sunday, July 8 Calgary @ Saskatchewan 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 12 Calgary @ Toronto 7
p.m. ET
Friday, July 13 Edmonton @ Winnipeg 7 p.m. ET
Friday, July 13 BC @ Saskatchewan 10 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 14 Montreal @ Hamilton 7 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 19 Winnipeg @ Montreal 7:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 19 Hamilton @ B.C. 10:30 p.m.
ET
Friday, July 20 Saskatchewan @ Edmonton 9 p.m. ET
Thursday, July 26 Montreal @ Toronto 7
p.m. ET
Friday, July 27 Hamilton @ Winnipeg 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, July 28 Edmonton @ Saskatchewan 3:30 p.m. ET
August
Thursday, Aug. 2 Toronto @ Montreal 7:30
p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug. 2 Saskatchewan @ B.C. 10:30 p.m.
ET
Friday, Aug. 3 Winnipeg @ Hamilton 7:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug. 9 Calgary @ Montreal 7:30
p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 10 Saskatchewan @ Toronto 7:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 10 Winnipeg @ B.C. 10:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 17 B.C. @ Calgary 10 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 24 Toronto @ Winnipeg 8 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 31 Montreal @ B.C. 10:30 p.m. ET
September
Sunday, Sept. 2 Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan 4 p.m. ET
Friday, Sept. 7 Calgary @ Edmonton 9 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 9 B.C. @ Montreal 1 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 9 Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg 4 p.m. ET
Friday, Sept. 14 Montreal @ Edmonton 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 15 Saskatchewan @ Calgary 4 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 15 Winnipeg @ Hamilton 7 p.m. ET
Friday, Sept. 21 Calgary @ Hamilton 7:30
p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 23 Edmonton @ Montreal 1 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 23 Winnipeg @ Toronto 4
p.m. ET
Friday, Sept. 28 Toronto @ Edmonton 9 p.m. ET
October
Friday, Oct. 5 B.C. @ Winnipeg 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 6 Edmonton @ Toronto 3 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 12 Montreal @ Toronto 7:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 14 Saskatchewan @ Hamilton 1 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 14 Winnipeg @ Calgary 4 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 19 Calgary @ Winnipeg 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 20 Edmonton @ B.C. 10 p.m. ET
Sunday, Oct. 21 Hamilton @ Saskatchewan 6 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 26 B.C. @ Hamilton 6:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 26 Saskatchewan @ Edmonton 9:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 27 Montreal @ Calgary 7
p.m. ET
November
Friday, Nov. 2 Montreal @ Winnipeg 8 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 3 Edmonton @ Hamilton 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Nov. 3 Calgary @ B.C. 10 p.m. ET
Schedule subject to change
All audience figures courtesy BBM Nielsen Canada and exclude pre- and
post-game
