TSN and RDS Partner with Hockey Canada For 10-Year Broadcast Rights Extension

- TSN and RDS remain the exclusive home of the IIHF World Junior Championship through to 2024 -

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TORONTO, June 20, 2013 /CNW/ - Hockey Canada along with TSN and RDS announced today they have reached a new 10-year agreement, beginning in 2014, that extends their long-standing partnership dating back to 1991.

The new deal, negotiated exclusively with TSN and RDS, gives Canada's #1 English and French speciality networks multi-platform media rights to all Hockey Canada events including the IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (World Juniors). Hockey Canada also confirmed today that the 2015 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship will both be co-hosted by Toronto and Montreal - with TSN and RDS holding all broadcast rights.

As the official broadcast partner of Hockey Canada, TSN and RDS will deliver more than 30 games from key Hockey Canada events each year, including:

• International events such as the IIHF World Junior Championship, IIHF World Championship, IIHF World Women's Championship and the IIHF World Men's Under-18 Championship
• Domestic events such as the World Junior A Challenge, the National Women's Under-18 Championship, the World Sledge Hockey Challenge, the World Under-17 Challenge, TELUS Cup, Esso Cup, RBC Cup, Allan Cup, and the Order of Hockey in Canada.

In addition to broadcast and digital rights, the deal also includes exclusive radio rights to the IIHF World Junior Championship and IIHF World Championship for TSN and TEAM Radio stations across the country, including TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto, TSN Radio 690 in Montreal, TSN Radio 1290 in Winnipeg, TEAM 1040 in Vancouver, and TEAM 1200 in Ottawa.

"It is rare to find a partnership so rewarding as the one between TSN, RDS, and Hockey Canada. Together, we have grown the profile of amateur hockey in Canada to remarkable heights and have helped to make the World Juniors one of the most-anticipated and most-watched events on Canadian television every year," said Phil King, President of CTV Programming and Sports. "Extending this wonderful partnership with Hockey Canada ensures our subscribers will continue to have exceptional coverage of some of the biggest domestic and international events in Canadian hockey."

"Hockey Canada is very excited to be able to continue its long-time and successful association with TSN and RDS as our media partners," said Hockey Canada president and CEO Bob Nicholson.  "TSN and RDS have helped grow many of our properties into Canadian traditions, and achieved record viewership numbers along the way.  We look forward to working with TSN and RDS to continue to build our properties, from national championships through to new grassroots initiatives."

"Nothing galvanizes Canada like watching our hockey players proudly wear the Maple Leaf as they take on the world's best," said Stewart Johnston, President of TSN. "Hosting the World Juniors in Toronto and Montreal will help to further establish this tournament as one of the all-time marquee events in the Canadian sports. We are thrilled to be a part of the magic and look forward to delivering Canada's holiday hockey tradition to fans for years to come."

Hockey Canada is the third Canadian partner to extend its exclusive partnership with TSN and RDS in the past 20 months, joining the CFL and the Canadian Curling Association in signing a long-term rights agreement with the networks.

Record Ratings
TSN and RDS have been the official broadcasters for Hockey Canada and the World Juniors since 1991. Since becoming the home of Hockey Canada, the networks have established new audience records for World Juniors tournaments, making it one of the most popular television properties on Canadian television.

In 2011, TSN and RDS attracted 6.7 million viewers for the World Juniors gold medal game, making it the most-watched event ever on cable television in Canada. Currently, six of the Top 10 most-watched telecasts on TSN are World Juniors games (based on PPM).

This past April, the IIHF Women's World Championship final between Canada and the United States drew an average audience of 782,000 viewers on TSN - making it the most-watched women's world championship final ever on Canadian television.

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About Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, a not-for-profit organization, is the governing body for hockey in Canada.  Hockey Canada oversees the management of hockey programming in Canada from the entry level of the game for coaches, volunteers, players and officials to hosting National Championships in men's and women's hockey.  Hockey Canada oversees Canada's participation in international competition, including World Championships, the World Cup of Hockey and Olympic Games.

About TSN

TSN is Canada's Sports Leader and #1 specialty network. With a broad portfolio of multimedia sports assets, TSN delivers world-class content across industry-leading platforms including TSN2, TSN.ca, TSN Radio and TSN Mobile TV. Official broadcaster of the Grey Cup, IIHF World Junior Championship and FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015, TSN's slate of live sports coverage includes NHL, CFL, NFL, NBA, MLS, Season of Champions Curling, UEFA Euro 2016, MLB Sunday Night Baseball, Barclays Premier League, Golf's Majors, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, F1, Grand Slam Tennis, NCAA March Madness, and Skate Canada events. TSN is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company.

About RDS
Le Réseau des sports (RDS) is a French-language sports network offering a comprehensive, world-class programming line-up. Since its inception in 1989, RDS has developed an unparalleled programming grid featuring major events and properties that include the exclusive broadcast rights to the Montreal Canadiens and other NHL hockey games, the Stanley Cup playoffs and finals, MLS and Montreal Impact, CFL and NFL football, the Grey Cup and the Super Bowl, Tour de France, F1 and NASCAR racing, MLB baseball including the World Series, over 30 PGA Tour golf tournaments (including 4 Majors), ATP tennis and all Grand Slams, FIFA World Cup from 2015 to 2022, Euro 2016, Barclays Premier League as well as the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Skate Canada and Canada Cup of curling. RDS is a division of Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more details on RDS, please visit RDS.ca.

SOURCE: TSN