TSN.ca is the
website of The Sports Network, a sports TV channel.
TSN.COM points to
SPORTINGNEWS.COM a sporting news website.
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 The
Sports Network (TSN.CA) is
Canada's leading English language sports television channel.
TSN premiered in 1984, in the
second group of Canadian specialty cable channels. Essentially designed as a
Canadian version of ESPN, the extremely successful American all-sports cable
channel, TSN remains the top-rated service on Canadian cable and
satellite television owned by CTV Speciality Television Inc.
TSN's flagship program is a highlights and sports
news show that airs several times a day. Prior to fall 2001, the
show was called Sportsdesk. As part of TSN's corporate restructuring in
2001, ESPN licensed the name SportsCenter and its SC logo to TSN (and
permitted TSN to Canadianize the name by spelling it SportsCentre).
In the fall of 2001, TSN dropped the name
Sportsdesk and replaced it with the ESPN-branded SportsCentre name and SC
logo. TSN's news studio was then redesigned to look like ESPN's and even
promo commercials were recorded that resembled those used by ESPN to promote
its SportsCenter. In 2006, TSN built a new studio to support high-definition
broadcasts and on September 25, SportsCentre became the first daily newscast
in Canada to be broadcast in High Definition.
TSN also airs ESPN original programming, including Sunday NFL Countdown,
Monday Night Football and Pardon the Interruption, as well as a number of
events for which ESPN owns the worldwide or North American rights.
The major U.S.-based leagues sell Canadian broadcasting rights separately,
hence ESPN-branded coverage is sometimes found on Sportsnet (baseball) or
The Score (college sports).
The network covers and broadcasts most major national and international
sports, such as National Hockey League, National Football League, UEFA
Champions League and Canadian Football League games, and Formula One auto
racing.
TSN is the master rights-holder for the CFL, but sub-licensed the
English-language rights to selected games, including the playoffs, to CBC
through 2007. On December 20, 2006, the rights to all
CFL games were transferred to TSN and French sister station
RDS as of the 2008 season, playoff and Grey Cup games included.
In addition to
Monday Night Football and the
CFL, TSN broadcasts NBC Sunday Night
Football and the NFL Network's package. Beginning in 2007, it produces a
Sunday afternoon telecast for CTV, although the feed is taken from CBS or
FOX.
It also shares the Canadian broadcast rights to the PGA Tour — for which it
airs virtually all early-round coverage — as well as NASCAR, the Toronto
Blue Jays, and the National Basketball Association (mostly games featuring
the Toronto Raptors). TSN is the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the NBA
Finals, taking the ABC feed.
As noted elsewhere, much of TSN's coverage, especially for the NFL, NBA
games not involving the Raptors, UEFA Champions League, tennis, Indy Racing
League, and NASCAR, is simulcast with ESPN or ABC. Any U.S. programming
available in high definition is usually also broadcast on TSN's HD feed.
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