– Canada to participate for first time in TUF’s international series –
– Canadian UFC welterweight fighter Patrick Côté named Team Canada coach –
– Series to debut in 2014 on Sportsnet –
TORONTO (June 14, 2013) Sportsnet,Canada’s official home of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, today announced it has secured an agreement with the UFC® for multimedia rights to The Ultimate Fighter Nations™: Canada vs. Australia. The deal includes exclusive Canadian English rights for television, online and mobile for the next international edition of The Ultimate Fighter®, which will feature Canada making its first ever appearance in the series.
Debuting in 2014, The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia will feature some of the world’s top welterweight (170 lbs) mixed martial arts prospects. Team Canada will be coached by Rimouski, QC’s Patrick Côté, a nine-year UFC veteran who appeared on The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback in 2006, and was the first Canadian to reach a TUF series final. Kyle Noke, a native of Dubbo, New South Wales, will coach the Australian team. (Broadcast details for The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia will be announced at a later date).
“The Ultimate Fighter is a hugely popular series, and with Canada participating for the first time in this international edition, it will be must-see TV for UFC fans coast to coast,” said Navaid Mansuri, Vice-President, Programming, Sportsnet. “In conjunction with our valued, long-term partner in the UFC, we are proud to bring this highly-anticipated series to Canadians and continue our commitment to delivering premium sports content to our viewers.”
To see UFC President Dana White’s exclusive announcement regarding The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia, click here. Tryouts for The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia will begin in September, with Canada hosting casting opportunities in Toronto. Further details and registration forms will be available as of July 1at http://www.ufc.com/TUFNations .
This Fall, Sportsnet will present exclusive Canadian coverage of The Ultimate Fighter 18 featuring UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey vs former opponent and long-time rival Miesha Tate, in the first-ever co-ed edition of the show. Broadcast details to be announced at a later date.
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Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level. The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook. Sportsnet consists of four regional channels (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific), and the nationally-distributed Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet World, and The Score. Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official licensed broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Memorial Cup, CIS Vanier Cup, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Grand Slam of Curling, IZOD IndyCar Series, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, and extensive soccer programming including Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CONCACAF and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.