– New agreement runs through 2014; includes FIBA Americas Championships and FIBA Basketball World Cup –
– Multiplatform deal includes rights for television, online and mobile –
TORONTO (May 2, 2013) Sportsnet’s The Score today announced it has reached a two-year multiplatform agreement with FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, for the rights to eight marquee FIBA events across television, online, and mobile.
The new agreement, which begins now and runs through 2014, features the following premier men’s and women’s FIBA events: 2013 Americas Championship, 2013 U19 World Championship, 2014 Basketball World Cup and 2014 U17 Basketball World Cup.
Today’s announcement continues The Score’s strong tradition as the home of amateur athletics, as well as the go-to destination for hard core hoops fans.
“We’re in a golden age of basketball in Canada. We are the country to watch for future basketball stars and this new partnership with FIBA provides a tremendous opportunity to showcase home-grown talent to Canadians,” said Navaid Mansuri, Vice-President, Programming, Sportsnet. “The Score has always been at the forefront of basketball and amateur athletics in Canada, and the addition of these events ensures that Canadians will be able to see more world-class hoops action than ever before.”
FIBA action tips off on The Score with the men’s and women’s U19 Americas Championship beginning on June 27 and July 18, respectively, and continuing with the men’s and women’s Americas Championship beginning on August 30 and September 27, respectively. These are important tournaments for Canada’s teams, as they look to secure spots in the 2014 Basketball World Cup. Broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.
As outlined by Dave Zarum in the April 1, 2013 edition of Sportsnet magazine, Canadian basketball fortunes have never been stronger, evidenced by Andrew Wiggins – the centre piece of a tremendous wave of Canadian basketball talent that will be making itself known internationally in the very near future. Other Canadians to watch include Tristan Thompson, who in 2011 became the first Canadian taken in the first round of the NBA Draft in 10 years. By the time Wiggins is taken in the 2014 NBA Draft, as many as 10 Canadians have the potential to be drafted by NBA teams in the space of just four years, with athletes like Anthony Bennett, Kelly Olynyk and Myck Kabongo expected to be drafted in 2013 alone.
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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, 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.