CIS and Sportsnet announce 6-year deal

(OTTAWA, Ont.) - Canadian Interuniversity Sport and Sportsnet announced Wednesday a six-year agreement for the multiplatform rights to an all-encompassing portfolio of university sports across television, online and mobile.

The agreement, which begins this season and runs through the 2018-19 academic year, features expanded coverage of men's and women's CIS sport, headlined by the Vanier Cup and also including the following marquee events: Football national semifinals (Mitchell Bowl and Uteck Bowl), women's and men's hockey championships, women's and men's basketball championships, and much more.

Sportsnet's The Score will be one of the main hubs of CIS coverage, continuing its strong tradition of broadcasting university sports and amateur athletics, which began in 2002. Coverage for the 2013-14 season features 13 events, beginning with football this fall. Broadcast details will be announced in the coming weeks.

"CIS athletes have proven they can compete at world-class levels, and now they will receive the world-class coverage they deserve," said Navaid Mansuri, vice-president, Programming, Sportsnet. "CIS is a highly valued, long-term partner, and we look forward to working with them to significantly increase the profile of Canadian university sports and expose the country to some of our best athletes and stars in the making - along with sharing the game-day excitement from campuses across Canada. The sky is the limit from here."

"This is a historic day for university sport in Canada," said Pierre Lafontaine, chief executive officer of CIS. "This expanded, long-term partnership with Sportsnet will help elevate the CIS brand and provide our 11,000 student-athletes, 700 coaches and 54 member institutions the recognition they deserve. It will serve to shine a light on the many outstanding accomplishments of our student-athletes who will move on to become future leaders in this country and around the world."

In addition to the various men's and women's events, Sportsnet becomes the exclusive home of the Vanier Cup, the historic championship football game played each season between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl, including the 50th anniversary edition in 2014.

The 2013 Vanier Cup will take place on Saturday, Nov. 23 on the campus of Université Laval in Quebec City.

By the end of the six-year partnership in 2018-19, as many as 27 CIS events could air annually on Sportsnet.

2013-2014 CIS EVENTS ON SPORTSNET (13):

Broadcast schedule and details to be announced at a later date

Nov. 16: Uteck & Mitchell Bowls
Nov. 23: Vanier Cup
March 8-9: Men's basketball semifinals & final
March 15-16: Women's basketball semifinals & final
March 16: Women's hockey final
March 22-23: Men's hockey semifinals & final

Source: CIS Communications