Rogers Sportsnet announced this month a six-year deal with Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the national governing body of university sport in Canada. The agreement gives Sportsnet broadcasting rights to an all-encompassing portfolio of university sports across television, online, and mobile.

Sportsnet, the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts, will feature expanded coverage of men’s and women’s CIS sport from this season until the 2018–19 academic year. Broadcasted events will include the Vanier Cup, the Mitchell Bowl, the Uteck Bowl, men’s and women’s national hockey championships, and men’s and women’s national basketball championships.  Sportsnet is now 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. The Vanier Cup will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in 2014.

CIS events like the women's hockey final will be broadcast on Sportsnet under the terms of a new six-year deal. JILL CLARK/VARSITY BLUES

“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, at 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.”

Pierre Lafontaine, chief executive officer of CIS, is also optimistic about the partnership. “This is a historic day for university sport in Canada,” he said. “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.”

The agreement is likely to boost the profile of university sports events in Canada, particularly CIS basketball and hockey. However, the new deal may have a less than favourable impact on football. The pairing in recent years of the Vanier and Grey Cups has worked well for the CIS championship game, thanks to additional media and fans from the Canadian Football League (CFL) attending the event, the Sportsnet deal makes it unlikely that the collaboration will continue in the near future.

Despite the potentially negative impact on football, however, the agreement will provide a stronger foothold for Canadian university sports on television, while simultaneously providing Sportsnet with fresh content.

CIS coverage of the 2013–14 season will include 13 events, beginning this fall with football.  By the end of the six-year partnership, over 27 CIS events could air annually on Sportsnet.

 

CIS events on Sportsnet next season (2013–2014)

Broadcast schedule and details to be announced at a later date

November 16: Uteck and Mitchell Bowls
November 23: Vanier Cup
March 8–9: Men’s basketball semifinals and final
March 15–16: Women’s basketball semifinals and final
March 16: Women’s hockey final
March 22–23: Men’s hockey semifinals and final

The full CIS schedule is available here.