VANCOUVER, BC
– TSN and TVA Sports, the official national broadcasters of MLS in Canada, today announced their national broadcast schedules for 2017, bringing unprecedented live coverage of MLS to fans across Canada. For the first time in league history, CTV – Canada’s most-watched television network – will air seven MLS matches, including Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s all-Canadian encounters against Toronto FC and Montreal Impact.
Single match tickets for all Whitecaps FC MLS regular season and CONCACAF Champions League matches go on sale to the public on Friday at 11 a.m. PT. For the full schedule, including kickoff times, visit the ‘Caps schedule page at
whitecapsfc.com/schedule
.
WHITECAPS FC BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS
- Game of the Week on Saturday nights throughout the season
- Opening weekend on TSN:
- Sunday, March 5 vs. Philadelphia Union (6:30 p.m. PT)
- Three matches on CTV:
- Saturday, March 18 vs. Toronto FC (1 p.m. PT)
- Saturday, April 22 at Portland Timbers (1 p.m. PT)
- Saturday, April 29 at Montreal Impact (12 p.m. PT)
- Three Friday night matches on TSN:
- Friday, April 14 vs. Seattle Sounders FC (7 p.m. PT)
- Friday, May 5 at Colorado Rapids (7 p.m. PT)
- Friday, May 12 at Houston Dynamo (6 p.m. PT)
- Canada Day tripleheader on TSN:
- Saturday, July 1 at Chicago Fire (4 p.m. PT)
- Decision Day on TSN:
- Sunday, October 22 at Portland Timbers (1 p.m. PT)
Coming off a year that saw record-breaking Canadian viewership in the 2016 postseason, TSN and TVA Sports will broadcast a record number of MLS matches in 2017, while providing exclusive coverage of signature league events throughout the year. In the first year of a landmark five-year media rights extension, TSN will broadcast a network record 75 regular season matches, which includes every Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC game. TSN will also provide enhanced viewing for fans with a set
broadcast window on Fridays nights
in the spring, and a game of the week on Saturday nights throughout the season. CTV, a division of Bell Media and the most-watched television network in Canada for the past 15 years, will broadcast seven MLS matches from mid-March through mid-May.
Throughout the regular season, TSN, CTV and TVA Sports will broadcast a total of five exciting all-Canadian affairs, with CTV covering both Toronto and Montreal’s sole games against Vancouver on Saturday, March 18 (1 p.m. PT) and Saturday, April 29 (12 p.m. PT), respectively. TSN and TVA Sports will also air all three 401 Derby meetings between Toronto and Montreal, all scheduled in the final stretch of the season: Toronto FC at Montreal Impact on Sunday, August 27 (1:30 p.m. PT) as part of Rivalry Week, Montreal Impact at Toronto FC on Wednesday, September 20 (4:30 p.m. PT), and Montreal Impact at Toronto FC on Sunday, October 15 (12 p.m. PT) as part of the Final Push to the Playoffs.
Highlighting the 2017 MLS season is the addition of two new expansion clubs, Atlanta United and Minnesota United FC. TSN will showcase Atlanta’s first trip to Canada when it takes on Toronto FC at BMO Field on Saturday, April 8 (4:30 p.m. PT), followed by a clash with Montreal at Stade Saputo a week later on Saturday, April 15 (10 a.m. PT, CTV, TVA Sports). Atlanta’s only regular season matchup against Vancouver will be broadcast by TSN on Saturday, June 3 at BC Place (2:30 p.m. PT, TSN). Minnesota will also make its Canadian debut in Toronto on Saturday, May 13 (12 p.m. PT, CTV), while Vancouver will be the only Canadian team to visit the newly MLS-minted Minnesota club at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, June 24 (5 p.m. PT, TSN).
TSN and TVA Sports will also carry critical
Decision Day
contests as the final postseason picture comes into focus on the last day of the regular season. On Sunday, October 22, Montreal hosts Eastern Conference foe New England Revolution (1 p.m. PT, TVA Sports, TSN), while Toronto FC makes its inaugural trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Atlanta United (1 p.m. PT, TSN), and Vancouver ends its season at Cascadia Cup rivals Portland Timbers (1 p.m. PT, TSN).
TSN and TVA Sports will have exclusive coverage of the MLS Cup Playoffs. In 2016, total viewership for the postseason reached an all-time high in Canada across TSN’s networks, highlighted by one of the most thrilling playoff series in MLS history between Toronto and Montreal in the Eastern Conference Championship. After a record 1.5 million Canadian viewers tuned in to see 2016 MLS Cup hosted at Toronto FC’s BMO Field, TSN and TVA will continue to provide exclusive coverage of 2017 MLS Cup, as well as the 2017 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target at Chicago’s historic Soldier Field on Wednesday, August 2.
MLS games on TSN and CTV can be seen live on TSN GO and CTV GO, while TVA Sports games are available on the TVA Sports app.
Broadcast Team
MLS ON TSN’s coverage is led by play-by-play commentator Luke Wileman and analysts Kristian Jack and Steven Caldwell. TSN soccer commentators Vic Rauter, Andi Petrillo, Nigel Reed, Greg Sutton, Nick Dasovic, and Peter Schaad will also handle broadcasting duties throughout the 2017 MLS season.
