Coverage will feature Usain Bolt’s last World Championship appearance including a potential final showdown with Canada’s Andre De Grasse in the men’s 100m, live on Saturday, August 5
CBC Sports has reached a four-year media rights partnership with Athletics Canada that will include exclusive coverage of National Championships, the 2020 Olympic Team Trials and more
CBC Sports will be Canada’s exclusive home for live coverage of the top track and field athletes on the planet as they compete at the IAAF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, August 4–13 in London, England. CBC Sports will have weekend afternoon and prime-time coverage on TV as part of ROAD TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES, as well as daily streaming live at cbcsports.ca, and on the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices throughout the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. In addition, CBC Sports has announced a four-year media rights partnership with Athletics Canada that will see the network provide exclusive coverage of marquee national athletic events including National Championships, NACAC Regional Championships and the 2020 Olympic Team Trials, among others.
Scott Russell will host CBC Sports’ live afternoon and prime-time TV broadcasts on Aug. 4, 5, 6 and 12 and an additional afternoon broadcast on Aug. 13. He will be joined by several veteran broadcasters, Olympians and former national team members, including: reporter, Olympian and World Champion hurdler Perdita Felicien on-site in London; Gemini Award-winning play-by-play commentator Mark Lee; analyst, Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games decathlon champion Michael Smith; contributor, two-time Olympic Games gold medallist and three-time World Champion Donovan Bailey; veteran athletics analyst, Olympian and former world record-holder David Moorcroft; and analyst, Olympian and World Championship sprinter Anson Henry, who will provide additional reports for the network’s digital and social media platforms throughout the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Canada will be well-represented at the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS with a team of 48 athletes led by Andre De Grasse in the men’s 100-metre, 200-metre and 4x100-metre; Melissa Bishop in the women’s 800-metre; decathlete Damian Warner; Crystal Emmanuel in the women’s 100-metre and 200-metre; reigning Olympic Games and World Champion Derek Drouin in high jump and reigning World Champion Shawn Barber in pole vault.
In addition to Canadian stars, there are a number of intriguing storylines surrounding international athletes at these WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. Foremost is Jamaica’s legendary sprinter Usain Bolt, competing in his final World Championships where he’ll run the men’s 100-metre and 4x100-metre, looking to add to his 13 career medals. Great Britain’s long-distance superstar Mohamed Farah will also run in his final World Championships where he will attempt to win a fourth-consecutive 5000-metre gold and a third-straight 10,000-metre gold.
CBC Sports will have live broadcast and streaming coverage of the men’s 100-metre heats beginning at 3:20 p.m. ET (12:20 p.m. PT) on Friday, Aug. 4, followed on Saturday, Aug. 5 by the semifinals at 2:05 p.m. ET (11:05 a.m. PT) leading up to the final at 4:45 p.m. ET (1:45 p.m. PT). This event represents the final opportunity for Andre De Grasse to face Usain Bolt head-to-head at this level. CBC Sports’ full broadcast and streaming schedules can be found here. In the days ahead of the World Championships, cbcsports.ca will post an interactive feature that will allow users to explore the history of Bolt’s accomplishments over the course of his legendary career.
Partnership with Athletics Canada
CBC Sports has further extended its commitment to showcasing Canada’s high performance athletes through a four-year media rights partnership reached with Athletics Canada, announced today.
With the agreement in place, CBC Sports is the exclusive home of upcoming National Team events, including the 2018 and 2019 Canadian Track and Field National Championships, the 2018 NACAC Regional Championships and 2020 Olympic Trials. CBC Sports will also work with Athletics Canada to provide coverage of several other Canadian track and field events over the next four years.
“We are excited to partner with Athletics Canada over the next four years. As evidenced last summer, Canada’s track and field athletes are reaching new heights on the world stage and CBC Sports is proud to continue to share their stories with Canadian fans,” said Greg Stremlaw, executive director, CBC Sports, and general manager, Olympics. “This partnership with Athletics Canada is another example of CBC Sports’ dedication to providing audiences with more access to high-performance sport, and Canada’s athletes in particular, in the months and years between Olympic Games.”
“CBC has always carried the torch for the Olympic and Paralympic movement in Canada,” said Mathieu Gentès, chief operating officer, Athletics Canada. “Athletics Canada is thrilled at the possibilities of this partnership. A resurgence of track and field paired with CBC Sports’ outstanding broadcasts, reporting and reach on various platforms, will serve as an important factor in extending track and field’s reach to a whole new generation of fans. In the short term, we are looking forward to CBC Sports’ expansive coverage of the upcoming IAAF World Championships.”
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About CBC Sports
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s Olympic Network and is committed to showcasing high-performance athletes and sports across all platforms, including Canadian athletes and their international competitors. CBC Sports prides itself on ensuring Canadians always know the athletes who represent them before they see them atop the podium.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.
For more information, contact:
Simon Bassett, CBC
simon.bassett@cbc.ca
416-205-8533 (t); 416-988-1590 (m)
