On Saturday, August 14th, Rogers Sportsnet will offer Canadian viewers an exciting new choice in sports broadcasting with the launch of Rogers Sportsnet ONE, a 24-hour sports digital channel that will feature over 800 hours of compelling live-event programming, the majority of which will be broadcast in high definition.
The live-event line-up features the Toronto Raptors, National Basketball Association, the Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Major League Baseball and Barclay's Premier League.
"We know there is an incredible appetite for live-event sports, and we plan to fulfill that need," said Doug Beeforth, President, Rogers Sportsnet. "We are confident that Rogers Sportsnet ONE will be a must watch for Canadian sports fans, and a great addition to the sports broadcasting landscape in this country."
Rogers Sportsnet ONE launches Aug.14th with three live events starting at 12 noon (ET) with a BPL match featuring defending champion Chelsea and West Brom, followed by a 4 p.m. (ET) matchup of top NL West teams San Diego and San Francisco and a 9 p.m. (ET) broadcast of the Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels.
"Rogers Sportsnet ONE is the perfect complement to our four regional channels," said Beeforth. "We have established a reputation for live events on Rogers Sportsnet, and Rogers Sportsnet ONE continues that tradition."
Rogers Media, the owner of Rogers Sportsnet and Rogers Sportsnet ONE, received approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for a category 2 mainstream sports channel licence in March. The national channel has the ability to broadcast regional content.
Rogers Sportsnet, Canada's source for high definition live-event sports telecasts, consists of five channels: Rogers Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet West, and Sportsnet Pacific. The network launched on October 9th, 1998.