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Canadian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium Programming For Day 16 of the 2012 Olympics

The final day of the Olympics usually includes the men’s marathon, the gold medal final of men’s basketball and volleyball, and a few final events to close out the Games. CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet and OLN will air a two hour special hosted by Brian Williams through the best of the London Games.

Then at 4 p.m. ET, the Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium will wrap up its experience as Canada’s Olympic Networks with the Closing Ceremony to be aired and streamed across the country live.

We have what will distributed across the Consortium for the last time as CBC takes over the Olympics in 2014.

Day 16 Highlights: Sunday, August 12 – Gold Medal Games in Men’s Basketball and Volleyball; Canadian Wrestlers Hit the Mat for the Podium; LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY Caps Off the Games

DAY 16 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Basketball: Men’s Bronze Medal Game – Argentina and Russia square off on the hardcourt for bronze (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s Gold Medal Game – Kobe Bryant and LeBron James lead the U.S. against Spain for gold (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics: Men’s Marathon – Canada’s Reid Coolsaet, Eric Gillis, and Dylan Wykes trek through London in this final athletics event (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling: Men’s Mountain Bike Cross Country – Canada’s Geoff Kabush and Max Plaxton race for a spot on the podium; France looks for its fourth straight Olympic title (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Men’s Freestyle 66kg and 96kg– Haislan Garcia (66kg) and Khetag Pliev (96kg) compete for Canada and look for a spot in the afternoon’s medal rounds (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Volleyball: Men’s Bronze Medal Game – It’s Bulgaria vs. Italy for the bronze (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 2 p.m. ET

• Volleyball: Men’s Gold Medal Game – Russia and Brazil face off for Olympic glory (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Rhythmic Gymnastics: Women’s Group All-Around Final – Italy, winner of the past three World Championships, looks to upset Russia, three-time consecutive Olympic champions. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

Airing 2 – 4 p.m. ET
OLYMPIC FAREWELL: Brian Williams takes Canadians through the best of London 2012. Along with encores of key Canadian performances and interviews, the show looks back at the inspiring stories and outstanding achievements that captivated the nation, including the Canadian women’s soccer team, Usain Bolt, and Missy Franklin. During the two-hour show, Lisa LaFlamme fronts a piece on women in sport, highlighting the courageous women competing for countries with female athletes for the first time in Olympic history. The feature also looks at the remarkable performances of Gabby Douglas in gymnastics, Missy Franklin in the pool, and Jessica Ennis on the track. Stephen Brunt also returns with his last essay of the Games, examining how London 2012 has redefined Great Britain through the golden performances of Team GB during last week’s ‘Super Saturday’. (CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

Airing 4 – 7 p.m. ET
LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY: Hosted by James Duthie and Jennifer Hedger, this spectacle caps off the 17 days of London 2012 and celebrates the athletes that made these Games possible. Dubbed “a mashed-up symphony” of British music by artistic director Kim Gavin, the LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES CLOSING CEREMONY is set to include some of Great Britain’s top musical acts including Muse, Ed Sheeran, George Michael, the Spice Girls, The Who, Annie Lennox and more. The show will also celebrate Rio, host of the 2016 Games, with a Brazilian-themed performance. (CTV, RDS, TSN, Sportsnet, V, OLN, OMNI. 2, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca)

And coming up, NBC’s announcement on its Closing Ceremony coverage.

Candian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium Programming For Day 15 of the 2012 Olympics

Here’s the programming schedule for the Canadian rightsholders for the 2012 Olympics.

Day 15 Highlights: Saturday, August 11 – Catharine Pendrel Pedals for the Podium; Canadians in Medal Contention in Canoe/Kayak; Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake Lead the Pack on the Track in the Men’s 4x100m Relay; Gold Medal Games in Men’s Soccer, Women

DAY 15 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Canoe/Kayak: Mixed – Eton Dorney hosts four final events, including men’s kayak single (K1) 200m with Canada’s Mark de Jonge, men’s kayak double (K2) 200m with Canada’s Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane, men’s canoe single (C1) 200m, and women’s kayak single (K1) 200m. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Mountain Bike Cross Country: Women’s Final – 2011 World Champion Catharine Pendrel competes against fellow Canadian Emily Batty and rival mountain biker Julie Bresset from France (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Men’s Gold Medal Game – Mexico and Brazil battle it out for gold in this highly-anticipated match-up (CTV, RDS, OMNI. 1, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Taekwondo: Men’s +80kg – Currently seeded second in this Olympic tournament, Canada’s François Coulombe-Fortier looks to advance to the afternoon’s medal rounds (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Volleyball: Women’s Bronze Medal Game – South Korea faces off against Japan in a fight for bronze (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics – A total of seven medal events take place in the afternoon including the women’s 20km race walk final featuring Canada’s Rachel Seaman (OLN, V), the men’s 5000m final featuring Canada’s Cameron Levins, plus the men’s 4x100m final with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake leading Jamaica* against the United States* and Canada* in a final baton sprint down the track. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 10m Platform Final – Canada’s Riley McCormick* and Eric Sehn* compete against the world’s best divers including defending Olympic champion Matthew Mitcham* of Australia, reigning World Champion Qiu Bo* of China, and British medal hopeful Tom Daley* (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Volleyball: Women’s Gold Medal Game – It’s a gold medal showdown between Brazil and the United States (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s Bronze and Gold Medal Games – Australia takes on Russia for bronze followed by the United States vs. France for gold in these hardcourt finals (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 15 highlights and results. With a focus on Canadian performances, the four hour show looks at Catharine Pendrel in mountain bike, Mark de Jonge, Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane in canoe/kayak, Riley McCormick* and Eric Sehn* in men’s 10m platform diving and more. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also recaps the athletics events of the day – including another highly-anticipated race featuring Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the men’s 4x100m relay – and the men’s soccer final. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 15 highlights including recaps of the women’s volleyball gold medal game between Brazil and the United States, the men’s soccer final featuring Brazil vs. Mexico and men’s taekwondo +80kg with Canada’s François Coulombe-Fortier. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay recaps Canadian mountain biker Catharine Pendrel’s quest for a medal in the women’s cross-country. Pendrel is also featured in The Experts, where she proves to bobsledders Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown just how hard her sport really is. Plus, Sportsnet looks back at the incredible journey of the Canadian women’s soccer team. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 15 of London 2012 competition.(RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights.(V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That’s it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 14 of the 2012 Olympics

Just three more days of the Olympics and there are quite a few finals in various sports like BMX cycling, Taekwondo, wrestling, and track & field.

There are semifinals in men’s basketball and the men take on the 10 meter diving platform.

Take a look at what the networks of the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium have in store for the second and last Friday of the Olympics.

Day 14 Highlights: Friday, August 10 – Canada’s Karine Sergerie and Sébastien Michaud Spar in Taekwondo; Canada’s Synchronized Swimming Team Looks to Blow the Competition Out of the Water

DAY 14 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Canoe/Kayak: Mixed – Eton Dorney hosts qualifying heats and semifinals for four events, all featuring Canadians: men’s kayak single 200m (Mark de Jonge), men’s canoe single 200m (Jason McCoombs), women’s kayak single 200m (Émilie Fournel) and men’s kayak double 200m (Hugues Fournel and Ryan Cochrane). (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• BMX: Men’s and Women’s Semifinals and Final – Tory Nyhaug* is flying high for Canada against reigning World Champion Sam Willoughby* in this fast-paced sport making its second appearance at an Olympic Games (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Taekwondo: Women’s 67kg and Men’s 80kg – Canadians Karine Sergerie, who brought home silver at the Beijing 2008 Games, and Sébastien Michaud, bronze medallist at the 2007 and 2009 World Championships, look to advance to the afternoon’s medal rounds (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Men’s 55kg and 74kg – Canada’s David Tremblay and Matt Gentry hit the mat for a spot in the afternoon’s bronze and gold medal matches (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Synchronized Swimming: Women’s Team Free Routine – Canada is poised to swim back onto the podium for the first time since Sydney 2000 with its innovative routines; Russia’s Anastasia Davydova holds her breath in search of a record-setting fifth Olympic gold medal in synchronized swimming. (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Basketball: Men’s – Spain takes on Russia followed by Argentina vs. USA in these highly-anticipated hardcourt semifinal showdowns (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics – In addition to the first round of women’s 4x400m relay and men’s 4x100m relay, six medal events take place including: men’s pole vault, women’s hammer throw, women’s 5000m, women’s 4x100m relay, women’s 1500m, and men’s 4x400m relay. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Men’s Bronze Medal Match – South Korea faces off against Japan in a fight for bronze (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 10m Platform – Canadians Riley McCormick and Eric Sehn compete in the preliminary round against Great Britain’s young diving star Tom Daley and 2011 World Champion Qui Bo of China (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 14 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show recaps the athletics events of the day, BMX cycling and Tory Nyhaug*’s performance, taekwondo with looks at Karine Sergerie and Sébastien Michaud’s results, diving, canoe/kayak, and marathon swimming. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 14 highlights including recaps of men’s volleyball semifinals, Canada’s underwater performance in synchronized swimming, and men’s water polo semifinal #2(TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay reviews the men’s basketball semifinals with coverage of powerhouse Argentina taking on the favoured United States, as well as Spain vs. Russia. Canadians Karine Sergerie and Sébastien Michaud look to fight their way to the podium in taekwondo, while Adam van Koeverden teaches kayaking in another edition of The Experts. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 14 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

NBCUniversal’s programming is next.

Canadian Olympic Broadcasting Consortium Programming for Day 13 of the 2012 Olympics

As the Olympics now count down to their final days, some of the big events and sports are holding their medal rounds. Canada will be playing for the bronze medal in women’s soccer against France on Thursday. Track & Field has several gold medal finals including the men’s 200 meters featuring Yohan Blake and multiple gold medal winner Usain Bolt. Canada also has medal hopefuls in women’s wrestling and diving.

Check out the programming on the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium for Day 13 of the Games of the XXX Summer Olympiad. It’s all listed below.

Day 13 Highlights: Thursday, August 9 – Canada’s Women’s Soccer Team Battles for Bronze; World’s Fastest Man Usain Bolt Attempts 200m Final; Bronze Medallists Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion Take Another Plunge for the Podium

DAY 13 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Soccer: Women’s Bronze Medal Match – Christine Sinclair and Melissa Tancredi lead Canada in a battle for bronze against France (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Canoe/Kayak: Mixed – Eton Dorney hosts four medal events including men’s canoe double 1000m final, men’s kayak four 1000m final, women’s kayak single 500m final and women’s kayak double 500m final (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca
• Athletics – The morning includes the first round of the men’s 4x400m relay, women’s high jump qualification and three events from men’s decathlon: 110m hurdles, discus throw and pole vault (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling BMX: Men’s Quarterfinals – Canada’s Tory Nyhaug competes in his first Olympic Games (Sportsnet, RDS2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Women’s Freestyle Wrestling – Canada’s Tonya Verbeek (55kg) – the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist and Athens 2004 silver medallist – and Leah Callahan (72kg) look to advance to the afternoon’s gold medal finals (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics – In addition to the women’s 800m semifinals featuring Canada’s Jessica Smith, five medal events take place including:
  • Men’s 200m Final – Canada’s Jared Connaughton* and Aaron Brown* look to hit the track alongside Jamaica’s Usain Bolt* and Yohan Blake* (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s Javelin Final – Vancouver’s Elizabeth Gleadle will be the first Canadian woman to compete in the javelin at an Olympic Games since 1988 (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s Decathlon 1500m Final – Canada’s Damian Warner competes (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 800m Final (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s Triple Jump Final (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s Gold Medal Match – The United States is up against the Japanese squad that beat them in last year’s World Cup final (TSN, OMNI.1, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 10m Platform – Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito* and Roseline Filion*, who captured bronze in the women’s 10m synchronized diving last week, fly solo against the best divers in the world including the defending Olympic champion Chen Ruolin* of China (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 13 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show recaps the women’s soccer bronze and gold medal match-ups, athletics events including the highly anticipated men’s 200m final with Usain Bolt* and Yohan Blake*, as well as the women’s 10m platform results featuring Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 13 highlights and recaps including the women’s basketball semifinals and the women’s water polo gold medal game (TSN2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay providesviewers with highlights from Day 13’s premier events, including Usain Bolt’s attempt to defend his title in the men’s 200m final. A full review of the highly anticipated women’s gold medal soccer match between USA and Japan will also be presented, as well as coverage from the women’s 10m platform final as Canadians Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion look for their second medal of the Games.

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 13 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

NBCUniversal’s Olympic programming is coming up.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 12 of the 2012 Olympics

For Day 12 of the 2012 Olympics, the networks comprising the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium will focus on the canoe/kayak venue, the rowing venue, the track & field venue and the equestrian venue.

So much more will be seen throughout the day on the consortium and you can check out what’s on below.

Day 12 Highlights: Wednesday, August 8 – Adam van Koeverden and Mark Oldershaw Go for Gold; Carol Huynh Defends Her Olympic Title; Canada’s Aaron Brown and Jared Connaughton Battle on the Track with Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the 200m Semifinal

DAY 12 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Canoe/Kayak Sprint:
  • Men’s K-1 1000m – Three-time Olympic medallist Adam van Koeverden goes for gold (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s C-1 1000m – Third-generation Olympian Mark Oldershaw battles for his first medal at Eton Dorney (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics: Men’s Decathlon – Three events kick off in the morning with 100m, long jump, and shot put followed by high jump and 400m in the afternoon (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Individual Jumping – Ian Millar who is making his 10th Olympic Games appearance and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist Eric Lamaze have the podium in sight (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics – Four medal events take place including the women’s long jump, women’s 400m hurdles, the women’s 200m and the men’s 110m hurdles. Plus, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake compete in the 200m semifinals alongside Canada’s Jared Connaughton and Aaron Brown (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Beach Volleyball: Women’s – It’s suspense on the sand in this gold medal match-up (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Wrestling: Women’s Freestyle 48kg – Canada’s Carol Huynh looks to defend her Olympic title following her gold medal performance in Beijing (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 10m Platform – Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion, who captured bronze in the women’s 10m synchronized diving last week, compete in this preliminary round (OLN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 12 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show recaps the canoe/kayak sprint final results from earlier in the day with a look at Mark Oldershaw and Adam van Koeverden, who is also featured in The Experts segment alongside DAILY PLANET host Dan Riskin. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also recaps the performances of Beijing 2008 gold medallist Carol Huynh in women’s freestyle wrestling and Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar in the individual jumping final, as well as athletics results. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 12 highlights and recaps, including the men’s basketball quarter-final game featuring Australia taking on the USA’s Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant, as well as the women’s beach volleyball gold medal match-up. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay takes a look at Canada’s medal chances from Day 12, including Adam van Koeverden in the men’s K-1 1000m final and Mark Oldershaw in the men’s C-1 1000m final. Sportsnet also has full coverage of Carol Huynh’s attempt to defend her Olympic Games title in women’s freestyle wrestling, including a look at her special relationship with her hometown of Hazelton, BC in Difference Makers with Rick Hansen. All this, plus recaps of the quarter-final action in men’s volleyball, basketball and water polo. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 12 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

NBCUniversal’s Olympic programming is next.

Bringing Out Some Tuesday Links

Let’s do some linkage for you on this Tuesday.

Earlier today, actually very early today, I wrote Some Tuesday Olympic Sports Media Thoughts. I hope it makes sense.

Austin Karp of the Sports Business Daily says NBC saw its second drop in the overnight ratings for the 2012 Olympics.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today says a new poll finds that Americans want to watch their Olympics live. Well, well, NBC.

Reid Cherner of USA Today has video of someone on Fox News complaining that gold medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas and other US Olympic athletes aren’t being patriotic because they aren’t wearing red, white and blue. Did someone really think that was a serious complaint?

Etan Vlessing at the Hollywood Reporter says CTV received its biggest Olympic ratings to date with Usain Bolt’s gold medal-winning performance in the 100 meters dash.

Gary Holmes from MediaPost says Olympic viewers want to see the Games one way. On TV.

John Eggerton of Broadcasting & Cable says a poll finds a majority pleased with NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. Really?

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News looks at NBC’s Olympic primetime ratings for Sunday.

Mike also delves into the online numbers visiting NBC’s Olympics website.

Jeannine Poggi of Advertising Age explains why Turner Broadcasting purchased the Bleacher Report.

Jeannine says people might be complaining about NBC’s tape delays, but the network and advertisers are benefiting the most.

Toni Fitzgerald of Media Life Magazine says NBC’s viewership for the Olympics on Sunday was a triumph for the network.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report talks with ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid has video of Vin Scully carefully translating an argument during last night’s Colorado-Los Angeles Dodgers game.

Timothy Burke has a freeze frame of NBC’s Al Michaels. This is so funny.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times goes over the sale of the Bleacher Report to Turner Sports.

Newsday’s Neil Best writes about some of NBC’s Olympic operations being handled out of New York.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette says local native Joe Tessitore gets a college football promotion from ESPN.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union talks with local sports anchor Andrew Catalon who called tennis history during the Olympics.

David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun interviews NBC Olympics director Bucky Gunts.

Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald says the premiere of Hard Knocks with Dolphins is set for tonight.

Mel Bracht at The Oklahoman goes over ESPN’s college football announcing teams for 2012.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that the Olympics continue to do well locally.

The San Diego Union-Tribune says the blackout has been lifted for the Chargers’ preseason opener on Thursday.

Sports Media Watch looks at the UFC on Fox ratings on Saturday.

Guyism notes that Kelly Tilghman created a new country on MSNBC today.

The Toronto Sports Media Blog looks at the media openly rooting during the Olympics.

That will be it for now.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 11 of the 2012 Olympics

Ok, Canada has several medal hopefuls including in the men’s triathlon which takes place early Tuesday morning. Canada’s women’s basketball team has the daunting task of taking on Team USA in the quarterfinals. And you have plenty of Canadians taking part in the track & field venue tomorrow especially in the women’s 100 meter hurdles.

Here’s the schedule of the combined Bell/Rogers partnership that comprises the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.

Day 11 Highlights: Tuesday, August 7 – Simon Whitfield Races for a Third Olympic Medal; Canada Battles the United States in Women’s Basketball; Tara Whitten Pushes for Another Podium Finish

DAY 11 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Triathlon: Men’s – Canada’s Opening Ceremony Flag Bearer Simon Whitfield pursues his third Olympic medal alongside fellow Canadians Kyle Jones and Brent McMahon as well as Great Britain’s Brownlee brothers, Alistair and Jonathan (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics: Men’s 200m Round 1 – The world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and fellow countryman Yohan Blake are back on the track; Jared Connaughton, Aaron Brown, and Tremaine Harris compete for Canada (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – Canada looks to break the #1-ranked United States’ 38-game winning streak for a spot in the semifinals (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Synchronized Swimming: Women’s Duet – Canada’s Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon and Élise Marcotte, who placed fourth at the 2011 World Championships, pursue a place on the podium (Sportsnet, RDS CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Canoe/Kayak Sprint: Women’s K-1 500m – Émilie Fournel – sister of fellow London 2012 Olympian Hugues Fournel who is competing in the men’s K-2 200m and 1000m – looks to advance to the semifinal (Sportsnet, RDS2, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Beach Volleyball: Women’s Semifinals – Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings take on China’s Xue Chen and Zhang Xi in a quest for their third consecutive Olympic gold medal while fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross square off against Brazil’s Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics:
  • Four medal events take place including the men’s 1500m, men’s high jump, men’s discus, and the 100m hurdles, with Canada’s Jessica Zelinka, Phylicia George, and Nikkita Holder looking to compete pending the semifinal results (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Track Cycling: Mixed
  • Three medal events including the men’s keirin, women’s sprint, and women’s omnium featuring 2011 World Champion Tara Whitten, who won a bronze in women’s team pursuit on Saturday (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Men’s
  • South Korea battles Brazil in this semifinal match-up (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Mexico takes on Japan in this semifinal match-up (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 3m Springboard Final – Pending qualification in the morning’s semifinal, Alexandre Despatie and François Imbeau-Dulac plunge for the podium (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives a complete rundown of Day 11 highlights and results with a focus on Canadian performances. The four-hour show reviews the women’s 100m hurdles semifinals and finals with a focus on Jessica Zelinka, Phylicia George, and Nikkita Holder, and features a Superbodies segment on a hurdler’s body with Dr. Greg Wells. The show also recaps Tara Whitten’s results in the second day of omnium competition, Simon Whitfield’s performance in men’s triathlon, and how Marie-Pier Boudreau Gagnon and Élise Marcotte’s fared in synchronized swimming. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also recaps the quarterfinal game between Canada and powerhouse United States in women’s basketball and other key events from the day (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through four hours of Day 11 highlights, including recaps of men’s triathlon with a focus on Simon Whitfield, men’s 3m springboard final and Alexandre Despatie’s performance, Canada’s results in synchronized swimming, plus the women’s basketball quarterfinal match-up between Canada and the United States. The show also includes extended looks at men’s and women’s beach volleyball semifinals. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, takes viewers to Olympic Stadium for a review of the men’s 200m heats, Usain Bolt’s second event of the Games and the 100m hurdles final where Canada may add more hardware to the country’s medal count. At the pool, Alexandre Despatie puts a shaky summer behind him in the 3m springboard diving finals. Capping off OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET are special features including Difference Makers with Rick Hansen featuring Simon Whitfield; Superbodies with Dr. Greg Wells, who takes a look at the physically taxing triathlon; and The Experts showcasing women’s hockey Olympic Games gold medallists Tessa Bonhomme and Jennifer Botterill attempting synchronized swimming. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 11 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change.

And that does it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 9 of the 2012 Olympics

For Day 9 of the 2012 Olympics, the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium will air tennis, cycling, track & field, women’s basketball, equestrian and plenty of other events.

Here’s what will be seen in Canada on the Broadcast Consortium.

Day 9 Highlights: Sunday, August 5 World’s Fastest Man to be Crowned; Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans Plunge for the Podium; Gold Medal Showdown Between Roger Federer and Andy Murray

DAY 9 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Tennis: Men’s Singles Final – It’s a 2012 Wimbledon final rematch as Roger Federer, the world’s top-ranked player, and Great Britain’s Andy Murray battle it out for Olympic glory (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Track Cycling: Men’s Omnium – With Day 1 complete, Watson Lake, Yukon-native Zach Bell competes in the remaining omnium events for a spot on the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – After knocking out Brazil on Friday to clinch a quarterfinal spot, Canada squares off against Australia in its last preliminary round match-up; in another match-up, China faces off against the United States’ powerhouse squad (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Mixed Team Jumping – Canada’s Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar – in his 10th Olympic Games setting an all-time Olympic record – continue their quest to the podium (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics:
  • Men’s 100m Final – All eyes are on Jamaica’s Usain Bolt* and Yohan Blake* as Bolt defends his title of world’s fastest man in one of the most highly-anticipated races of the Games (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 400m Semifinal – South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius – the first ever amputee runner in an Olympic Games – continues his historic pursuit for a spot in Monday’s final (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 1500m Semifinal: Canadian Nathan Brannen competes after finishing fifth in his qualifying heat (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s 400m Final – Canada’s Jenna Martin* takes her spot on the track in this race for the podium (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 3m Springboard Final – After a bronze medal finish in the synchronized event last week, Canadian divers Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans look to add to their London 2012 medal count (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV:OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams guides Canadians through four hours of Day 9 highlights, including a recap of the highly-anticipated showdown between Jamaica’s Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the men’s100m final. Additional recaps include the women’s 3m springboard final featuring newly minted bronze medallists Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans, Canada’s match-up against Australia in women’s basketball, as well as men’s boxing, synchronized swimming, equestrian, and cycling. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes fans through Sunday’s recaps and highlights, including the men’s tennis final with Andy Murray and Roger Federer, men’s and women’s boxing, beach volleyball and equestrian, and a review of the world’s fastest man in the men’s100m final during an athletics round up. The four-hour show also features three-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn showing CFL great Milt Stegall how to tackle the trampoline in The Experts. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay features a full review of one of the most anticipated events of the London 2012 Games – the men’s 100m final featuring Usain Bolt and his fellow countryman and biggest threat, Yohan Blake. Plus, Sportsnet heads to the pool where divers Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans looked to add to their bronze medal in the 3m springboard final. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 9 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

And I’ll have a feature later on.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 8 of the 2012 Olympics

It’s Super Saturday at the Olympics. Usain Bolt will be on the track for the men’s 100 meters to determine the World’s Fastest Man.

Canada has several medal hopefuls tomorrow in Triathlon, Trampoline, Mixed Doubles, Badminton and other events.

We have the listing of events on CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and V for Saturday.

Day 8 Highlights: It’s Super Saturday at London 2012 as Canada’s Alexandra Bruce and Michelle Li Look for Badminton Bronze; Usain Bolt Steps On to the Track;Canadian Swimmers Go for Gold;Michael Phelps Competes in his Final Olympic Event

DAY 8 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Athletics: Men’s 100m – Canada’s Justyn Warner takes a start position at the track along with the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt and fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake in Round 1 qualifying (CTV, Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Triathlon: Women’s – Canadian Paula Findlay looks to swim, bike and run past her competition for a podium finish (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Trampoline: Women’s – Three-time Olympic medallist Karen Cockburn and 2011 world silver medallist Rosie MacLennan go for gold (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Mixed Jumping – Jill Henselwood, Eric Lamaze and Ian Millar – in his 10th Olympic Games setting an all-time Olympic record – compete for Canada (OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Badminton: Women’s Doubles – In an event that is still reeling from a scandal that saw eight players ejected from the tournament, Canadians Alexandra Bruce and Michelle Li square off against Russia in a fight for the bronze medal (Sportsnet, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s – Led by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant, the United States’ undefeated squad take on Lithuania (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling: Women’s Team Pursuit – Tara Whitten leads Canada’s team in this new event on the Olympic program (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Soccer: Men’s – The battle on the pitch continues as Brazil vs. Honduras and Great Britain vs. Korea face off in these quarter-final round match-ups (TSN, RDS, OMNI.1, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Athletics:
  • Heptathlon: Women’s – Canada’s Jessica Zelinka faces Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis – along with reigning world champion Tatyana Chernova – in the final heptathlon events (CTV, Sportsnet, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 400m – Oscar Pistorius makes his historic debut as the first amputee runner in an Olympic Games (CTV, Sportsnet, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:
  • Women’s 50m Freestyle Final – Canada’s top female sprinter Victoria Poon* dashes for gold against 2011 World Champion Therese Alshammar* of Sweden and defending Olympic champion Britta Steffen* of Germany (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 1,500m Freestyle Final – After placing third overall in qualifying, Ryan Cochrane aims for a podium finish in the event that net him a bronze medal at Beijing 2008 (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay Final – Charles Francis, Scott Dickens, Joe Bartoch, and newly minted bronze medallist Brent Hayden represent Canada against the competition including the United States’ Michael Phelps who is competing in his last Olympic event. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives Canadians a complete rundown of results from the jam packed Day 8. The four-hour show includes highlights and recaps of athletics, swimming, trampoline, tennis, equestrian, cycling, and diving events from earlier in the day. OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV also includes a review of key Canadian performances including Dylan Armstrong, Jessica Zelinka, Ryan Cochrane, the men’s 4x100m medley relay team, Karen Cockburn, the mixed jumping team, Paula Findlay, and more. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes fans through four hours of recaps and highlights, including women’s triathlon and a look at Paula Findlay’s performance, men’s doubles tennis, beach volleyball, the results of Zach Bell and Tara Whitten in cycling and an athletics wrap up featuring Jessica Zelinka, Usain Bolt, Oscar Pistorius, and more. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: On OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, host Brad Fay reviews Canada’s many medal opportunities from Day 8, including Ryan Cochrane in the men’s 1,500m freestyle, Karen Cockburn in the women’s individual trampoline, Canada’s women’s team pursuit in cycling, and Paula Findlay in the women’s triathlon. Sportsnet also has a full recap of the women’s singles final in tennis and an emotional Difference Makers with Rick Hansen segment on trampoline gymnast Rosie MacLennan’s relationship with her grandfather. All this, plus a look at Usain Bolt’s first day back on the track for the first round of the men’s 100m. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 8 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That will do it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 7 of the 2012 Olympics

Now to the Canadian Olympic programming on CTV, Sportsnet, TSN, RDS, V and the entire consortium that make up this allegiance that will end on August 12 as CBC takes over the Olympics once again in 2014.

Here’s the programming on the networks of the consortium.

Day 7 Highlights: Friday, August 3 Canada’s Women’s Soccer Team Battles Great Britain in the Quarter-finals; Dylan Armstrong Pushes for the Podium; Jessica Zelinka Hits the Track

DAY 7 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Athletics:
  • Men’s Shot Put – It’s a heavy haul for Canadian Dylan Armstrong who missed a bronze medal in Beijing 2008 by just one centimetre. He and fellow Canadian competitor Justin Rodhe go up against defending Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland in the qualifying round (CTV, Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s Heptathlon – It’s Jessica vs. Jessica, as Canada’s Jessica Zelinka faces Great Britain’s Jessica Ennis – along with reigning world champion Tatyana Chernova – in the first three heptathlon events: hurdles, high jump, and shot put. (CTV, Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming: Men’s 1,500m Freestyle Heats – Ryan Cochrane looks to swim past qualifying in the event that net him a bronze medal at Beijing 2008 (CTV, TSN, RDS2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Rowing: Men’s Pair Final – Beijing 2008 silver medallists Dave Calder and Scott Frandsen hit the water for Canada as they paddle for gold against the seemingly unstoppable New Zealand men’s pair team of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Trampoline: Men’s – Canada’s Jason Burnett – who holds the world record for degree of difficulty in trampoline and a silver medal from Beijing 2008 – looks to outshine defending Olympic champion and 2011 World Champion Lu Chunlong of China (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – Canada and Brazil face off on the hardcourt (Sportsnet, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 3m Springboard – Canada’s first medallists of London 2012 Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel compete in this preliminary round (OLN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Athletics:
  • Men’s Shot Put Final – Canadian Dylan Armstrong looks to go the distance for a spot on the podium in the shot put final (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s – Christine Sinclair and Melissa Tancredi lead Canada against home crowd favourites Great Britain in this quarter-final match-up (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:
  • Men’s 50m Breaststroke – With the nation proudly cheering him on, Brent Hayden* swims for another podium finish after his gutsy bronze medal performance in Day 5’s 100m freestyle final (Sportsnet, RDS, OMNI.2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 100m Butterfly – Defending Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps* battles Serbia’s Milorad Cavic, who he beat by just 0.01 seconds at Beijing 2008 (Sportsnet, RDS, OMNI.2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s 200m Backstroke – Competing in her first Olympic Games, Sinead Russell* of Burlington, ON looks to take on American phenom Missy Franklin* (Sportsnet, RDS, OMNI.2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives Canadians a complete rundown of Day 7 highlights and results, including recaps of women’s soccer, women’s basketball, swimming, athletics, and trampoline. The review of Jason Burnett’s performance in trampoline includes a Difference Makers with Rick Hansen segment on the aerial acrobat. The show also primes Canadians for an exciting weekend of athletics events and includes a Superbodies feature on the beach volleyball with Dr. Greg Wells. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 7 highlights, including recaps of the men’s and women’s tennis semifinals along with an extended look at the Canadian women’s soccer team’s quarter-final performance against Great Britain (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with host Brad Fay is the go-to destination for highlights and results from Day 7, including a full review of the Canadian women’s soccer team’s quarterfinal match versus host Great Britain. Plus, a recap of Dylan Armstrong quest for gold in the men’s shot put final. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS 

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 7 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

And I hope to do some linkage for you later.

2012 Canadian Olympic TV Ratings Up From 2008

This from the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium, we find through the first 3 days of Olympic competition, the ratings in Canada are way up in primetime for this year. As compared to the 2008 Beijing Olympics on CBC, the London Games are averaging 2.1 million viewers for the 22 daily hours of coverage on the various networks. In primetime, CTV/Sportsnet/TSN and RDS/V are seeing an average of 2.8 million viewers.

For CTV alone, the viewership in primetime is 1.9 million viewers which is 45% higher than CBC’s coverage in Beijing. Overall, the Broadcast Media Consortium is tracking 74% better than Beijing. So CBC has some catching up to do if it wants to match or surpass these numbers when it airs the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

Here’s the press release.

London 2012 Grows 74% Over Beijing 2008: Average Audience of 2.1 Million Canadians Watch Days 1-3

More than four in five Canadians have tuned in, reaching 83% of population
Swimming is most-watched sport so far with Reach of 13 million
CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca sites and apps average 14 million page views and 1.5 million video views each day of competition

London, England (August 1, 2012) – After the first three days of events (July 28 – 30), audiences for Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium’s coverage of London 2012 are averaging 2.1 million viewers overall throughout its 22 hours of daily coverage, and 2.8 million in prime time alone. The daily average is up a massive 74%* compared to the same period for Beijing 2008. On CTV alone, the Consortium’s tape-delayed prime time coverage of London 2012 (1.9 million) is tracking 45% higher than CBC’s live/taped prime time coverage of Beijing 2008 (1.3 million) for the same time period. From the start of the 2012 Games to date, an incredible 28 million Canadians – or 83.4% of the population – has watched some coverage on Consortium channels.

The popularity of London 2012 is crossing all age and gender lines. Females make up 52% of the A18+ audience, Games-to-date, while the broadcast has reached 85% of all Men 18+, 84% of all Women 18+, and 78% of all younger viewers aged 2-17.

Audiences for swimming events have dominated Consortium coverage so far, comprising the Top 5 most-watched events, including the most-watched event yet in Canada, swimming: men and women semifinals and finals on July 29 which averaged 2.2 million viewers. Overall, swimming events have reached a total of more than 13 million viewers over the past three days on Consortium networks. Additionally, on July 29 nearly 4.5 million Canadians watched some part of the synchronized diving final as Canada claimed its first medal – a bronze for Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel.

“We are very pleased with the results of our coverage thus far,” said Adam Ashton, President, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. “With all Consortium platforms showing growth over the first few days of the Games, we are confident that, with many marquee events and top medal contenders still to come, we will continue to achieve new standards for a Summer Games. Congratulations to all of our Canadian athletes as they continue to perform on the world stage – we couldn’t be more proud to deliver their stories and achievements to audiences at home.”

Average audiences on Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium for Days 1 – 3 of London 2012 include:

July 28-30

OLYMPIC MORNING / LONDRES 2012 À RDS
(4 a.m. – 12 noon ET)
1.23 million

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES 2012 À RDS
(12 – 6 p.m. ET)
2.74 million

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME / AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS (7 – 11 p.m. ET)
2.8 million

CTV NATIONAL NEWS is also averaging 1.5 million viewers from the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games to date, more than tripling the average of CBC NATIONAL (PART 1) (466,000) and up 31% compared to its summer average.**

Additional Highlights for Days 1-3:

• Weightlifting: Men’s 56kg is the most-watched event so far on CTV garnering 2 million viewers on July 29
• Beach Volleyball: Men – Canada vs. Great Britain has been the most popular event on TSN, with 664,000 viewers on July 28
• Weightlifting: Women’s 53kg is the most-watched event on Sportsnet, garnering 554,000 viewers on July 29
• V delivered 412,000 viewers for the Beach Volleyball: Men – Canada vs. Great Britain game on July 28
• RDS saw 385,000 tune in to the Beach Volleyball: Women – Great Britain vs. Canada game on July 29

By the end of Day 3, CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca sites and apps saw nearly 6 million visits, delivering a combined 41.7 million page views, pacing 11% higher than Vancouver 2010 with most marquee events still ahead. With a total of 4.5 million video views, more than 184,000 hours of video has been consumed on classic web alone (desktop and laptop). The Ultimate Fan experience – which invites fans to earn points and enter to win prizes – has resulted in 32% more time spent on the site by those visitors compared to users who are not playing the game. While sites within Bell Media usually receive 12% of their traffic from mobile sites, 62% of page views on Consortium digital platforms during London 2012 have come via a mobile device.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium is fully engaged with fans. With almost 40,000 interactions on social networks*** facilitated by the Social Team and 425,000**** clicks into the live chats, the Consortium is right there with fans throughout every televised and streamed event during these Olympic Games.

That will do it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 6 of the 2012 Olympics

Look at what Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium has in store for you on Thursday.

Day 6 Highlights: Thursday, August 2 Canada’s Women’s Eights Team Pulls for a Podium Finish; Dominique Pegg Gives Her All-Around Best; Thrilling Swimming Showdowns Continue

DAY 6 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Rowing: Women’s Eights Final – Canada is pulling for the podium led by coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie who is poised to set several records with a medal performance. (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Judo: Women’s 78kg – Diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at 17, Canada’s Amy Cotton is a fighter in more ways than one as she battles the competition on the world stage (CTV, RDS CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Canoe/Kayak: Men’s C2 – Three-time Olympic gold medallists and twin brothers Pavol and Peter Hochschorner of Slovakia look to continue their golden record (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Track Cycling: Men’s Team Sprint – Chris Hoy, who won three gold medals in the velodrome at Beijing 2008, helms Great Britain against France, Germany, and Australia (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Team Dressage – Sometimes described as ballet for horses, this fascinating competition tests a rider and horse’s ability to display control and supreme elegance (OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Gymnastics – Artistic: Women’s Individual All-Around Final – Fresh off helping Canada land its top team finish ever, Sarnia, ON-native Dominique Pegg gives her all-around best (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Beach Volleyball: Women’s – It’s bump, set, spike as Brazil takes on Australia and Great Britain squares off against Russia in these preliminary round match-ups (TSN, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:
  • Women’s 200m Breaststroke Final – No Canadian female has won a medal in swimming since Atlanta 1996 – this dry spell could end if Canada’s Martha McCabe* has her way (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Women’s 100m Freestyle Final – Another Canadian female swims for national pride as Julia Wilkinson* aims for a podium-worthy performance (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 200m Backstroke Final – Canada’s Tobias Oriwol* has a chance to swim for gold against 2011 World Champion Ryan Lochte* (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
  • Men’s 200m Individual Medley Final – After competing in the 200m backstroke final Ryan Lochte* then takes on Michael Phelps* in another head-to-head battle (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV leading Canadians through the best of Day 6. The four-hour show recaps the women’s individual all-around final and examines the mechanics of a gymnast’s body in a Superbodies segment on the balance beam with Dr. Greg Wells. Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean joins Williams in studio for a review of Canada’s performance in the women’s eights final. Viewers can also watch a profile on three-time gold medallist Chris Hoy during a recap of the day’s track cycling: team sprint competition, along with an entertaining Difference Makers with Rick Hansen on shot putter Dylan Armstrong and his beloved coach Dr. Anatoliy Bondarchuk, who won gold in the hammer throw at Munich 1972. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 6 highlights, including recaps of canoe/kayak, men’s boxing, men’s basketball, men’s volleyball and a look at how Canada’s women’s eights team fared in the final earlier in the day. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: On OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, host Brad Fay reviews the women’s eights final as the Canadian team battles for rowing gold. The popular Superbodies feature returns to OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET with a look at the toll rowing takes on the body. Plus, full beach volleyball and tennis coverage from Day 6. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 6 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

One more Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium press release.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 5 of the 2012 Olympics

Let’s provide the updates for Canada and the US for Day 5 of the 2012 Games. Canada has some medal hopes on the diving board, in the pool and on the water.

CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS, V and the rest of the Olympic Broadcast Consortium will be on top of all things Canadian on Day 5 of the Games of the XXX Olympiad.

We have the schedule for Tuesday.

Day 5 Highlights: Wednesday, August 1 – Brent Hayden’s Big Night in the Pool; Alexandre Despatie Steps up to the Platform; Canada’s Men’s Eights Team Looks for Back-to-Back Gold

DAY 5 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Rowing: Men’s Eights – Beijing 2008 gold medallists Malcolm Howard, Andrew Byrnes, and coxswain Brian Price lead Team Canada in a quest to become back-to-back Olympic champions (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Women’s – Canada hits the hardcourt for a match-up against France (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 3m Synchronized Platform – Quebecois superstar Alexandre Despatie and Regina’s Reuben Ross dive for gold against strong competition from China, Russia and the United States. (CTV, RDS, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Men’s – Japanese sensation Kohei Uchimura is expected to dominate the field in the final (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Road Cycling: Women’s Individual Time Trial – Clara Hughes returns to the track on a quest to become Canada’s most decorated Olympian (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Road Cycling: Men’s Individual Time Trial – Ryder Hesjedal has a podium-finish in sight; reigning Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins competes for a seventh medal to become cycling’s most decorated Olympian (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Swimming:
• Men’s 200m Breaststroke – Canadian medal hopeful Scott Dickens* battles Japanese swimming force Kosuke Kitajima*, the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympic gold medallist (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 100m Freestyle – 2011 world silver medallist Brent Hayden* swims in one the biggest races of his career against world record holder Cesar Cielo* of Brazil and 2011 World Champion James Magnussen* of Australia (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 200m Butterfly – Quebec’s Audrey Lacroix* takes on world record holder Liu Zige* of China (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – Team Canada*, featuring Barbara Jardin, Samantha Cheverton, Brittany MacLean and Amanda Reason, hit the pool to outlast the competition from the United States*, Australia* and China* (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

• Weightlifting: Men’s 77kg – In this highly anticipated showdown, weightlifting powerhouse China takes on South Korea (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams gives Canadians a complete rundown of Day 5 highlights and results. During the recap of Brent Hayden’s big night in the pool, Dr. Greg Wells joins Williams in studio to examine the inner workings of a swimmer’s body in Superbodies. Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean also joins Williams in studio to review the men’s eights final. Additional recaps include looks at men’s gymnastics, track cycling, men’s 3m synchronized platform, and women’s basketball results. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN:OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 5 highlights, including extended looks at women’s judo, soccer, women’s volleyball, and track cycling competitions from earlier in the day. Dutchyshen also recaps Brent Hayden’s swimming results and Team Canada’s performance in the men’s eights final including a profile on coxswain Brian Price (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: On Day 5, OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, reviews swimmer Brent Hayden’s attempt to pick up a medal for Canada in the 100m freestyle final. Plus, in the latest Superbodies feature, Dr. Greg Wells examines the impact of weightlifting on the human body. The show also looks at Canadian judoka Kelita Zupancic’s story of finding strength through friendships in Japan following last year’s tragic tsunami in Difference Makers with Rick Hansen. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 5 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

Next will be the Day 5 schedule for the networks of NBCUniversal. Keep it here.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 4 of the 2012 Olympics

Let’s post the programming schedule for the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium for Day 4 of the Games of the XXX Summer Olympiad in London.

Day 4 Highlights: Tuesday, July 31 – Canada Set to Make History in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics; Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion Take Flight in Diving; Brent Hayden is Canada’s Best Bet in the Pool

DAY 4 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 noon ET

• Rowing: Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Canadian duo Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich – the 2011 world silver medallists – look to punch their ticket to the final (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Rowing: Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Canada’s Morgan Jarvis and Doug Vandor look to channel their recent fourth place finish at the 2012 Lucerne World Cup into a spot in the final (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Equestrian: Eventing – New Zealand’s Mark Todd – the most decorated individual eventer in Olympic history – competes in his seventh Games; Canadian contenders include Peter Barry, Rebecca Howard, Michele Mueller, and Jessica Pheonix (OLN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s 10m Synchronized Platform – Fresh off a silver medal performance at the 2012 World Cup, Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion – best friends and synchro partners – are poised for the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Weightlifting: Women’s 63kg – Canada’s Christine Girard aims to lift her way to glory past 2011 World Champion Svetlana Tsarukaeva of Russia, Kazakhstan’s Maya Maneza and China’s Ouxyan Xiaofang (TSN, ATN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s – Canada squares off against Sweden in this must-win match for Canada led by captain Christine Sinclair (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 – 6 p.m. ET

• Gymnastics – Artistic: Women’s – For the first time in Olympic history, Canada has qualified a team in the women’s artistic gymnastics team final. Team Canada goes for a best ever finish in the company of long standing gymnastics powerhouses Russia, United States, and Romania (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Soccer: Women’s – Back-to-back coverage of women’s soccer match-ups featuring United States vs. North Korea from Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester and Great Britain vs. Brazil from Wembley Stadium (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s – Day 4’s hardcourt showdown features France vs. Argentina (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:

• Men’s 100m Freestyle – 2011 world silver medallist Brent Hayden* of Canada goes stroke-for-stroke against world record holder Cesar Cielo* of Brazil and 2011 World Champion James Magnussen* of Australia (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 200m Freestyle Final – Italy’s Federica Pellegrini* and the United States’ teenaged wunderkind Missy Franklin* continue their duel in the pool (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 200m Butterfly Final – Michael Phelps* competes in his signature event against Takeshi Matsuda of Japan and Wu Peng of China (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay – France* and China* chase the United States* – the 2011 World Champions and world record holders – in this thrilling quest for gold (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV with a rundown of Day 4 highlights and results, including a focus on how Team Canada fared in the women’s artistic gymnastics final. The four-hour show also reviews the Canada vs. Sweden match-up in women’s soccer as well as Christine Girard’s performance in weightlifting, including a Superbodies segment on the sport with Dr. Greg Wells. Along with a review of Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion’s performance, OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV recaps the day’s rowing events with Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN:OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 4 highlights, including extended looks at women’s soccer, men’s water polo and beach volleyball competitions from earlier in the day. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, will recap women’s diving as Meaghan Benfeito and Roseline Filion perform in the synchronized 10m platform. Also, how tough it is to be a table tennis expert? The Toronto Blue Jays’ J.P. Arencibia and Brett Lawrie give the fast-paced sport a try in the special Consortium feature The Experts. Plus, Fay looks back at Michael Phelps attempt to make history with an opportunity to win two more medals at London 2012 in the men’s 200m butterfly and the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from Day 4 of London 2012 competition. (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s top highlights. (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That’s it.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 3 of 2012 Olympics

Now let’s move to the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium’s programming schedule for Monday. Lots of stuff on CTV, Sportsnet, TSN, RDS, V and others.

Day 3 Highlights: Monday, July 30 Canada Takes on Great Britain in Women’s Basketball; British Diving Phenom Tom Daley Set to Make a Splash; USA’s Ryan Lochte Goes for More Gold

DAY 3 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

• Rowing: Men’s Eights – Led by Beijing 2008 gold medallists Malcolm Howard, Andrew Byrnes and coxswain Brian Price, Canada’s men’s eights team vies for a spot in the final after a disappointing qualifying heat performance (CTV, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Weightlifting: Women’s 58kg – Canada’s Annie Moniqui competes in a tight field, where wins can be separated by a single kilo, alongside 2011 World Champion Nastassia Novikava of Belarus and China’s Li Xueying and Deng Wei (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Men’s 10m Synchronized Platform – Britain holds its breath as phenom Tom Daley and partner Peter Waterfield trade twist and tucks against 2011 World Champions Qui Bo and Huo Liang of China and Patrick Hausding and Sascha Klein of Germany (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET

• Basketball: Women’s – Canada and Great Britain battle on the hard-court in this preliminary round match-up (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Beach Volleyball: Men’s – Great Britain and Brazil hit the sand in this preliminary round match-up (TSN, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Men’s – Superstar Kohei Uchumura looks to lead Japan to the top of the podium, taking on USA and veteran Jonathan Horton, Germany and two-time World all-around silver medallist Philipp Boy, and Great Britain’s Louis Smith and Daniel Purvis. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Swimming:o Men’s 200m Freestyle – 2011 World Champion Ryan Lochte* goes for his second gold medal against world record holder Paul Biedermann* of Germany and Beijing 2008 silver medallist Park Tae-Hwan* of Korea. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

 

• Men’s 200m Butterfly – David Sharpe* makes his Olympic debut as the first swimmer from Atlantic Canada to qualify for the Games since 1984; world record holder Michael Phelps* competes in his signature event against Takeshi Matsuda* of Japan and Wu Peng of China. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Canadians Jillian Tyler* and Tera Van Beilen* take on a field of veteran swimmers including Rebecca Soni* who finished second at Beijing 2008 in this event to defending Olympic champion Leisel of Australia. (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV with a rundown of Day 3 highlights and results, including looks at swimming, men’s gymnastics and women’s basketball: Canada vs. Great Britain. The show starts with a look at the men’s 10m synchronized platform competition, including a feature on British phenom Tom Daley and a Superbodies segment with Dr. Greg Wells. Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean gives a recap of Canada’s men’s eights, men’s pair, and men’s four results. Viewers can also watch the debut of Consortium features, including The Experts w here Toronto Blue Jays’ Brett Lawrie and J.P. Arencibia take on table tennis, and Difference Makers with Rick Hansen with swimmer Brent Hayden (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 3 highlights, including extended looks at beach volleyball, men’s boxing, and swimming competitions from earlier in the day. Dutchyshen also brings fans highlights from women’s weightlifting with a focus on Canada’s Annie Moniqui. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, features extensive coverage from tennis, judo, women’s volleyball and fencing. Sportsnet also updates viewers on the Day 3 action from the pool and rowing. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from the third day of London 2012 competition (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s daily highlights (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification

That’s it.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming for Day 2 of the 2012 Olympics

Canadians will have plenty of action to watch on Sunday. Clara Hughes is back in the Summer Olympics cycling for the first time since 2000. In women’s diving, the Maple Leaf has two medal chances.

Take a look at what the Olympic Broadcast Consortium has in store for Canadians on Sunday.

Day 2 Highlights: Sunday, July 29 – Clara Hughes Looks for Gold and Glory; Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel Aim for the Podium; Americans Phelps and Lochte Tag-Team in the Men’s 4×100

DAY 2 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

• Road Cycling: Women’s – Clara Hughes makes her return to Olympic cycling for the first time since Sydney 2000 in her attempt to become Canada’s single most decorated Olympian (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Diving: Women’s – Reigning World Cup silver medallists Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel of Québec look to topple the competition and make it to the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Basketball: Men’s – NBA’s Kobe Bryant and LeBron James lead Team USA on their quest for gold in their opening game against France (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca).
• Gymnastics – Artistic: Women’s – Team USA stars Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas make their debut against a re-invigorated Russian squad and the powerhouse team from China (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

 

• Rowing: Heats –

• Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Canadian duo Patricia Obee and Lindsay Jennerich – the 2011 World silver medallists – go up against Australia, Great Britain, and Greece (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls – Winnipeg’s Morgan Jarvis and Quebec’s Doug Vandor have the podium in sight after a strong showing at this year’s Lucerne World Cup (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s Eights – Canadian coxswain Lesley Thompson-Willie is poised to set several records with a medal performance in this expected USA vs. Canada showdown (CTV, TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET

• Swimming:

• Women’s 400m Freestyle – 2011 World Junior Champion Brittany MacLean* of Canada goes stroke-for-stroke against world record holder Federica Pellegrini* of Italy and British medal hopeful Rebecca Adlington* (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Pending a medal earned in Day 1 competition, Michael Phelps* could tie the all-time Olympic medal record of 18 as Team USA looks to conquer Team Australia and its rising star James Magnussen* in this promising thriller (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Brian Williams hosts OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV with a complete rundown of Day 2 highlights and results. During a focus on rowing, Williams is joined in studio by Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean and Dr. Greg Wells, who tees up a Superbodies segment on Canada’s women’s eights team. The four-hour show also includes features on cyclist Clara Hughes, divers Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel, swimmers Missy Franklin and Michael Phelps, and Brittany Rogers in a Difference Makers with Rick Hansen segment (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: Host Darren Dutchyshen takes sports fans through Day 2 during OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN, including extended looks at men’s boxing, beach volleyball and weightlifting. Dutchyshen also brings fans highlights from women’s road cycling with a focus on Clara Hughes. (TSN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET, hosted by Brad Fay, features the U.S. men’s basketball team as they begin their highly-anticipated quest for gold against France. Sportsnet also goes Upclose with American swimmer Ryan Lochte – Michael Phelps’s biggest rival – while Canadian divers Émilie Heymans and Jennifer Abel look to hit the podium in the women’s synchronized three-metre springboard event. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

• Host Chantal Machabée presents the highlights from the second day of London 2012 competition (RDS, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s daily highlights (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification earlier in the day

That is all.

2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony is Most Watched Summer Olympics Broadcast in Canada

Just as the London Olympics Opening Ceremony set a viewing record on NBC, a new standard was set in Canada. Airing live at 4 p.m. ET, an average of 6.4 million Canadians watched the Opening Ceremony on CTV. It’s the most-watched Summer Olympics broadcast and only trails the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in audience.

Another 3 million people watched the immediate primetime replay at 7:45 p.m. ET.

CTV says the audience peaked at 8.1 million viewers when the cauldron was lit. So overall, the Opening Ceremony was a hit in both Canada and the United States.

Here’s the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium press release.

LONDON 2012 OPENING CEREMONY is Most-Watched Summer Olympic Games Broadcast on Record in Canada with 6.4 Million Viewers

Nearly one in two Canadians watch 3.5-hour ceremony
Audience peaks at 8 million viewers as Olympic Cauldron is lit

London, England (July 28, 2012) – Live coverage of the LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES OPENING CEREMONY Friday night by Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium has broken records as the most-watched Summer Olympic Games broadcast on record in Canada. On average, 6.4 million Canadians watched the late-afternoon, 3.5- hour-plus ceremony from 4-7:30 p.m. ET, making it the second most-watched Opening Ceremony in Canada behind Vancouver 2010 (13.5 million).

The audience eclipsed the previous Summer Olympic record-holder, the ATLANTA 1996 OPENING CEREMONY (4.3 million), by 49%, and delivered nearly four times the audience of BEIJING 2008 OPENING CEREMONY (1.6 million) and more than four times the audience of ATHENS 2004 OPENING CEREMONY (1.4 million). Last night’s prime time encore broadcast of the OPENING CEREMONY attracted 3 million viewers from 7:45 – 11 p.m. ET, while earlier in the day 1.6 million Canadians watched the Consortium’s OPENING CEREMONY PRE-SHOW from 2-4 p.m. ET.

Airing live across Consortium networks in six languages (English, French, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil, Punjabi), an astonishing 16.6 million viewers, or nearly one in every two Canadians, tuned in to some part of the ceremony. Overall, 64% of Canadians watched some Olympic Games coverage on the Consortium’s channels yesterday. The television coverage peaked at 8.1 million viewers at 7:36 p.m. ET when the Olympic Cauldron was lit.

Meanwhile, 1.6 million Canadians watched CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LISA LaFLAMME live from London, an increase of 36% compared to its summer average.

Directed by two-time Academy Award^®-winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), the Opening Ceremony took viewers on a whirlwind visual and musical ride through London’s rich history, from Shakespeare to the industrial revolution to present day. Appearances were made by Daniel Craig as the iconic character James Bond, alongside Queen Elizabeth II, soccer star David Beckham, beloved Harry Potter author J.K Rowling, Mr. Bean star Rowan Atkinson, and a stellar closing performance of “Hey Jude” by the legendary Paul McCartney.

Showing a possible change in trends of how people will consume London 2012, more than half the traffic (54%) to CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca yesterday was from a mobile device.

One more Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium press release after this.

Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium Programming For Day 1 of the 2012 Olympics

Let’s take a look at what Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium of CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and V will show on Day 1 of the 2012 Olympic Games. Kind of surreal that after all of the hype, the Games are finally here. CTV will have Rowing, Swimming, Wome’s Basketball and Women’s Soccer.

TSN will carry Men’s Road Cycling and show tennis at night. Sportsnet will take the Men’s Gymnastics Team competition.

Lots of live action and plenty of highlights shown in primetime on the networks that comprise the Canadian Olympic Broadcat Consortium. This will be the last year for this unique partnership as Sportsnet has announced it won’t be part of the 2014/2016 Games, and the home of the next set of Games is up in the air.

Here is the press release.

Day 1 Highlights: Saturday, July 28 – Canadian Cyclist Ryder Hesjedal Rides for Gold; American Swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte

DAY 1 – SCHEDULED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

OLYMPIC MORNING/ LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET

• Rowing: Men’s Eights, Men’s Pair – Canada’s men’s eights team, reigning Olympic champions, and the men’s pair team hit the water to secure their spots in the next round (CTV, OLN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Cycling Road: Men’s – Ryder Hesjedal, who became the first Canadian to ever win the prestigious Giro D’Italia earlier this year, chases gold along the streets of London (TSN, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Gymnastics: Men’s – Follow Japan’s three-time World all-around champion Kohei Uchimura as he demonstrates his jaw-dropping athleticism to the crowd (Sportsnet, V, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s Basketball – Canada and Russia face off in this preliminary game in hopes of advancing to the next round and meeting their next competitor on the hard court (CTV, V CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s Soccer – It’s Canada vs. Republic of South Africa on the pitch as each team goes after a win in this qualifying round group match (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC DAYTIME / LONDRES À RDS, LONDRES À V
Airing 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET

• Swimming:
• Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Americans Michael Phelps* and Ryan Lochte* face off in their first of two showdowns (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Men’s 400m Freestyle – Canadian Ryan Cochrane* dives in head first for a chance to step onto the podium (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – Team Canada’s Samantha Cheverton*, Heather MacLean*, Victoria Poon*, Julia Wilkinson* go for gold in the pool; American teenager Missy Franklin* competes in her first of seven possible medal events (CTV, RDS, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
Airing 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT

• CTV: Along with taking Canadians through the best of Day 1 events – including swimming, gymnastics, rowing, and cycling – OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams is joined in studio by Rowing Prime Time Studio Analyst Marnie McBean and also gives viewers an in-depth look at cyclist Ryder Hesjedal. (CTV, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• TSN: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON TSN host Darren Dutchyshen kicks off four hours of highlights including a look at tennis superstars Roger Federer and Serena Williams, Canadian swimming sensation Ryan Cochrane, American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, as well as beach volleyball, women’s weightlifting, men’s cycling and more (TSN2, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)
• Sportsnet: Day 1 of OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON SPORTSNET coverage features a look at Canada’s women’s soccer team following its match against the Republic of South Africa. Sportsnet also heads to the pool as Michael Phelps’ chase for Olympic Games history begins, while Canada’s men’s eights hit the water for the first day of rowing heats. (Sportsnet, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS:

• Host Chantal Machabée reviews the top highlights from the first day of competition from London 2012 (RDS, RDSOlympiques.ca)

AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V

• Host Jean Pagé examines the day’s highlights (V, RDSolympiques.ca)

All programming is subject to change; visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide on CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca for up-to-the minute schedules and listings.

*Pending qualification earlier in the day

There you have it.

The Olympics Are Here; Let’s Do Some Links

Olympics start today with women’s soccer and there’s more soccer action tomorrow on the men’s side. Let’s bring you some linkage before I get distracted by the live streaming.

USA Today’s Michael Hiestand reports that Erin Andrews will get some high profile NFL assignments working with the Fox Sports “A” announcing team of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver on Thanksgiving and the postseason.

Roger Yu of USA Today looks at NBC’s Olympic online streaming plans.

Reid Cherner of USA Today says the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies will not be streamed online by NBC. Both will be held for primetime broadcast. Grrrrr.

David Bauder of the Associated Press has your Olympics Viewing Guide.

I have my own Olympics Viewing Guide.

Ed Sherman of The Sherman Report wonders if NBC will force Bob Costas to back of his pledge to honor the slain Israeli athletes from the 1972 Munich Olympics during this year’s Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Jason Fry and Kelly McBride of the Poynter Review Project as the ESPN Ombudsman review ESPN’s coverage of the Penn State story on Monday.

Sports Business Daily Global notes that the Olympics are the second most valuable brand worldwide.

ESPN may not be the Olympics rightsholder in the US, but it does have the rights in Latin America and John Ourand at Sports Business Journal’s Olympic site looks at its sponsors for the Games.

UK Radio personality Polly James of Absolute Radio has started an Olympics blog and it’s quite good.

R. Thomas Umstead of Multichannel News says Showtime and CBS will team up to show the professional debut of several Olympic boxers.

John Eggerton of Mulitchannel writes that Tennis Channel won a huge victory from the FCC in its carriage battle with Comcast.

Todd Spangler of Multichannel says Netflix feels that growth will be stunted in the current quarter due to the Olympics.

George Winslow of Broadcasting & Cable notes that NBC News will use Storify to piece together certain stories of the Olympics.

Christopher Heine of Adweek reports that one Penn State sponsor has dropped the school in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

Jerry Barmash of Fishbowl NY talks with former CBS News and WCBS anchor Dave Marash who covered the 1972 Munich tragedy.

Ken Schott from the Schenectady Gazette writes that CBS Sports Network will air some US Open Tennis on Labor Day Weekend.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record has Fox Sports college football analyst Charles Davis talking about the Penn State sanctions.

Laura Nachman notes that ESPN SportsCenter anchor Ducis Rodgers will be joining the Philadelphia ABC affiliate.

Tim Richardson in Press Box writes that the military will continue its sports sponsorships in the mid-Atlantic region.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says the DC NFL Team has already e-mailed the media on quarterback Robert Griffin III’s availability.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman talks about the Olympic streaming smorgasbord online.

Mel also looks at the local ratings from the weekend.

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer says the Bengals aren’t going to relax their requirements to ease TV blackouts.

Robert Feder of TimeOut Chicago says a popular Comcast SportsNet reporter is leaving the Windy City.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune has NBC’s Bob Costas lashing out at those who write about Olympic tape delays.

Jon Wilner at the San Jose Mercury News has Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott optimistic about getting DirecTV on board for the Pac-12 Networks.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail talks with CTV Olympic Daytime host James Duthie.

Sports Media Watch looks at NBC Sports Network’s new highlight show.

Joe Lucia of Awful Announcing says the Olympics going digital.

AA’s Matt Yoder feels Fox should ditch the local announcers on its MLB broadcasts.

That’s going to do it.

CTV To Air Olympic Opening Ceremony Live Across Canada

Here’s CTV’s press release on its plans for the Olympic Opening Ceremony. It will air pre-Opening Ceremony special at 2 p.m. ET followed by …. wait for it… the Opening Ceremony live at 4 p.m.! Yes, a network that is actually airing the event live! And it’s followed by an immediate re-airing in primetime on the networks of the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Consortium comprising of CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, RDS and on demand at CTVOlympics.com.

Let’s take a look at the plans of CTV for the Opening Ceremony. Canada’s Olympic host Brian Williams will be the man on the scene in London and he’ll be joined by CTV News anchor Lisa LaFlamme. The pre-show will be co-hosted by TSN’s James Duthie and Jennifer Ledger.

Here’s the press release.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium Announces Broadcast Details for London 2012 Opening Ceremony, Friday

OLYMPIC PRIME TIME ON CTV host Brian Williams and CTV NATIONAL NEWS anchor Lisa LaFlamme guide viewers through the main show beginning at 4 p.m. ET
Pre-show at 2 p.m. ET hosted by James Duthie and Jennifer Hedger will debut the London version of the Consortium’s critically-acclaimed Opening Essay
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to officially open the Games
London 2012 Opening Ceremony to air live simultaneously across Consortium platforms including CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca

Toronto, ON (July 24, 2012) – Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium announced today details for its coverage of the LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES OPENING CEREMONY, airing live across Consortium platforms this Friday, July 27. The pre-show and the London 2012 Opening Ceremony will be available on CTV, RDS, Sportsnet, TSN, V, OMNI.2, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca, and on the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps.

The coverage kicks off with the pre-show at 2 p.m. ET led by James Duthie and Jennifer Hedger, hosts of OLYMPIC DAYTIME ON CTV. This will include an overview of the big stories of the Games, the debut of the Consortium’s critically-acclaimed features –including the popular Opening Essay written by Stephen Brunt – and live reports from Olympic Stadium with Brian Williams and Lisa LaFlamme. Beginning at 4 p.m. ET, Williams and LaFlamme take over and walk Canadians through the three-and-a-half hour Opening Ceremony, directed by two-time Academy Award^®-winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire).

“The Opening Ceremony is always one of the most exciting events of the Olympic Games,” said Adam Ashton, President, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. “It transcends sports, setting the stage and the tone for the host city and its visitors. We are confident that the London 2012 Opening Ceremony will be truly spectacular.”

With a potential worldwide audience of more than one billion people, the London 2012 Opening Ceremony has been dubbed the “Isles of Wonder”, as described in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. With the largest sets ever built, the spectacle will feature numerous performances as well as the Parade of Athletes, incorporating more than 200 nations, including Team Canada led by triathlete Simon Whitfield into the Olympic Stadium. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will officially open London 2012 and become the first Head of State and monarch to open two Games in two separate countries – Montreal 1976 and London 2012.

An encore of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony will be available on most Consortium networks directly following the original airing and viewers can also watch it on demand at CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca. Additionally, video description will be available for the broadcasts of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, provided by Descriptive Video Works. This marks the first time this service will be available to blind and visually impaired audiences for the Olympic Games.

Viewers can also listen to special coverage of the Opening Ceremony on Sportsnet 590 The FAN live from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. The station kicks into high gear at 4 p.m. ET with live coverage, including interviews with Alex Seixeiro and David Alter from the Olympic Stadium.

London 2012 Opening Ceremony By The Numbers:

• 15,000 square metres of staging, equivalent to 12 Olympic-sized swimming pools
• 12,956 props, more than 100 times the amount used in a West End musical
• 10,000 adult volunteer performers
• 900 children volunteers from schools in the six host boroughs – Barking and Dagenham, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest
• 25 tonnes, the amount the flying system can lift; equivalent to the weight of five elephants
• 23 tonnes, the weight of the largest harmonically-tuned bell in the world, measuring two metres tall by three metres wide

Best known for his Best Director win at the Academy Awards® for Slumdog Millionaire, critically-acclaimed Artistic Director Danny Boyle was born in Manchester, England. Boyle has dedicated his life to directing and producing and is linked to noteworthy films including 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, The Beach, Shallow Grave, Sunshine, and Trainspotting.

Beginning Saturday, July 28, viewers can watch all-day Olympic Games programming on the following channels. For Consortium scheduling information, visit the Bell Viewers’ Guide at CTVOlympics.ca/guide, RDSolympiques.ca/leguide or download the CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps.

CTV

Show: OLYMPIC MORNING
4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET/1 a.m. – 9 a.m. PT
(9 a.m. – 5 p.m. BST*)
Hosts: Dave Randorf and Catriona Le May Doan
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: OLYMPIC DAYTIME
12 – 6 p.m. ET/9 a.m. – 3 p.m. PT
(5 – 11 p.m. BST*)
Hosts: James Duthie and Jennifer Hedger
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
7 – 11 p.m. ET/CT/MT/PT and 8 – 12 a.m. AT
(12 – 4 a.m. BST*)
Host: Brian Williams
Coverage: Live show with best of day highlights and feature interviews

Show: OLYMPIC OVERNIGHT
12 – 4 a.m. ET
(5 – 9 a.m. BST*)
Host: Brian Williams
Encore presentation of OLYMPIC PRIME TIME in ET

RDS

Show: LONDRES 2012 À RDS
4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET
(9 a.m. – 5 p.m. BST*)
Host: Claude Mailhot
Coverage: Live Sports

12 – 6:30 p.m. ET
(5 – 11:30 p.m. BST*)
Host: Alain Crête
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS
7 – 11 p.m. ET
(12 – 4 a.m. BST*)
Host: Chantal Machabée
Coverage: Live show with best of day highlights and feature interviews

Show: AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS – Rediffusion
12 – 4 a.m. ET
(5 – 9 a.m. BST*)
Host: Chantal Machabée
Coverage: Encore presentation of AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR RDS

Sportsnet

Show: OLYMPIC MORNING
6 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET/3 a.m. – 9 a.m. PT
(11 a.m. – 5 p.m. BST*)
Host: Don Taylor
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: OLYMPIC DAYTIME
12 – 5 p.m. ET/9 a.m. – 2 p.m. PT
(5 – 10 p.m. BST*)
Host: Daren Millard
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
7 – 11 p.m. ET/MT/PT and 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. AT
(12 – 4 a.m. BST*)
Host: Brad Fay
Coverage: Best of day highlights and feature interviews

TSN

Show: OLYMPIC MORNING
6 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET
(11 a.m. – 5 p.m. BST*)
Host: Kate Beirness
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: OLYMPIC DAYTIME
12 – 5 p.m. ET
(5 – 10 p.m. BST*)
Host: Michael Landsberg
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: OLYMPIC PRIME TIME
7 – 11 p.m. ET
(12 – 4 a.m. BST*)
Host: Darren Dutchyshen
Coverage: Live show with best of day highlights and feature interviews

V

Show: LONDRES 2012 À V
4 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET
(9 a.m. – 5 p.m. BST*)
Host: Yanick Bouchard
Coverage: Live Sports

12 – 6 p.m. ET
(5 – 11 p.m. BST*)
Host: Frédéric Plante
Coverage: Live Sports

Show: AUJOURD’HUI À LONDRES SUR V
7 – 11 p.m. ET
(12 – 4 a.m. BST*)
Host: Jean Pagé
Coverage: Live show with best of day highlights and feature interviews

*BST – British Summer Time (five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time)

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter
@CTVOlympics
@RDSolympiques

Facebook
facebook.com/CTVOlympics
facebook.com/RDSolympiques

Google+
CTVOlympics
RDSolympiques

YouTube
YouTube.com/CTVOlympics
YouTube.com/RDSolympiques

And I’ll be doing links next.

The Thursday Linkage

So weird to have the 4th of July in the middle of the week. You get the holiday after two work days and then have two work days afterwards. Some of you have the entire week off which is good, but for me, there’s no such thing as a vacation. In fact, I haven’t had a vacation since August 2001. That’s true. Anyway, you don’t care about that. Let’s get to the links.

Michael Hiestand of USA Today lists which sports media personality has donated money to which politician.

Michael says ESPN NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little will work her last race for a few months this weekend.

The BBC reports that a single yellow cable that will carry the Olympics from London to Europe was almost cut in Belgium.

Trefis Team at Forbes says ESPN contributes heavily to Disney’s stock price, but that could be reduced over time.

Keach Hagey of the Wall Street Journal looks at the new NBC Sports/Sports Illustrated partnership.

Mike Barnes of the Hollywood Reporter says former mustachioed Oakland Raiders defensive lineman turned pitchman Ben Davidson has died at the age of 72.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News writes that ESPN set a viewership record for the EURO 2012 final.

Bill Cromwell of Media Life reports that NBC is close to selling out its Olympic ad inventory.

The Associated Press says the ACC has signed a 12 year deal with the Orange Bowl.

Ed Sherman at The Sherman Report talks with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo about his two decade long partnership with WFAN’s Mike Francesa.

Joe Lucia at Awful Announcing writes that ESPN’s Chris Fowler gave John McEnroe a lesson about Twitter parody accounts at Wimbledon this week.

Joe tells us about reporter-on-reporter Twitter crime between ESPN’s Buster Olney and CBS’ Jon Heyman.

Melissa Jacobs at the Football Girl agrees with Erin Andrews’ assessment that sideline reporters are a necessity when used correctly.

Speaking of Erin, she speaks with Adam Silverstein of the Only Gators blog about moving to Fox.

Dave Nagle in ESPN’s Front Row public relations blog notes the network’s new broadcast position at Wimbledon.

Richard Sandomir of the New York Times says Barclays’ recent troubles are trickling down to the Brooklyn Nets as they prepare to occupy their new home.

Claire Atkinson of the New York Post reports that The Whistle, a sports media company geared towards kids, will have a programming block on NBC Sports Network starting in September.

Dan Steinberg in the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that DC NFL Team radio analyst Sam Huff will work a reduced schedule this season.

Mel Bracht at The Oklahoman says the U.S. Olympic Trials topped the local ratings this past weekend.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that Annika Sorenstam joins the NBC golf team this weekend at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Paul M. Banks at Chicago Sports Media Watch urges the White Sox to calm down in asking people to do last-minute voting for the All-Star Game.

Scott D. Pierce of the Salt Lake Tribune says the Pac-12 Network will be a success in Utah knowing the failings of the mtn.

Bill Mooney of the Thoroughbred Times says Fox Sports Net will air the West Virginia Derby next month.

Media Rantz notes that the NBC President who was responsible for the “Heidi Game” and forever changed how sports was aired on TV has passed away.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog says CTV will bring back a few features for this year’s Olympics that were used in 2010 for Vancouver.

EPL Talk has a partial list of English Premier League games that will be aired in the States on ESPN2 and Fox Soccer.

Sports Media Watch says TNT took a ratings hit for last Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest notes that the US Olympic Committee will pass on bidding for the 2022 Games dashing hopes for a couple of cities. It means the earliest an Olympics will be held in the United States will be 2024.

And those are the links that I could manage to squeeze out of the internet today.

Breaking Out Some Wednesday Linkage

Time for some Wednesday links. Won’t be a full set as I’ll be monitoring NBC’s Olympic conference call.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio discusses Chris Berman heading to the Monday Night Football booth for two games.

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing says national nightmare Berman in the booth is not what NFL fans want.

Doug Farrar of Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner says it isn’t Berman who we should be worried about.

Matt writes about ESPN replacing Craig James on Thursday Night college football.

Michael Smith in Sports Business Daily writes that the PGA has a new sponsor for its developmental tour.

Scott Foxborough at the Hollywood Reporter notes the huge increase for EURO 2012′s ratings on ESPN from the last event four years ago.

George Winslow of Broadcasting & Cable says MLB Network has upgraded its production control room for its signature MLB Tonight show.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says the Sportsman Channel is gaining ground for its HD network.

Patrick Hipes of Deadline notes the TV bidding for the new college football playoff system to begin with the 2014 season will be worth beaucoup bucks.

Ed Sherman of The Sherman Report talks with the former owner of WFAN and how it was a risk to start an all-sports radio station 25 years ago.

Ed says no matter what you think of him, Don Imus’ move to WFAN helped save the sports radio format and sent it flying to new heights.

Ed says ESPN’s public relations blog fired salvos on behalf of ESPN Radio at CBS and NBC.

Jason Dachman from Sports Video Group says Fox Sports Net has developed an MLB app for second screens.

In GoLocalProv, former WBZ-TV anchor Bob Lobel gives one of the greatest moments in his career when he brought Boston legends Bobby Orr, Larry Bird and Ted Williams together for one show. I watched that when it happened. It was a great show.

Jerry Barmash at Fishbowl NY talks with WFAN 20/20 Sports update man John Minko.

Jerry also talks with another WFAN original, Steve Somers who schmoozes S-P-O-R-T-S every night.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union writes about Chris Berman and Trent Dilfer being teamed for two Monday Night Football games.

At the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog, Dan Steinberg says Nationals’ ratings on MASN are way up from last season.

Barry Jackson from the Miami Herald reviews LeBron James’ appearance on Late Show with David Letterman last night.

Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic talks about the strange removal of Daron Sutton from Diamondbacks broadcasts.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com says the Diamondbacks have suspended Sutton for “insubordination” and won’t say anything more.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that the Pac-12 won the most NCAA Championships this academic year.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Toronto Globe and Mail wonders if it’s soccer time to shine in Canada and the U.S.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog looks at CBC and CTV dropping their joint bid for the 2014/16 Olympics.

Sports Media Watch looks into the move to put Chris Berman into the Monday Night Football booth.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says bitter little hedgehog Danny Sheridan is buying Twitter followers.

Dave Kohl in The Broadcast Booth talks about multiple national sports radio networks.

And that’s going to do it today. Had to cut the links short because today will be quite busy. Leaving the afternoon free for the NBC Olympics announcements.

Your Tuesday Linkage

Let’s do some Tuesday links.

We’ll start with Matt Hayes of AOL Sporting News and he writes that the BCS is looking for a $5 billion TV deal over a decade for its new college football playoff.

In the Indiana University National Sports Journalism Center, Michael Bradley says the new college football playoff still can be improved.

Eric Fisher and John Ourand of Sports Business Journal write that the Washington Nationals and MASN continue to be at odds over what the team’s TV rights are worth.

Maury Brown in Baseball Prospectus goes inside the Nats/MASN TV rights dispute.

Mark Buteau and Alex Duff of Bloomberg report that NBC has signed a long-term extension to lock in the Tour de France.

Etan Vlessing of the Hollywood Reporter says CBC and CTV are dropping their joint bidfor the 2014/2016 Olympic Games.

Charlie Warzel of Adweek says the PGA and Turner Sports are parting ways as the golf association will handle its digital rights in-house and no longer outsource it to Turner.

Tim Baysinger from Broadcasting & Cable writes that Ion will provide the WWE with a third night of programming.

In Multichannel News, Tim has an article about NFL Network’s NFL AM show.

Media Life Magazine notes that a Spanish language ad ran during ABC’s NBA Finals broadcasts.

Ty Duffy at The Big Lead says CBS’ Jim Nantz is now pimping his own wine label. Surprised it’s not called “Hello, Friends.”

Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing has the amazing video of Mike Tyson on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption giving a preview of his new one-man Broadway play.

Dmitry Chesnokov of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy notes that the KHL has officially announced plans to play in the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn while trashing New York’s Madison Square Garden in the process.

The ESPN Front Row blog fires a shot at the new upstarts CBS Sports Radio and NBC Sports Radio Network on behalf of ESPN Radio.

Ben Lee at Digital Spy UK says Wimbledon’s primetime coverage on BBC2 drew over a million viewers.

Tara Pringle Jefferson at Loop 21 has six questions for ESPN’s Sage Steele.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell says NBA Draft prospect Anthony Davis has trademarked his unibrow.

Darren wonders if US Olympic 100 meter sprinter Justin Gatlin can be marketable once again after sitting out a four year ban for steroids.

Sports Video Group notes that NESN has signedanother content sharing agreement with a third New England TV station, this time in Vermont.

All Access interviews a radio industry analyst who feels the new CBS Sports Radio will do well for the parent company.

Ian Bethune at Sox & Dawgs has the funny video of NESN’s Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy entertaining the viewers during a Red Sox rain delay last night.

Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston writes about the Red Sox being in no rush to replace their late public address announcer Carl Beane.

Claire Atkinson of the New York Post reports that a positive FCC ruling for Tennis Channel in its carriage dispute against Comcast could lead to more viewers for the network and make it more attractive to potential buyers.

Bob’s Blitz has WFAN’s schedule for Sunday when it celebrates 25 years as the Nation’s first sports radio station.

Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday notes that E! will air a special on New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow.

Neil Best of Newsday looks at ESPN’s start-to-finish coverage of Wimbledon.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union has MLB Network’s live game schedule through the end of July.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call profiles a former local sports anchor who’s making his mark in Detroit.

Laura Nachman says a part-timer at Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia is now part of the regional sports network’s starting team.

Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog notes that Washingtonian magazine readers aren’t enamored with the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin.

Tom Jones of the Tampa Bay Times chastises readers who complained about weather alerts about Tropical Storm Debby that cut into sports action.

At the Miami Herald, Barry Jackson looks at anti-Heat media comments almost a week after the team won the NBA Championship.

Marc Weiszer of the Athens (GA) Banner-Herald writes that ESPN is producing a documentary on the 2008 SEC Tournament game between Alabama and Mississippi State that was interrupted by a tornado that ripped through Atlanta.

Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times Picayune reports that the Hornets will have the soon-to-be Fox Sports New Orleans to call their home. Fox Sports NO will replace Cox Sports which is getting out of the pro sports business.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says NFL Network will air clips of a Brett Favre interview all week long.

Danny Ecker of Crain’s Chicago Business says the local Comcast SportsNet affiliate will launch a new trivia game show.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has a clip of Frank Deford’s appearance on last night’s Colbert Report.

Simon Houpt and Steve Ladurantaye of the Toronto Globe and Mail look at CBC and CTV ending their joint bid for the 2014/16 Olympics after two prices were rejected.

Ann Dempsey from the Toronto Star also has a story on the CBC/CTV disbanding.

Bill Harris in the Toronto Sun says Olympic viewing in Canada after this year is up in the air.

Monika Warzecha of Toronto Life wonders if Canadians will be stuck watching NBC for the 2014/16 Olympics.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog notes TSN did well in showing the NHL Draft and EURO 2012.

Sports Media Watch has some various ratings news and notes.

Emmett Jones at Sports Business Digest says NBC and Shazam have teamed up to provide interactive coverage of the London Olympics.

And that’s going do it for our linkage.

Some Thursday Links

After an outage that ruined things from Sunday through Tuesday and being busy yesterday, my goal to have links every day this week has gone out the window. However, I can get a few links out to you today.

Let’s get to them.

Starting with Ed Sherman from the Sherman Report who talks with ESPN resident Prince of Darkness Vince Doria who not only hates Twitter, but is concerned that the social media site could bring “diminished standards.” No, hiring Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith brings “diminished standards.”

Ed feels ESPN’s hiring of Darren Rovell away from CNBC is a good move for all sides.

Christopher Botta and John Ourand from Sports Business Journal write that despite having ratings downturns for the NHL Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup Final, NBC and its sponsors are happy with the results.

Christopher notes that a budding Northwest US MLS rivalry is bringing excellent sponsor activation in the region.

At the Bleacher Report, Dan Levy asks ESPN to respond to the heavy viewer criticism brought forth to the network every time Chris Berman does the U.S. Open.

Mike Reynolds at Multichannel News says the ESPN Family is doing well with EURO 2012.

Peter Kafka at All Things Digital writes that the on-again/off-again Turner purchase of the Bleacher Report seems to be on again. I promise my friends over at Bleacher Report that I won’t publish the Tsunami screengrab like Deadspin does.

Speaking of Deadspin, John Koblin tells us that CNBC’s Darren Rovell, will be getting $500,000 from Disney to work at ESPN and ABC News.

The Big Lead notes that Jalen Rose will be heading to the basketball version of ESPN’s College Gameday.

Simon Dumenico of Advertising Age notes the high amount of Tweets devoted to Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Media Life Magazine notes NBC’s ratings for last weekend’s US Open.

Evan Weiner at Examiner.com says while Roger Clemens was acquitted by a jury of his peers, he still has to get by the Hall of Fame jury known as the Baseball Writers of America.

Lance Venta at Radio Insight reports that with CBS Radio starting a new sports network, ESPN Radio will lose two affiliates in Florida.

To espnW where Amanda Rykoff went to an event which honored women in sports business including Kim Williams, the Chief Operating Officer of NFL Network.

Matt Rudnitsky at SportsGrid says today is D-Day for many Sports Illustrated employees. Godspeed to them.

Jason Dachman of Sports Video Group looks at how TNT tries to expand the fan experience during its six NASCAR Sprint Cup productions.

Jerry Barmash of FishbowlNY talks with MSG Network’s Walt “Clyde” Frazier about his popularity among Knicks fans.

Ken McMillan of the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record says SNY’s Gary Cohen will be taking two rare days off this week.

Ken says WFAN will be airing Team USA Olympic basketball games.

And Ken talks about the launch of CBS Sports Radio.

Keith Groller of the Allentown (PA) Morning Call says the Philadelphia Phillies’ troubles have become fodder for the local talk shows.

David Barron at the Houston Chronicle notes that the city is about to get its 5th sports radio station thanks to the new CBS Sports Radio.

Mel Bracht of The Oklahoman says Game 4 of the NBA Finals set another local ratings record.

John Kiesewetter of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the Reds’ ratings are up and they’re being noticed by Fox Sports.

Bob Wolfley at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Brewers analyst Bill Schroeder will work Saturday’s game against the White Sox for a different audience.

Paul M. Banks of Chicago Sports Media Watch says Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper guest tweeted on the White Sox official account this week.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily has begun a list of the top sports media voices of the landmark Title IX that gave women the opportunity to play sports. His first honoree is sports broadcasting pioneer Donna de Varona. Next is Mary Carillo. She’s followed by Ann Ligouri. Pam Ward is next. Basketball Hall of Famer Ann Meyers Drysdale follows. Read about Jeannine Edwards. Then look at the bio of Christine Brennan. Then there’s Michele Tafoya. Then Jamie Little. Next is Suzy Kolber. And she’s followed by Sally Jenkins. Great stuff by Tom.

Bruce Dowbiggin from the Toronto Globe and Mail reports that the NHL doesn’t want Maple Leafs rightsholders Rogers and Bell to form a consortium to bid for CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and they’ve been told to provide separate bids.

Michael Hill from Dolce Vita magazine profiles CTV Olympic host Brian Williams (not to be confused with NBC’s Brian Williams) about the many Games he has hosted over the years for either CBC or CTV.

Sports Media Watch speculates that NBC could be moving its NHL Game of the Week to Saturday afternoons for the 2012-13 season.

Tony Manfred at the Business Insider Sports Page has a slideshow on ESPN’s Erin Andrews who remains a free agent at this time.

Joe Favorito looks at the NBA possibly shutting the door on its players participating in the Olympics.

And that will do it for us today for the links.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Consortium Teams Up For More Than 5,500 Hours of Coverage

Canadians watching CTV, TSN, Rogers Sportsnet, OLN, RDS, V, et. al., a.k.a. the Canadian Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium plans to go all out for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. More than 5,500 hours will be made available in the Great White North. Well, it won’t be white in the summer, but plenty of action will be seen on the 9 networks that make up the Consortium.

This was used to success in 2010 during the Vancouver Winter Olympics. It will be used once again for the last time in 2012. After this year, Rogers drops out of the Olympics business and if the IOC approves, CBC will return to airing the Olympic Games as a partner to CTV for 2014/2016, but we’re not there yet.

Overall, more than 2,000 hours will be aired on TV through the four English language networks (CTV, TSN, Sportsnet and OLN), two French networks (RDS and V) and three multi-language networks.

In addition, more than 3,500 hours will be streamed online including the TV coverage plus events that won’t be aired on television.

Here’s the CTV press release.

Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium To Deliver More Than 5,500 Hours of Olympic Games Coverage for London 2012

More choice than ever before with largest four screen experience on television, computer, smart phone, and tablet platforms
CTV’s Brian Williams and RDS’ Chantal Machabée helm Prime Time broadcasts live from London

Toronto, ON (June 1, 2012) – Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium has announced its commitment to delivering Canadians the best Summer Games experience ever. The Consortium is bringing viewers more than 5,500 hours of coverage – the equivalent of more than 229 days of content or close to two thirds of a year – during the 17 days of London 2012, more than any other Games. The Consortium’s plan includes 2,000+ hours of television coverage in 11 different languages and 3,500+ hours of digital coverage. Additionally, the Consortium has confirmed the schedules for its conventional and dedicated sport channels which range between 15 – 22 hours of coverage per day. This plan ensures Canadians have as many options as possible to watch their favourite events.

A breakdown of hours and schedules is below.

HOURS OF COVERAGE FOR LONDON 2012

Television

In total, more than 2,000 hours will be broadcast on Consortium television stations:

• English coverage on CTV, TSN, Sportsnet, and OLN – 1,114 hours
• French coverage on RDS and V – 704 hours
• Multi-lingual coverage on OMNI.1, OMNI.2, and ATN – 223 hours

• Languages include Bangla, Cantonese, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Tamil, and Urdu

Digital

More than 3,500 hours of coverage will be available online and on mobile devices at CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca:

• Live streaming of coverage from CTV, RDS, TSN, Sportsnet, and V – 1,431 hours
• Live streaming of events from various Olympic venues – 2,100 hours

“We are committed to bringing Canadians a robust Olympic Games experience, whether on television or digital platforms,” said Adam Ashton, President, Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. “With 26 sports, plus a sizeable time difference and so many people on the go during the Summer, it is important to provide Canadians with a choice on how, when, and where they want to consume London 2012 content.”

In addition, 10 Rogers Radio stations will provide listeners with Olympic Games coverage, including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, a daily hour-long highlights show, and updates three times an hour everyday during the Games. The 10 stations are: 1310News (Ottawa), 680News (Toronto), News1130 (Vancouver), 660News (Calgary), 570News (Kitchener, Ont.), News95.7 (Halifax), News 88.9 (Saint John, N.B.), News91.9 (Moncton), Sportsnet 590 The FAN (Toronto), and Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Calgary). The national hour of Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown(6 – 7 p.m. ET) airing on Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN and 19 other radio stations across the country, will also be dedicated to London 2012.

That’s it.

Olympic TV Promos From Abroad

Let’s take a look at Olympic television promos from outside the United States. I provided you with NBC’s Olympic trailer. I’ll provide you with promos from other rightsholders.

This is from 9 Network in Australia. The theme for its coverage is “One Heart/Million Voices” from the band New Empire. This is not bad. The footage from past Olympics is from previous Australian Olympics rightsholder 7 Network.

Here’s one from CTV in Canada. This promo is an offshoot from 2010′s promotional campaign of “I Believe”, now it’s “We Believe”. Actress Ellen Page is the narrator.

Here’s another CTV promo titled “Road to London,” but it’s not embeddable (damn you, CTV). This is very good.

Let’s move to the host broadcaster, BBC, which is in the midst of covering the Olympic Torch Relay throughout the United Kingdom. The network which has had some stellar Olympic promos for 2008 and 2010, does a very nice one with the animation here.

If I find more, I’ll post them as we get closer to the Olympic Games.

On The 100 Day Mark To The London Olympics, NBCOlympics.com Relaunches

NBC Sports Group has announced that the NBCOlympics.com website has relaunched today, this being the 100 day mark to the XXX Olympic Summer Games in London. Not only will the site be updated with the latest results and news, but it will also stream live video of all Olympic events. NBC says all 32 Olympic sports will be streamed live not only on the dedicated website, but also on mobiles and tablets.

If Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt are in gold medal events, you can watch them live without having to wait for NBC’s primetime presentation. However, there is a catch. While most events will be archived, certain events like a Phelps or Bolt race will not until they are aired on NBC’s primetime program.

While it’s not perfect, to at least be able to see everything online no matter what the event is and no matter who is participating is a start. So if you can’t wait to see the gymnastics team event, you can watch it live online, you’ll just have to wait to see it again later.

And to see the events live on NBCOlympics.com, you’ll have to authenticate like you did with March Madness Online. But I can assure you, it’ll be easier than Turner’s complicated 85 steps. I already checked out NBCOlympics.com and the authentication process is a breeze.

Here’s NBC’s press release.

NBCOLYMPICS.COM RE-LAUNCHES TODAY — 100 DAYS FROM START OF 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS

NBC Sports Group’s March Toward 2012 London Games Begins with Launch of Most Comprehensive Digital Event Coverage in History
Site to Live Stream All Olympic Events for First Time Ever in Partnership with MVPDs

NEW YORK – April 18, 2012 – NBCOlympics.com, the NBC Sports Group website dedicated to the comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games, re-launches today — exactly 100 days from the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics — with a deep look into the sports, athletes, stories, rivalries, and vast coverage the American audience will feast on during the upcoming London Games.

Prior to the Games, NBCOlympics.com will provide the most complete coverage of Olympic news, announcements and information leading up to London. The site will profile hundreds of athletes, all 32 sports, contain a treasure trove of great moments from prior Games, and an inside look at many of the athletes likely to represent Team USA in London.

During the Games, NBCOlympics.com will live stream every event and sport for the first time ever. In all, the site will live stream more than 3,500 total programming hours, including the awarding of all 302 medals. By comparison, NBCOlympics.com live streamed 25 sports and 2,200 hours for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The vast majority of live streaming will only be available to authenticated cable, satellite or telco customers. The site will also feature rewinds of all event coverage, a steady stream of athlete profiles, event highlights, a tour of London as the host city, and more.

“The 100-day milestone is a perfect time to re-launch NBCOlympics.com, a site we remain committed to keeping as the foremost source for Olympic content both before and during the Games,” said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. “We are very excited to offer this vast Olympic viewing experience to compliment and fuel our unprecedented daily network and cable coverage, especially the nightly primetime show.”

In another first, NBCOlympics.com will provide multiple concurrent streams for select sports, such as gymnastics (each apparatus), track and field (each event), and tennis (up to five courts). For example, during a session of track and field, instead of viewing only a single feed that moves from event to event, a user can choose to watch a stream dedicated to a specific event, such as the long jump or javelin.

NBCOlympics.com will also offer complete coverage of the U.S. Olympic Trials, and will feature a detailed viewing guide once those details are released.

In addition, CTV’s Olympic website also relaunched today so if you have a Canadian athlete you want to follow, you can check out that site.

Your Monday Linkage

Back to work for many of you. Let’s get some Monday links in.

Mike McCarthy at USA Today says the networks have missed a competitive Tiger Woods.

Tom Weir of USA Today adds that Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has pulled his Quicken Loans ads from Rush Limbaugh’s radio show over a budding controversy.

The independent Gannett Blog notes that all of USA Today’s sports staffers have been told to reapply for their jobs as part of a newsroom reorganization. Oh, that’s nice.

At Forbes, Douglas Alden Warshaw says Comcast is going all in on sports and chronicles how it survived the loss of NBC Sports Emperor Dick Ebersol last year.

To Mashable where Sam Laird notes that ESPN is opening up its source code so developers can build apps around the Alleged Worldwide Leader’s sports information.

Michael Schottey at Bleacher Report says it’s time to end the archaic NFL blackout rules.

Nat Ives with Advertising Age writes that magazines like Sports Illustrated are finding at what price is best to bundle print and tablet subscriptions.

Also at AdAge, Brian Steinberg looks at NBC’s ad sales pitch for the London Olympics.

To Adweek where Anthony Crupi says car rental company Enterprise will ramp up a new March Madness spot for the NCAA Tournament.

Dan Daley at Sports Video Group says MLB Network is gearing up for this week’s Cleveland-Arizona telecast which will feature nearly real-time audio from the field.

Double G Sports interviews Friend of Fang’s Bites Jen Royle.

To Comcast SportsNet New England’s Tom Curran who says the Boston Globe treats the Red Sox and Patriots differently when it comes to their off-the-field business deals.

The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick says it may take civil action to finally put an end to bounties in the NFL.

Pete Dougherty of the Albany Times Union writes that the ratings for the final round of the Honda Classic were good.

From the New Jersey Newsroom, Evan Weiner writes that a U.S. Senator is seeking an end to NFL blackouts.

Kevin Callahan of the Cherry Hill (NJ) Courier-Post talks with ESPN’s Ron Jaworski about being booted out of the Monday Night Football booth.

Dan Steinberg at the Washington Post’s DC Sports Bog says ESPN’s Bram Weinstein is forever grateful to former Georgetown coach John Thompson.

Tom Jones at the Tampa Bay Times writes that a new sports radio talk show premieres today.

Tom also reviews the weekend in sports television.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says the Green Bay Packers have changed flagship TV stations.

In Crain’s Chicago Business, Ed Sherman says local MLB teams are cashing in on huge rights fees, except for the Cubs and White Sox.

Dan Caesar of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Cardinals have set their spring training radio schedule.

Dan says this week, Joe Buck is co-hosting a local radio show that could lead to a podcast or a nationally syndicated show.

Dusty Saunders at the Denver Post writes that quarterbacks help drive the NFL engine.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News has your sports calendar for this week.

Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle says NBC Sports Group will attempt to attract viewers to the 2013 America’s Cup.

Steve Ladurantaye of the Toronto Globe and Mail writes that Yahoo is considering a bid for the Canadian TV and online rights for the 2014/16 Olympics after two combined efforts by CBC/CTV were thrown by the International Olympic Committee for being too low.

Bruce Dowbiggin of the Globe and Mail wonders if CBC will pay a price with the NHL for Don Cherry’s candor on Coach’s Corner.

Damien Cox of the Toronto Star says Cherry’s criticisms of Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke are getting out of hand.

Joseph Hall at the Star says Cherry remains at odds with Burke.

Sports Media Watch says Tiger Woods helped drive the Honda Classic’s overnight ratings to a 10 year high.

SMW says North Carolina-Duke gave ESPN its highest college basketball overnight ratings in 3 years despite a blowout.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media says the NHL on NBC’s overnight ratings continue on a steady upward trend.

And we’ll end the links there for today. Enjoy the rest of your Monday.

Quick Pre-Super Bowl Links

Let’s do some Super Bowl Sunday links today.

Mike Reynolds from Multichannel News says media analysts are predicting another record viewership for the Super Bowl.

Mike says MSG Network remains off Time Warner Cable systems for the fifth consecutive week with no agreement in sight.

Kate Fagan of espnW has a look at what Super Bowl XLVI sideline reporter Michele Tafoya will deal with on the Lucas Oil Stadium field tonight.

Peter Pachal from Mashable has a look at NBC’s streaming of the Super Bowl.

Sean Newell at Deadspin says CNBC’s Darren Rovell may have lost the female vote forever.

Deadspin’s Timothy Burke tells us about a media feud between WEEI’s John Dennis and ESPN Radio’s Ryan Russillo.

Speaking of Darren Rovell, he wonders if Eli Manning can become a more prolific endorser than Tom Brady.

Chad Finn of the Boston Globe talks about Twitter and some of the New England Patriots who use the social media service.

The New York Times’ Ritchie S. King and Kevin Quealy look at some of the clichés that have enveloped ESPN SportsCenter.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Times is speaking in tongues today.

Ken McMillan from the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record has the NBC football crew talking about today’s Super Bowl.

Jim Williams in the Washington Examiner talks with Fox Sports’ John Lynch about the Super Bowl.

David Barron of the Houston Chronicle says the Super Bowl could decide the local news race.

Bob Wolfley in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the Green Bay Packers’ Charles Woodson is doing well for the NFL Network.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News talks with NBC’s Al Michaels.

The Canadian Sports Media Blog has NBC’s and CTV’s coverage plans for the Super Bowl.

Mike Silva from the Sports Media Watchdog goes over Darren Rovell’s downfall with women this weekend.

Joe Favorito has a few sports business tidbits for us.

And those are the quick links for today. Enjoy the Super Bowl. I’ll have grades on the Super Bowl ads tonight.

Time For Our Thursday Linkage

Let’s do our linkage now. Lots of good stories.

First, Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch speaks with NBC’s NFL crew on what we’ll see on Super Bowl Sunday.

Richard’s latest Media Circus podcast is up and his guest this week is NBC’s Cris Collinsworth who will call Sunday’s game with Al Michaels.

Good on Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead for breaking the story that Selena Roberts has left SI.

Mike Reynolds of Multichannel News says Time Warner Cable hopes to capture some good feelings with its local Super Bowl ad that will run in selected markets.

Anthony Crupi of Adweek writes that General Motors is cutting back on its ad spending, but will remain on the Super Bowl.

Adweek’s Tim Nudd says Kia’s Super Bowl tries to cram a lot into its Super Bowl spot.

Robert Klara from Adweek notes that tennis players are getting more than just shoe endorsements these days.

Matthew Creamer at Advertising Age has a primer on the Super Bowl ads.

Brian Steinberg from AdAge notes that NBCUniversal corporate sibling Fandango will latch onto one Super Bowl movie ad.

Cotton Delo of AdAge says Honda’s Ferris Bueller ad is the most watched Super Bowl ad on the web right now.

Mark Wilson of Popular Mechanics wonders if NBC’s streaming of Super Bowl XLVI will lead to more events online.

Tom Cheredar from MediaBeat says the Feds cracked down today on several sites illegally streaming sports.

Maggie Hendricks at Yahoo’s Shutdown Corner says Pats QB Tom Brady watched last year’s Super Bowl through an illegal website. Great thing to admit, Tom.

To Graham Watson at Yahoo’s Dr. Saturday blog and he says ESPN may have inadvertently helped USC coach Lane Kiffin commit a recruiting violation. It would not be the first time.

Good story from Jeremy Rapanich in Deadspin on NBC’s preparation for Super Bowl XLVI.

Matt Yoder from Awful Announcing looks at the next potential wave of NFL TV analysts.

Ryan Yoder at AA recaps Texas US Senate candidate Craig James interview on a state radio station.

Glenn Davis at SportsGrid wonders if Steven A. “A is for Acrimony” Smith flipped the bird to Skip Bayless today.

The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn takes a look at Radio Row at the Super Bowl.

Newsday’s Neil Best says WFAN’s Mike Francesa and the agent for former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor are in a feud.

Neil says Miami sports radio host Sid Rosenberg is no longer doing morning drive sports reports for NYC radio station WINS.

Neil speaks with WFAN’s Giants beat reporter.

Neil says NBC is hopeful that Super Bowl XLVI will set a viewership record.

Pete Dougherty at the Albany Times Union has the rundown for NBC’s Super Bowl 6-hour pregame.

Ken McMillan at the Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record has ESPN’s BracketBusters schedule.

Evan Weiner of the New Jersey Newsroom notes that the NFL is the best of both capitalism and socialism.

Isabelle Khurshudyan of the University of South Carolina’s student newspaper, the Daily Gamecock, recaps a campus appearance by ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen.

John Kiesewetter from the Cincinnati Enquirer says Fox Sports Ohio has set its Reds programming for this month.

Zak Keeler from the Indianapolis Star writes that visiting reporters are heaping praise on Indy as Super Bowl host.

Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is surprised over the Pro Bowl’s ratings.

Mark Schuttenhelm of the Jamestown (ND) Sun questions the choices NBC Sports Network has made for its college hockey games.

Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News breaks down the Super Bowl by play-by-play announcer.

The Los Angeles Times reports that ESPN poker commentator Norman Chad was admonished for live tweeting his jury selection. Really, Norman?

Jessica Lantz has a look at one of the better Super Bowl ads, only this one will play in Canada only.

Speaking of Canada, the Canadian Sports Media Blog says CTV will begin its promotional push for this year’s Summer Olympic Games during the Super Bowl.

Sports Media Watch says this year’s NHL All-Star Game ratings finished below last year’s.

Mike Silva at Sports Media Watchdog says this week’s Mike and the Mad Dog reunion reminds fans what they’ve been missing since 2008.

Steve Lepore at Puck The Media has some suggestions on how to improve NBC’s NHL coverage.

Jackie Pepper continues her coverage of Super Bowl XLVI.

And we’re done with our links for today.