TORONTO — The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and CBC Sports announced Friday the full schedule of games for the CEBL Summer Series, which tips off July 25.
This will be the first live professional sports action to take place on home soil in Canada since the Covid-19 outbreak in March and the suspension of live sports league competition. (Major League Baseball today announced its 60-game schedule for 2020, which will see the Toronto Blue Jays start their shortened season in Tampa Bay on July 24. The NHL also announced today, if return-to-play goes as planned, playoff games are tentatively scheduled to begin August 1 in the designated hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto.)
The CEBL’s seven teams will convene in St. Catharines, Ont., for a 26-game competition that ends August 9 with the CEBL Championship game. The dates are subject to the status of the province of Ontario’s phased-in reopening process, says the news release.
CBC will broadcast seven CEBL games on television starting with the Summer Series opening-day doubleheader featuring the Hamilton Honey Badgers versus the Niagara River Lions at 1:30 p.m. ET (10:30 a.m. PT) on Saturday, July 25, followed by the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks making their league debut against the Guelph Nighthawks at 3:50 p.m. ET (12:50 p.m. PT).
CBC will also broadcast another double-header on Saturday, August 1, and will televise both semi-final games the afternoon of Saturday, August 8, as well as the championship game at 12 p.m. ET (9 a.m. PT) on Sunday, August 9.
CBC Sports will live stream all 26 games of the Summer Series on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. The CEBL and CBC Sports announced a three-year partnership on November 26, 2019 that includes broadcast and streaming coverage each season. For the complete schedule, click here.
“As the professional sports league in Canada that has the highest percentage of players being Canadian, the CEBL truly is the league created by Canadians for Canadians,” said Mike Morreale, commissioner and CEO of the CEBL, in the release. “People across the country will be able to see for themselves through CBC’s platforms why Canada has emerged as one of the world’s powerhouses when it comes to producing world class professional basketball talent.”
“We are excited to bring live sports back to audiences in local communities across the country, who are just as hungry for the return to play as we are,” added Chris Wilson, executive director of sports and Olympics for CBC. “Our partners at the CEBL have come up with a plan that not only adheres to health and safety restrictions, but takes the competition to the next level. The condensed season means each game means that much more, and we are thrilled to be able to provide a national stage for these athletes and the league. This tournament will be exciting summer entertainment for Canadians at just the right time.”
Mediapro Canada has been selected to produce live coverage of all 26 games, supplying all technical facilities, production crew, and transmission services, using AutomaticTV, the group’s proprietary AI-driven fully automated sports production system, to produce high-definition live multi-camera coverage. This marks the first time the technology has been used in Canada. Mediapro Group produces live coverage of more than 12,000 events around the world each year through its 58 offices on four continents.
While staying in St. Catharines the teams will be separated from the general public, and strict screening and Covid-19 protocols will be adhered to under the supervision of medical officials. Extensive health and safety measures will be maintained for the participants, including social distancing and other specialized practices designed to limit interactions amongst participants.
The 2020 CEBL season has been on delay since mid-April with its originally scheduled tipoff date of May 7. Each club had been scheduled to play a 20-game schedule leading to a final four CEBL Championship Weekend in Edmonton, August 14-16.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 80% of its current rosters being Canadians, says the release. Players come from the NBA G-League, top international leagues, the Canadian National Team program, and top NCAA programs as well as from U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August.
More information is available here.
