TORONTO — Beginning this Sunday, August 5, OMNI Television will broadcast Toronto Blue Jays games in the Tagalog dialect, with a trio of sportscasters providing live play-by-play and colour commentary.
Every Sunday for the remainder of the regular season, OMNI will air Blue Jays: Pinoy Edition on its OMNI.2, OMNI BC, OMNI Alberta and OMNI Regional channels. Its roster of sportscasters includes Mara Aquino, Mike Cruz and Charles de Torres, who will deliver Canada’s major league baseball team to ethnic and third language viewers with live coverage of home and away games.
“Sports has always had the ability to bring people together, and we’re so excited to be able to connect our Filipino communities across the country with this unique facet of Canadian culture,” said Manuel Fonseca, director, OMNI, lifestyle and entertainment production, Rogers Media, in a news release announcing the broadcast team. “With the diverse assets at Rogers Media, we’re able to build on a dynamic programming schedule that offers our multilingual audiences even more world-class sports content with our first-ever baseball broadcast in a third language.”
Mara Aquino will host the Blue Jays: Pinoy Edition game broadcasts. Aquino has previously been a sportscaster and courtside reporter for the Philippine Basketball Association in the Philippines. Aquino also hosts the half-time show Moneyball on TV 5. Aquino is passionate about Filipino martial arts and is an ambassador for Bully Proof Society of Toronto.
Providing colour commentary will be Mike Cruz, CEO of Crossover Sports Canada, a sporting events management company. Cruz has extensive experience in planning and managing local community programs, including Durham Crossover Basketball Club. Cruz graduated from Durham College in Sports Business Management.
Born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, Charles de Torres will be the play-by-play announcer for Blue Jays: Pinoy Edition. De Torres is a sports enthusiast and is actively involved in his Vancouver community baseball and basketball leagues. In addition, De Torres has been an extra in a variety of shows, including Riverdale, The Good Doctor, Colony and Salvation.
OMNI will use Sportsnet’s feed to air home and away Blue Jays games live in the Tagalog dialect on the following dates:
- Sunday, Aug. 5 – Toronto @ Seattle Mariners (4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT)
- Sunday, Aug. 12 – Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Aug. 19 – Toronto @ New York Yankees (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Aug. 26 – Philadelphia Phillies @ Toronto (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Sept. 2 – Toronto @ Miami Marlins (1p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Sept. 9 – Cleveland Indians @ Toronto (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Sept. 16 – Toronto @ New York Yankees (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Sept. 23 – Tampa Bay Rays @ Toronto (1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT)
- Sunday, Sept. 30 – Toronto @ Tampa Bay Rays (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
