WINNIPEG – TSN has locked up a10-year deal for the regional television broadcast rights for the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets, plus the radio rights for Bell Media-owned Winnipeg station Sports Radio 1290.
As part of the agreement, TSN will air more than 60 regional regular season and pre-season games each season to fans in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and parts of Northwestern Ontario, (including Kenora, Dryden and Thunder Bay), on its newly created specialty channel TSN Jets, a part-time television service dedicated to Jets games. The new channel will launch on September 20th in SD and HD on Bell TV.
TSN will also broadcast five Jets games across the country as part of its national broadcast agreement with the NHL. In addition, Sports Radio 1290 will be home to all 82 regular season Jets games along with the Stanley Cup Playoffs and all pre-season games.
Manitoba native and veteran hockey broadcaster Dennis Beyak will be the primary voice of the Winnipeg Jets calling all regular season games for TSN Jets and some for Sports Radio 1290, while former Manitoba Moose broadcaster Brian Munz will call 56 Jets radio broadcasts. Colour analyst roles for the TSN Jets broadcasts will be shared between former NHL players Brian Engblom and Mike Johnson. Former NHL defenceman Shane Hnidy will join Sports Radio 1290 as a colour analyst for all Jets games this season.
TSN also confirmed the opening of a permanent bureau in Winnipeg which will be helmed by Winnipeg-native Sara Orlesky.
“The return of the Winnipeg Jets has been the biggest story in hockey in Canada this year”, said Phil King, president of CTV programming and sports, in Wednesday’s announcement. “Bell Media’s television and radio platforms will work together to cover all aspects of the Jets over the next decade. We are looking forward to working closely with all television service providers in the region to ensure as many fans have access to the regional games as possible.”
