ESPN & CFL reach multi-year US broadcast deal

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http://cfl.ca/article/espn-cfl-reach-multi-year-us-broadcast-deal

TORONTO -- Every Canadian Football League game this season will be available live to fans in the United States thanks to a new multi-year agreement with ESPN, which was announced today.

"We are thrilled for our fans in the United States that the ESPN networks will be the exclusive home of our league there," said Mark Cohon, Commissioner of the CFL.

"This is a powerful showcase for our talented athletes, our exciting brand of football, and the CFL itself, a league with a proud history but, more importantly, a bright future."

A minimum of 17 regular season games and the Eastern and Western Finals will be televised live on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS.  The 102nd Grey Cup will be televised live exclusively on ESPN2. All other CFL games will be available to fans live on ESPN3 across computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices.

"Since the early days of ESPN, CFL games have been a valued part of our programming lineup," said Burke Magnus, Senior Vice President, Programming Acquisitions. "I'm proud to see our relationship continue as we strive to serve football fans 365 days a year."

The 2014 CFL season kicked off last night as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Toronto Argonauts 45-21. It continues on Saturday, June 28, as the Montreal Alouettes visit the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. The game features the CFL regular season debut for Chad Johnson of the Alouettes and will be televised live on ESPN2. 

The 2014 CFL season concludes with the 102nd Grey Cup championship game on Sunday, November 30 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

"Collaborating with a worldwide leader in sports content like ESPN is great news for our fans, our players and our teams," said Cohon. "It speaks to the strength of our product and the passion of fans in the U.S. for our game."

In Canada, TSN is the exclusive English language broadcaster for the CFL and Grey Cup, and RDS is the exclusive French language broadcaster.

ESPN US Broadcast Schedule for June/July http://cfl.ca/page/2014-us-broadcast-schedule

ESPN 3 Broadcast Schedule for June/July http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/type/upcoming/sport/football/search/CFL/

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