CTV Sports was the division of the CTV Television Network responsible for sports broadcasting. The division existed in its own right from 1961 to 2001; between 1998 and 2001, CTV Sports also operated a cable sports network, CTV Sportsnet, now owned by Rogers Media and known simply as Sportsnet.
Since CTV's purchase of the more established sports network TSN in 2001 (which in turn caused the sale of Sportsnet to Rogers), the network has assumed responsibility for CTV's remaining sports output. At the same time, the amount of in-house sports programming aired by CTV has been reduced to only encompass occasional, TSN-produced telecasts, such as Skate Canada events, and simulcasts of events from U.S. networks. As of 2014, the only sports broadcasts regularly aired by CTV and CTV 2 are simulcasts of National Football League games.
CTV has been incorporated into coverage of major international sporting events—such as FIFA World Cup tournaments, and the Olympic Games, which were most recently aired from 2010 to 2012 as part of a joint venture between Bell Media and Rogers Media.
Current sports programs aired by CTV
The following events are currently specifically designated to air on CTV or CTV 2:
Football
National Football League - Sunday afternoon (1:00pm ET and 4:05/4:25pm ET) local games, and playoffs including the Super Bowl (2007–present)
Prior to 2014, CTV only held rights to early afternoon games and the playoffs. In 2014, CTV acquired rights to late games (previously held by Rogers through Citytv and Sportsnet), and began airing additional games on CTV 2.
As of 2018, in simulcast with TSN channels, CTV 2 additionally simulcasts Thursday Night Football and Sunday Night Football when airing on Fox (2018-2021), CBS (2014-2017) Prime Video (2017-present) and NBC (2016-present) respectively.
Golf
The Masters - in 2015, Bell Media acquired exclusive Canadian rights to The Masters, previously split between TSN and Global. CTV will air late-round coverage of the tournament.[1][2]
In addition, Baton Broadcasting (through ONT / BBS) syndicated a package of Blue Jays games from 1992 to 1996, mostly to CTV affiliates. BBS was merged into CTV in late 1997, so these broadcasts might retroactively be considered CTV Sports broadcasts.
Game 4 of the Raptors' Eastern semifinal series on May 5, 2019, aired in simulcast on CTV as a one-off broadcast.[6]
Game 2 and 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals on CTV 2, and Game 6 on CTV, simulcasting the ABC telecast for simsub reasons (all three games aired on TSN as well, with the Raptors' main broadcast team).
In addition, other coverage of events with rights held by TSN have occasionally aired on CTV or CTV 2, or local stations thereof, if necessary due to scheduling conflicts on the TSN channels, such as Vancouver Whitecaps FC games (which aired locally on CTV Vancouver and CTV2 Vancouver Island).[9][10][11]
