Nutrilite Canadian Championship coverage expands on Rogers Sportsnet

The Canadian Soccer Association is pleased to announce the return of Rogers Sportsnet as the national broadcast partner of the 2011 Nutrilite Canadian Championship. All six matches featuring Impact Montréal, Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Championship debutants FC Edmonton will be broadcast live in High Definition on Rogers Sportsnet over four Wednesday nights from 27 April to 25 May.



“This renewed partnership with Rogers Sportsnet will deliver broadcast coverage of the highest quality for the Nutrilite Canadian Championship,” said Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary Peter Montopoli. “The commitment by Rogers Sportsnet to provide substantial coverage based on an expanded schedule and all matches being broadcast in High Definition for the first time, will have a significant impact on the continued growth and popularity of the Championship.”



Now in its fourth year, the Nutrilite Canadian Championship is Canada’s professional club championship. The champion of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship advances to the confederation championship, the 24-team CONCACAF Champions League which will also be in its fourth edition this coming 2011-12 season. The confederation champion then moves on to the FIFA Club World Cup.



With the addition of a fourth team, the old round-robin format has been replaced by the combination of a home-and-away semi-final stage along with a home-and-away championship final.



The 2011 Nutrilite Canadian Championship will open on Wednesday 27 April with Impact Montreal hosting Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Stade Saputo (Sportsnet East and Pacific) and FC Edmonton hosting Toronto FC at Commonwealth Stadium (Sportsnet Ontario and West). While both matches will kickoff simultaneously at 20.00 ET / 18.00 MT / 17.00 PT, all four sets of supporters will be accommodated with each club effectively having its own Rogers Sportsnet regional channel on which to follow their team. Broadcast coverage for the 27 April matches will begin 30 at 19.30 ET / 17.30 MT / 16.30 PT.



The semi-final stage of the Championship resumes one week later on Wednesday 4 May as the scene switches to Toronto and Vancouver respectively. Both of the decisive return leg matches will be broadcast live coast-to-coast. First, Toronto FC hosts FC Edmonton at BMO Field on all four Sportsnet regional channels – East, Ontario, West, and Pacific (20.00 ET / 18.00 MT) followed by Vancouver Whitecaps FC hosting Impact Montréal at Empire Field on Sportsnet ONE (23.00 ET / 20.00 PT).



The first and second leg of the Championship Final will be played on 18 May and 25 May respectively with the highest seeded team in the final determining if it will open at home or away. The broadcast details for the Championship Final will be confirmed once the two semi-finals are complete. The Championship final will be broadcast live nationally on either Sportsnet ONE or all four Sportsnet regional channels.



www.CanadaSoccer.com/championship will once again be the official home of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.



2011 BROADCAST SCHEDULE ON ROGERS SPORTSNET



SEMI-FINAL STAGE



27.04.2011 – 19.30 ET / 16.30 PT – Montréal – Vancouver – SNET EAST / SNET PACIFIC



27.04.2011 – 19.30 ET / 17.30 MT – Edmonton – Toronto – SNET ONTARIO / SNET WEST



04.05.2011 – 20.00 ET / 18.00 MT – Toronto – Edmonton – SNET EAST / ONTARIO / WEST / PACIFIC



04.05.2011 – 23.00 ET / 20.00 PT – Vancouver – Montréal – SNET ONE



CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL



18.05.2011 – TBA – TBA – TBA – SNET ONE – OR – SNET EAST / ONTARIO / WEST / PACIFIC



25.05.2011 – TBA – TBA – TBA – SNET ONE – OR – SNET EAST / ONTARIO / WEST / PACIFIC



2011 NUTRILITE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Impact Montréal

Toronto FC

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

FC Edmonton



PREVIOUS CHAMPIONS

2010 – Toronto FC

2009 – Toronto FC

2008 – Impact Montréal