This week in the world of international sports is relatively calm as we await the commencement of various winter Olympic sports such as curling, figure skating, skiing, and speed skating in the upcoming weeks.
Taking advantage of this quiet period, the CBC, which is both a public broadcaster and my employer, has revealed its programming for Saturday nights following the move by Rogers to place NHL hockey exclusively behind a paywall. A significant announcement was made by the CBC earlier this week regarding the return of “Hockey Night in Canada” for its 90th season. However, with the CBC no longer airing NHL games produced by Rogers on Saturday nights, the show will now feature the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
The CBC has announced that it will broadcast a total of 26 PWHL games this season on both the TV network and the free CBC Gem streaming service. This includes eight “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcasts on Saturday nights. The coverage will kick off on December 5 with the PWHL’s regular-season opener between the Seattle Torrent and the Vancouver Goldeneyes, followed by the debut of the reimagined “Hockey Night” with the Montreal Victoire facing off against expansion team Hamilton at 7 p.m. ET.
In addition to the PWHL broadcasts, the CBC is introducing a new flagship sports show on Saturday nights called “CBC Sports Primetime.” Hosted by Andi Petrillo, the show will be aired on both the TV network and CBC Gem, focusing on Canada’s Olympic athletes and other high-level performers competing domestically and internationally. The inaugural episode will feature a Canada Super60 cricket league men’s match in Vancouver between the Toronto Sixers and the Mississauga Masters at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the women’s tournament final at 9:30 p.m. ET. Future episodes will cover events such as the Grand Slam of Curling, Grand Prix of Figure Skating, and World Tour for short track speed skating.
For Canadian sports enthusiasts, there are several events to keep an eye on this weekend:
– Lacrosse: The Pan-American Sixes Championships in Oshawa, Ont., where teams from Canada’s region are vying for a chance to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
– Swimming: The Swimming World Cup in Azerbaijan, where Canadian athletes are competing for medals.
– Soccer: The Canadian men’s national team will play a friendly match against Peru in Montreal, following their recent victory over Chile.
Stay tuned for live coverage of these events on CBC Gem and the CBC Sports website.
