Raptors NBA TV
Encyclopedia
NBA TV Canada is a Canadian
English language
Category B specialty channel
owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
(MLSE).
digital specialty channel
license tentatively known as Raptors Basketball Channel, a channel described as being devoted primarily to the Toronto Raptors
basketball club and the National Basketball Association
(NBA), with additional programming related to other aspects of basketball.
The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 under the name Raptors NBA TV, with programming on the NBA and other basketball-related programming, although with a particular emphasis on the Toronto Raptors. On October 15, 2010, the channel was re-named to NBA TV Canada, as the network began to air more programming devoted to the NBA and international basketball in general, much like its American counterpart
.
(NBA), as well as coverage of other basketball
leagues including the Euroleague and the WNBA. Programming includes live
games during the regular season and playoffs, classic games, the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Finals
, and other NBA-related programs. Regular hosts for shows include David Amber
, Sherman Hamilton
, Matt Devlin
, Leo Rautins
and Jack Armstrong.
As they share ownership with the team, NBA TV Canada produces all Raptors telecasts, accompanied by elements (such as graphics and studio hosts) provided by the game's respective broadcaster. Game broadcasts are currently split between TSN
, TSN2
, Rogers Sportsnet
, and Sportsnet One
. NBA TV Canada airs pre-game programming, and encore presentations of Raptors games ("Raptors Game in An Hour").
simulcast of NBA TV Canada. It was launched November 1, 2005 on Bell TV and has since been added to several other television providers. The channel was formerly called Raptors NBA TV HD, however, it was rebranded NBA TV Canada HD on October 15, 2010 to coincide with the rebrand of the standard-definition channel.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Category B specialty channel
Specialty channel
A specialty channel can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted television market at a specific demographic....
owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. is a professional sports company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Among its properties include the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League team, Toronto Raptors National Basketball Association team, Toronto FC Major League Soccer team, and the Toronto...
(MLSE).
History
In December 2000, MLSE was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a category 2Category 2 specialty channel
A Category B service is a Canadian specialty television channel which, as defined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, may be carried, optionally, by all digital cable television and direct broadcast satellite providers.Unlike Category A services, Category B services...
digital specialty channel
Specialty channel
A specialty channel can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted television market at a specific demographic....
license tentatively known as Raptors Basketball Channel, a channel described as being devoted primarily to the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
basketball club and the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA), with additional programming related to other aspects of basketball.
The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 under the name Raptors NBA TV, with programming on the NBA and other basketball-related programming, although with a particular emphasis on the Toronto Raptors. On October 15, 2010, the channel was re-named to NBA TV Canada, as the network began to air more programming devoted to the NBA and international basketball in general, much like its American counterpart
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
.
Programming
NBA TV Canada broadcasts programming primarily related to the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA), as well as coverage of other basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
leagues including the Euroleague and the WNBA. Programming includes live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
games during the regular season and playoffs, classic games, the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, and other NBA-related programs. Regular hosts for shows include David Amber
David Amber
David Amber is a Canadian anchor for NHL On the Fly on the NHL Network as well as the anchor for Raptors Post Up on NBA TV Canada...
, Sherman Hamilton
Sherman Hamilton
Sherman Hamilton is a retired Canadian professional basketball player. Hamilton was a longtime member of the Canadian men's national basketball team...
, Matt Devlin
Matt Devlin (sportscaster)
Matt Devlin is the play-by-play TV announcer for the Toronto Raptors of the NBA, replacing Chuck Swirsky in 2008.Matt spent 6 years as the lead play-by-play voice of the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies and 3 for the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Leo Rautins
Leo Rautins
Leo R. Rautins is a former professional basketball player, the former head coach of the Canadian national men's basketball team, and an NBA analyst for the Toronto Raptors.Rautins was a star in high school for St...
and Jack Armstrong.
As they share ownership with the team, NBA TV Canada produces all Raptors telecasts, accompanied by elements (such as graphics and studio hosts) provided by the game's respective broadcaster. Game broadcasts are currently split between TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, TSN2
TSN2
TSN2 is a secondary feed of the Canadian English language Category C specialty channel TSN, owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media and ESPN...
, Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
, and Sportsnet One
Rogers Sportsnet One
Sportsnet One is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel owned by Rogers Media.Sportsnet One is a national sports channel serving as a complementary service to Sportsnet, a regional sports network also owned by Rogers Media. The channel broadcasts in standard and high-definition...
. NBA TV Canada airs pre-game programming, and encore presentations of Raptors games ("Raptors Game in An Hour").
NBA TV Canada HD
NBA TV Canada HD is a high definitionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
simulcast of NBA TV Canada. It was launched November 1, 2005 on Bell TV and has since been added to several other television providers. The channel was formerly called Raptors NBA TV HD, however, it was rebranded NBA TV Canada HD on October 15, 2010 to coincide with the rebrand of the standard-definition channel.