CBC Sports has announced and debuted a new vision for the department that focuses closely on Canada’s high-performance athletes.
In a press release, CBC Sports Executive Director Greg Stremlaw said, “This re-brand represents a positive shift in direction for CBC Sports that we’re confident will resonate well with Canadians.”
The re-brand includes a new logo, redesigned website and updated mobile app, and a new show on CBC-TV called Road to the Olympic Games.
“By focusing on and elevating coverage of national and international high-performance competitions, CBC Sports can act as a connector between our audience, the athletes, and the national sporting organizations,” explained Stremlaw.
Road to the Olympic Games will continue in the style of the former CBC Sports Weekend to chronicle athletes’ journeys on and off the field of play. Experienced broadcasters Scott Russell and Andi Petrillo, who will be joined each week by expert commentators and analysts, will host the show. A CBC Sports press release named Kurt Browning, Catriona Le May Doan and Craig McMorris as just a few of these experts who will be making appearances on the show.
The mobile app and website will build on the TV program with news, real-time results, and statistics from the competitions featured each weekend so that fans can stay up-to-date on the Olympic qualifying action.
There will also be web-specific features not included on the TV show, such as Player’s Own Voice. This will be a series of long-form articles written by athletes, allowing them to connect with Canadian fans. These first-person articles will detail a variety of topics, including competitions, triumphs and challenges, off-season activities, community life, and relationships between the athletes and their coaches and families.
“Through our coverage and storytelling model we strive to reach new heights, and by doing so will help to elevate the profile of Canadian sport while uniting our audience through the pride we all share in our remarkable athletes,” said Stremlaw.
CBC/Radio-Canada has been the official broadcaster of Olympic sports in Canada for many years, and the International Olympic Committee announced on Oct. 21, 2015 that they have extended their agreement with CBC/Radio-Canada until 2024.
Hubert Lacroix, President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, said in a press release, “This extension agreement is a clear recognition of the exceptional coverage CBC/Radio-Canada provided for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games—the most-watched Olympics in history.”
IOC President Thomas Bach said in a press release, “CBC/Radio-Canada is a strong supporter of sport in Canada. We have extended our existing partnership until 2024, with CBC/Radio-Canada committing to continue its broadcast of the Olympic Games as well as year-round coverage of Olympic sports.”
The next Summer Olympic Games will be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Aug. 5 through 21, 2016. The following Winter Olympic Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from Feb. 9 through 25, 2018. Canadian athletes are currently training for their summer sports, and the qualifying rounds for some winter Olympic sports will be decided by the end of 2015.