November 19 -- The CRTC, Canada’s broadcast regulator, today approved NFL Network, the 24-hour television channel owned by the National Football League and dedicated to covering the sport of professional football 365 days a year, for carriage by Canadian cable companies on a digital basis.
NFL Network, through the NFL’s international media division, formally applied to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) earlier this year to obtain a license.
"The NFL has always worked well with our Canadian constituencies to bring the excitement of NFL football north of the border," said NFL Executive Vice President of Media, Steve Bornstein. "We are pleased by today’s decision by the CRTC and the efforts of the CCTA (Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association) to enable our latest fan-friendly content, NFL Network to be televised across Canada."
With the approval of the CRTC, NFL Network will now begin the technical, operational and legal due diligence that will lead to the channel being available in Canada.
Launched last November in the United States, NFL Network is a complementary service that brings fans closer to the NFL than ever before because of the inside access it receives. Among the programming on NFL Network is: 54 preseason games, 22 NFL Europe games, plus a news and information show, press conferences, game previews and recaps, and Emmy-award winning content from the most honored filmmaker in sports, NFL Films.
NFL Network is carried on 15 of the top 30 cable and satellite providers in the United States -- including the two biggest in Comcast and DirecTV – available in more than 45 million homes. For more information, log onto www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/home.