Raptors TV Broadcasts Shared By Five Network Partners in 2007-08
By Peter D. WalkerThe Toronto Raptors have announced their broadcast schedule for the 2007-08 NBA season. Once again, the team of Swirsky, Armstrong and Rautins will handle the TV duties. Now, here’s all you need to know about Raptors and NBA broadcasts on Canadian television.
All 82 regular-season Raptors contests are being televised nationally for a second consecutive season, and all for the first time in High Definition (HD). This is the sixth straight year that the entire regular season schedule will be aired in the Toronto market.
The only caveat is that there are 12 games on RaptorsTV, so some fans won’t have access. One of these RapsTV games is the November 2nd road opener against Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets.
For those dying for pre-season action, RaptorsTV will carry 3 Raptors exhibition games from the NBA Europe Live Tour against the Boston Celtics and Lottomatica Vitrus Roma from Rome, Italy (October 6 and 7), and against Real Madrid from Madrid, Spain (October 11).
The good news is that Canada’s national network – the CBC, joins the Raptors broadcast schedule for the first time with 7 games this season. The CBC schedule begins November 4 when the Raptors play host to the Boston Celtics with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
The Score will air 30 Raptors games for a second straight season, including the regular-season opener Wednesday, October 31 versus Philadelphia. The Score also offers a full schedule of non-Raptors NBA regular season games, including the first game of the TNT Thursday night doubleheader, and some playoff games. A half-hour pregame show will lead into the Thursday night broadcast. Court Surfing with Adnan Virk will return on Wednesdays.
The Score will broadcast the 2008 NBA Draft and the All-Star Game from New Orleans.
TSN will televise 21 Raptors contests across Canada. They will also carry conference finals and select playoff games, NBA All-Star Weekend coverage, and exclusive Canadian coverage of the NBA Finals.
Rogers Sportsnet begins its ninth year as a Raptors broadcaster and will carry 12 Raptors games, a bunch of non-Raptors NBA games in each of its four regions, and select playoff action during the 2007-08 season. In addition, NBA Action and NBA XL return for another season.
Chuck Swirsky will call his seventh season of Raptors Basketball television broadcasts. He will be joined by Leo Rautins for broadcasts on CBC, TSN and The Score, and “The Coach” Jack Armstrong will handle color duties on Rogers Sportsnet and Raptors NBA TV games.
For a third consecutive season, all 82 Raptors telecasts will be produced by the production crew at Raptors NBA TV (a.k.a. the fine men and women in the truck).
Hey guys,
Great blog site. Cheers,
Dr. J. Naismith (not the real one ofcourse)
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