TORONTO – Quebec media giant Quebecor Media on Thursday unveiled a five-year deal to air Montreal Impact pro soccer games on its TVA Sports network, starting in 2012.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but marks the latest Major League Soccer team to line up a domestic TV deal.
TSN, Canada’s cable sports channel, has a national package with the MLS, but rival broadcasters have bid separately for the local rights to league games in Toronto and Vancouver this season, and Montreal from 2012.
The Montreal Impact has made TVA Sports its official broadcaster. committed to airing the bulk of its upcoming inaugural season.
Rival Rogers Sportsnet recenbtly snagged a regional TV deal to air 21 Vancouver Whitecaps FC games this season.
And the TSN and TSN2 channels will air 24 MLS regular season games this season that involve the Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC teams.
With key sports like pro hockey and football staying with their current Canadian networks, the TV rights to the MLS teams are rare properties to have come up for grabs on the open market.
