Vancouver Canadians return to TV with Shaw broadcast deal

Six baseball games aring this summer

The summer television schedule just got a little busier. The Vancouver Canadians inked a broadcast deal with Shaw Television, and baseball fans can catch C’s games through the upcoming single-A season.

The station will air six home games, all of them on Saturday nights starting at 7 p.m.

Aside from a single game that was broadcast last year as a trial event from Nat Bailey Stadium, C’s games haven’t aired on TV since 1999 when the Vancouver club was the AAA affiliate of the Oakland A’s, said Canadians communications manager Rob Fai.

“It’s something we’re really proud of. It’s been 17 years since we’ve done this,” said Fai.

The minor league Blue Jays affiliate purchased the air time from Shaw and will sell in-game “inventory” — which means businesses can pay to attach their name to the first pitch or the third inning or the chicken dance during the seventh inning stretch, for example. (My choice is already made, not that I’m in a position to act on it.) The club does not influence the commercials that air during breaks in the game. The evening broadcast are sponsored by A&W, the restaurant chain whose chairman is C’s co-owner Jeff Mooney.

Last season, Shaw broadcast a meeting between the C’s and the visiting Eugene Emeralds on July 18 with Chicago Cubs first-round draft pick Ian Happ at centre field.

The five cameras used during that game will be augmented to six, with the additional angle coming from behind home plate. Sideline reporter Vanessa Ybarra will work through the broadcast along with Fai calling the play-by-play and retired Major League infielder and current UBC T-Birds head coach Chris Pritchett adding colour.

The games will air regionally with the potential to reach a provincial audience in the future. As Canada’s only minor league baseball team, the club’s president hinted at an ambition for further broadcast expansion.

“As an organization, we are excited to have the opportunity to expand our reach even further with this new agreement,” said Andy Dunn in a press release. “We are committed to making the Canadians a national brand.”

Besides the six that will air Saturday nights on Shaw, all other games will be broadcast on TSN 1040.

The Canadians season begins June 17 on the road in Spokane. The first home stand starts June 20 at Nat Bailey Stadium against Everett.