SEVEN IMPACT GAMES ON RDS

[François]

SEVEN IMPACT GAMES ON RDS, THE CLUB’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE TV PACKAGE EVER


MONTREAL, May 8, 2003 — Seven Impact games will be broadcast this season on Le Réseau des Sports (RDS), the most comprehensive TV package in the club’s history. It will nearly double last year’s coverage, which consisted of four games. Three of the matchups will be on the road, allowing soccer fans to follow the team over the first half of the season, as the Montreal squad will be playing 10 away games and only four at home.

"RDS has been a close partner of the Impact since the start and we are happy to see that this partnership has evolved over the years," said Impact President Joey Saputo. "With seven games on RDS, more than ever, soccer fans will have a chance to follow the team on a regular basis and, hopefully, see us have another winning season."

For François Messier, Vice-President of Programming at RDS, Impact soccer has become a property that is increasingly popular and highly-awaited by the station’s audience, which is also used to following the team on the Sports 30 sportscasts as well as on the rds.ca website.

"Soccer is a sport that is making gains in popularity not only in terms of ratings, but also in the number of people who play it," he said. "Our association with the Impact is based on previous success and our past experience with the club, as well as on the quality of play and the attraction soccer has on a big part of our audience, which is comprised of a vast majority of young sports fans."

The first televised game will be on Friday, May 23 in Richmond, against the Kickers. The second will follow one week later, May 30, in Vancouver, against the Whitecaps.

There will be three broadcasts in June: Friday the 13th against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Sunday the 22nd against the Rochester Raging Rhinos, and Saturday the 28th, in Rochester this time. One game will be televised in July, on the 11th, against the Syracuse Salty Dogs. The last broadcast will coincide with the last game of the regular season, August 31 against the Calgary Storm.

Four of the seven games will also be broadcast on Fox Sports World: both May games, as well as the June 13 and July 11 matchups.

MOST COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE EVER
Including the 12-game package with CJAD and the 14-game agreement with CKAC, the deal with RDS means 21 of the Montreal team’s 28 games will be broadcast on TV and/or radio. The radio broadcasts will start this Saturday, both on CJAD and CKAC, as the Impact will face the Lynx in Toronto, starting at 4 pm.