CALGARY, AB – Shaw Communications Inc. and the Western Hockey League (WHL) today announced they have extended their partnership for an additional five years to have Shaw TV continue as the regional cable broadcast home of the WHL through to the 2013-14 hockey season. Shaw TV has proudly brought the WHL to Western Canadian hockey fans for the past five years, which included a record number of viewers during this year’s 2009 WHL Playoffs.
Each year of the new five year agreement, Shaw TV will provide coverage of a minimum of 30 WHL regular season games and a full series in each of the four rounds of the WHL Playoffs. The broadcast schedule will continue to feature key rivals LIVE every Friday night on ‘The WHL on SHAW Friday Night Hockey’ across Western Canada on Shaw TV and Shaw Direct ‘Channel 299’.
“As a family run company Shaw understands the importance of staying connected to our communities and to local events,” said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications Inc. “Our coverage of the 2009 WHL season drew more than three million viewers, with more than one million unique viewers during the playoffs. This is a clear demonstration of the value our customers place in Shaw TV’s local programming.”
Shaw provided LIVE coverage of 56 WHL games during the 2008-09 hockey season, broadcasting from 16 WHL centers across Western Canada. More than 3 million Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct customers watched the WHL broadcasts on Shaw throughout the 2008-09 WHL Regular Season and Playoffs.
“We are delighted to extend our highly successful partnership with Shaw,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison, “The Shaw broadcasts have provided the WHL with outstanding exposure throughout Western Canada and have allowed our fans to follow the WHL throughout the regular season and our entire playoffs.”
For more information visit www.SHAW.ca or www.WHL.ca .
About Shaw Communications Inc.
Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified communications company whose core business is providing broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Digital Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business Solutions) and satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct). The Company serves 3.4 million customers, including over 1.6 million Internet and 700,000 Digital Phone customers, through a reliable and extensive network, which comprises 625,000 kilometres of fibre. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX – SJR.B, NYSE – SJR).
About the Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League continues to be regarded as one of the finest development Leagues in the world today. Recognized world-wide as a leader in player development for junior age prospects, the WHL allows players the opportunity to reach their full potential. The WHL has been the leading supplier of player talent at many levels. Since 1993 more WHL players were selected in the NHL Entry Draft than any other League in the world. Currently 20% of all players in the NHL are WHL graduates. Each year the WHL is one of the leading suppliers of players to Canada’s National Junior Team. Over the past 10 years WHL players have made up 40% of Canada’s World Junior roster. The WHL awards more post-secondary scholarships each year than any other League in North America, every year over 400 WHL current and graduate players are recipients of the WHL Scholarship.
