Canadian Superbike fans should hopefully be able to head to the track next summer—but if they can’t make it for some reason, CSBK has them covered with TSN. The series’ officials have just announced a new television deal with The Sports Network, the television channel that’s carried CSBK racing since 1995. The new deal sees CSBK with more airtime for 2022 than any previous season.
In 2022, there will be 17 total episodes featuring Canadian Superbike on TSN.
“The last two seasons have been complicated, but we have concentrated on the quality of our video coverage, and that has worked out well for the Championship,” said CSBK czar Colin Fraser. “Now TSN has confirmed the strength of the series coverage with this expanded broadcast format for 2022.”
Indeed, video coverage was the only way for fans to watch the ’20 and ’21 series, as COVID-19 meant tracks were only open to a skeleton crew of stripped-down race teams and minimal series staff. The plan for 2022 is to return to normal, watch-in-person racing, and that’s what everyone is hoping for. However, even if we do get back to normal, or something close to that, many Canadians won’t get a chance to watch the races at the track, as they live too far away from the action. For all those fans, the announcement of expanded TSN coverage is good news indeed.
Here’s how CSBK’s press release explained the coverage plan for 2022:
In 2022, TSN will broadcast every Pro Superbike feature race, as well as every race in the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike middleweight support category. This will be the first time that full race coverage for the Pro Sport Bike class will be broadcast on TSN.TSN will broadcast two Pro Superbike races from each of the first three events at Grand Bend Motorplex, June 9-12, Calabogie Motorsports Park, July 8-10, and Atlantic Motorsport Park, July 21-24.At the traditional CSBK series final at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 12-14, the final three Championship Pro Superbike races will be broadcast. CSBK staged the first-ever series triple header at C.T.M.P., “old Mosport,” with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) support in 2021. At most 2022 CSBK National events, one Pro Superbike race will be recorded on the Saturday, and then the second on Sunday. At the final round at C.T.M.P., superbike qualifying will take place on Friday and there will be one Superbike race on Saturday and two on the final Sunday afternoon of the 2022 season.
So, there’s nothing about *live* broadcasts, but that’s to be expected—CSBK’s races are always shown after the actual event.
Going into next season, we’ll see veteran Jordan Szoke return, battling 2021 champion Alex Dumas, with Ben Young also in the hunt for the crown. With several other racers capable of grabbing a win, it’s possible 2022 will be the best season of racing for many years, which makes the expanded television coverage all the better.
This is great as I have been following for many years. Collin Fraser usually is one of the commentators. Great camera angles and the riders are exciting to watch.
I’ll have to check if I get TSN, usually there’s nothing on it I’m interested in but this I would like to watch.