The announcement that international networks have come on board to carry telecasts of the medal games from the International Softball Federation’s XII Men’s World Championship that has just been played in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, will boost softball’s bid to be included in the 2016 Summer Games.
Eurosport 2 will show the Men’s World Championship’s gold medal game to 46 countries throughout Europe plus twelve more in the Asia/Pacific region. The game will also be simulcast on mobile devices.
Maori Television in New Zealand will carry both the bronze and gold medal games, and Rogers Sportsnet will also be showing both medal games throughout Canada.
All three telecasts will be on a tape delay basis and scheduling is being done to provide multiple airings, with the first airing to take place today when Rogers shows the bronze medal game between Canada and New Zealand.
International Softball Federation (ISF) President Don Porter said, “as part of our BackSoftball campaign blueprint we have said that we would work to achieve greater television coverage for our sport around the world. Through the cooperation and dedication of these networks that will be highlighting our marquee men’s event, plus the others that have just recently shown women’s competitions, we are significantly accomplishing exactly that.
“We appreciate their support, which is allowing well over 50 million people around the world to be exposed to our sport, in at least eleven different languages”.
Maori Television is also having a one-hour documentary produced for them to air about the New Zealand Black Sox. That country’s national team had gone to Saskatoon as the defending ISF men’s world champions.
Maori Television Head of Programming Eruera Morgan said, “we are proud to be broadcasters of this year’s World Softball Championship held in Saskatoon, Canada. Softball has been an integral part of our sports schedule for the last two years and to have this year’s world championships on our screen will definitely magnify our coverage of the sport.
“We have supported softball like no other broadcaster in the world has, because of our continuous success rate and high Maori participation in the sport at all levels”.
