GolTV (Canada)
| GolTV | |
|---|---|
GolTV logo
|
|
| Launched | November 1, 2005 |
| Closed | August 31, 2015 |
| Owned by | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (8047286 Canada Inc. / Kilmer) |
| Picture format |
480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Slogan | Canada's 24-hour Soccer Network |
| Country | Canada |
| Broadcast area | National |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
GolTV was a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel. GolTV was exclusively dedicated to association football (soccer), with live and recorded sporting events from around the world, and news programs. GolTV was owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE).
GolTV also distributed a Spanish language feed, which remains available through select television providers. It broadcast the same schedule as the English feed, only with Spanish audio.
In August 2005, Insight Sports (on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated) was granted a television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for The Soccer Net, described as "a national English-language Category 2 specialty programming undertaking devoted to soccer and soccer enthusiasts. The programming will focus on instruction from beginner to advanced play and on amateur and professional soccer games. All of the programming will be devoted to soccer or soccer-related subjects."
The channel was launched on November 1, 2005 as GolTV. At some point, GOL TV USA, a division of Tenfield, purchased a minority interest in the channel.
On January 23, 2009, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, owners of Major League Soccer franchise Toronto FC (along with other major sports teams in the city), announced they would acquire Insight Sports' interest in GolTV. The deal was approved by the CRTC on June 2, 2009. In 2015, MLSE reported to the CRTC that it had bought out GOL TV USA's stake in the channel.
On July 6, 2015, in a notice to revoke the license of GolTV Canada posted on the CRTC website, it was revealed that the channel would be ceasing operations on August 31, 2015. According to the timetable shown on their website, GolTV Canada would cease broadcasting on August 31, 2015 after it finished airing the whole third season of a Toronto FC documentary "All For One" starting at 9:30pm (Eastern Time), while their website would redirect to the Toronto FC's website.
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