Graphic courtesy: Bell Media
TSN is once again set to broadcast two CFL preseason games in 2026, according to a schedule recently posted to the network’s website.
The two contests chosen for broadcast will feature the Toronto Argonauts at Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, May 23, and the Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 29. The latter game will also be carried by TSN’s French-language affiliate, RDS, which is slated to show the first meeting between Ottawa and Montreal on Friday, May 22, as well.
TSN broadcasts every game of the CFL regular season and playoffs, though that is not possible during the preseason due to overlapping games. The 4:00 p.m. EDT on May 23 means that the majority of that contest will be played while Edmonton and B.C. are in action, while the game on May 29 at 7:00 p.m. EDT will run concurrently with the second meeting between Hamilton and Toronto, with parts of two others also coinciding.
The remaining preseason games will still be available for viewing on CFL+, the league’s free streaming platform. Those online broadcasts, which rely on in-stadium video feeds and utilize the home team’s radio play-by-play calls, have been available since 2023, but were marred by substantial technical issues last season. The CFL has since promised to correct those problems, though it remains to be seen if that will be delivered upon after the league website once again crashed during the CFL Draft.
The CFL’s exclusive partnership with TSN is set to expire after this season. The network has owned the CFL’s exclusive television broadcast rights since 2008, with the most recent agreement being announced following the 2019 season.
Commissioner Stewart Johnston told reporters in January that he had set a self-imposed deadline for securing a new broadcast deal before the start of the 2026 season. No further announcements have been made on the topic, with just four days remaining before Saskatchewan and Winnipeg open the preseason on Monday, May 18.
