TORONTO - Canada’s Sports Leader is all hands on deck at the new BMO Field for the opening game of the CFL ON TSN broadcast campaign, as the Toronto Argonauts kick off the 2016 season against longtime rivals the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL presented by The Brick, airing Thursday at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on TSN.

The first CFL ON TSN game at Toronto’s newly renovated BMO Field features the network’s award-winning broadcast team of play-by-play commentator Chris Cuthbert alongside game analyst Glen Suitor, with Matthew Scianitti reporting from the sidelines of BMO Field. TSN’s Argos-Ticats broadcast also features aerial shots from Cablecam – a new addition to BMO Field.

Pre-Game Coverage

TSN’s pre-game coverage begins with SPORTSCENTRE at 5 p.m. ET on TSN, with hosts Darren Dutchyshen and Kate Beirness broadcasting live from the Argos’ new fan zone, The Shipyard.

SPORTSCENTRE’s two-hour pre-game coverage features TSN host James Duthie, special features and contributions from Brian Williams, the CFL ON TSN panel of host Rod Smith alongside analysts Matt Dunigan and Milt Stegall, and Jock Climie, Football Insider Dave Naylor, and Senior Correspondent Gary Lawless.

The network’s live pre-game coverage also features Cabral “Cabbie” Richards and THE SOCIAL’s Kate McKenna taking viewers inside the Argos’ new tailgate experience, with Cabbie hosting an epic tailgate party while McKenna and MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 3 runner-up Jeremy Senaris share must-have barbecue tips with fans.

Additional highlights of TSN’s pre-game coverage leading up to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET include:

A live performance of the hit song “Spirits” by Juno Award-winning band The Strumbellas
Hedley’s Jacob Hoggard singing the Canadian national anthem
A special feature from Brian Williams that looks at the legacy of the grounds that now house the newly renovated BMO Field, and what it means for the city going forward
An essay from Chad Owens on his move from the Argos to the Ticats
A breakdown from Milt Stegall on how the shorter end zones at BMO Field will affect redzone strategy
Interviews with team legends Damon Allen, Mike “Pinball” Clemons, Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, and Joe Theismann
A 350-piece marching band, more than 200 dancers, and the Argos Cheer Team ushering in the Argos’ new era at BMO Field in a pre-game performance

Fans can follow all the behind-the-scenes action from The Shipyard and tailgate on TSN’s official Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

TSN 1050

Fans can also tune in to TSN Radio 1050 Toronto for all the action surrounding the Argos home opener. On-site coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET with Mike Richards hosting RICHARDS 1-4, followed by pre-game coverage at 7 p.m. ET hosted by Jim Tatti and Sandy Annunziata and featuring Michael Landsberg and Dave Naylor. Calling the game action at 7:30 p.m. ET is play-by-play Mike Hogan and analyst Jeff Johnson, with Kate Pettersen providing reports from the sidelines.

CFL ON TSN

The 2016 CFL ON TSN season culminates with the Shaw Road to the Grey Cup as well as the 104th GREY CUP presented by Shaw – one of 60+ iconic championship events that live on TSN – live from the Toronto Argonauts’ new home of BMO Field.

TSN subscribers can access live streaming coverage of every CFL ON TSN game on TSN.ca and TSN GO. French-language coverage is available through RDS.

TSN is the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the CFL, delivering live coverage of every regular season game, including playoffs and the 104th GREY CUP live from Toronto’s BMO Field on November 27. Last year, Bell Media’s TSN and RDS announced an extension of their long-term multi-platform partnership with the CFL through to 2021.