TORONTO, Nov. 13 /CNW/ - Insight Sports Ltd. and WFN: World Fishing
Network announced today the launch of the WFN Tour Bass Championships, a
Pro-Am Canadian fishing circuit that will debut in 2008, feature five events,
and award a total of $1,000,000 in prize money.
The WFN Tour will include top professional anglers including Bob Izumi,
J.P. DeRose and Dave Mercer as well as many international competitors from the
United States and overseas. During the first four WFN Tour events, anglers
will compete for a tournament purse of $150,000 while the fifth and final
event, the WFN Canadian Open, will see competitors vie for a total purse of
$300,000.
"The WFN Tour is an obvious extension of our WFN broadcast and online
properties," said Dan Cimoroni, Vice President, Sports & Entertainment,
Insight Sports. "With more people actively participating in fishing than in
golf and tennis combined, we believe the WFN Tour will provide an excellent
opportunity to grow one of the world's most popular sports. With the launch of
the WFN Tour, we are looking forward to providing anglers and fans of
competitive fishing with the first elite, Canadian-based, world class tour."
The following is an overview of the 2008 WFN Tour competition schedule:Dates Lakes and Rivers Location
----- ---------------- --------
July 4-6 Lake Simcoe/Lake Couchiching Town of Georgina, Ont.
July 25-27 Detroit River/Lake St. Clair/
Lake Huron Sarnia, Ont.
August 22-24 Lake Erie Port Colborne, Ont.
September 5-7 Lake Muskoka Gravenhurst, Ont.
September 19-21 St. Lawrence/Lake Ontario Kingston, Ont."I have been fishing competitively for several decades and have not seen
anything of this magnitude in Canada," said Izumi. "The calibre of event that
WFN is producing should put Canada back on the world stage it deserves. Not
only will this tour attract the best anglers, it will be a great sporting
event for the fans."
Each WFN Tour event will be open to both amateurs and professionals.
Amateurs will battle for a variety of fishing related prizes, while
professionals will compete exclusively for prize money. Coverage of each WFN
Tour event will be broadcast on WFN as well as a national television network.
"The WFN Tour Bass Championships will be a world class event and we are
thrilled to be a tour partner in order to help grow the sport of fishing,"
said Tom Brooke, Vice President of Canadian Operations Shimano, whose
organization will serve as the live release company for the WFN Tour. "WFN is
onto something great, and we applaud their leadership within the fishing
community."
All five tournaments will be held over the course of three days. Amateurs
will compete on both Friday and Saturday while professionals will be eligible
to compete during all three days. The top 10 professional anglers, based on
cumulative weight, will advance to Sunday's final round.
The WFN Tour will allow a maximum of five fish, per weigh-in, per boat.
The angler with the highest cumulative weight over the three-day event will be
declared the tournament champion. The top 50 professional anglers from each
event will win a portion of the overall tournament purse.
The following is an overview of the tournament purse for each WFN Tour
event:First Four WFN Tour Events WFN Canadian Open
-------------------------- -----------------
1st $25,000 1st $70,000
2nd $12,500 2nd $30,000
3rd $10,000 3rd $20,000
4th $ 8,000 4th $15,000
5th $ 7,000 5th $10,000
6th $ 6,500 6th $ 9,000
7th $ 6,000 7th $ 8,000
8th $ 5,000 8th $ 7,000
9th $ 4,000 9th $ 6,000
10th $ 3,000 10th $ 5,000
11th-25th $ 1,700 11th-25th $ 3,500
26th-50th $ 1,500 26th-50th $ 2,700
Total Purse: $ 150,000 per event Total Purse: $ 300,000The WFN Tour will also present a season-ending WFN Angler of the Year
award as well as a Big Fish award, which is presented to the angler who
catches the heaviest fish at each event.
Together, both awards will pay out a total of $100,000 in cash and
prizes.
A complete list of WFN tour information, schedules and results is
available exclusively at www.wfn.tv/2008basstour.
About WFN - World Fishing Network
Get hooked on the only network dedicated 24-hours a day, seven days a
week to every single aspect of fishing. WFN provides a daily escape for
Canada's 6 million recreational and sport fishing enthusiasts, with a
programming lineup that covers all aspects of angling, in five distinct
programming blocks. International Waters gives viewers an instant passport to
adventure, featuring the world's top fishing destinations. Ultimate Fishing is
the home of competitive fishing in Canada, with coverage of the best
tournaments and tours. School of Fish is an instructional and lifestyle block
that appeals to fishing enthusiasts of all ages. All-Canadian Fishing features
the best fishing shows from the Great White North, including Canada's fishing
icon, Bob Izumi. American Angling gives viewers access to some of the most
popular programs from south of the border. WFN is home of the FLW Tour in
Canada. Get hooked on-line at www.WFN.tv.
About Insight Sports Ltd.
Insight Sports Ltd. is a leading sports media and entertainment company
which creates and distributes sports and entertainment content across multiple
platforms, including broadcast television, DVD, on-line, mobile, in-arena and
video on-demand.
Insight Sports operates three specialty television networks: GOLTV Canada
(www.goltv.ca), a 24-hour soccer network; WFN: World Fishing Network
(www.wfn.tv), North America's only network devoted entirely to fishing; and
GameTV (www.igametv.com), the only Canadian television network that gives
viewers a chance to win great prizes every day, simply by tuning in. The
company owns and operates the Capital One Grand Slam of Curling, the most
prestigious events on the World Curling Tour and Ford Major League Gaming
Canada (www.mlgcanada.com), an affiliate of Major League Gaming and the
largest organized league and international sanctioning body for professional
video gaming. Insight Sports also manages Wayne Gretzky's official website,
www.gretzky.com and holds a significant interest in the NHL Network
(www.nhlnetwork.ca), a 24-hour hockey channel.
Aquila Productions Inc., a leader in sports television production, is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Insight Sports. Based in Toronto, the principal
shareholders of Insight Sports include Larry Tanenbaum (Kilmer Enterprises
Inc., a subsidiary of Kilmer Van Nostrand Co. Limited) and MWI & Partners. For
more information see www.insightsports.com.
For further information: Eric Michalko, Communications Manager, Insight
Sports Ltd., Phone: (416) 593-0915, ext. 253, Cell: (647) 669-0900, Email:
emichalko@insightsports.com
