Ultimate Fan Online Game Highlights London 2012 Digital Offerings on CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca

- Viewers can complete challenges for the chance to win prizes from Air Canada and Samsung, including a trip to the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games -

- CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca to offer unprecedented digital experience for Canadians during the Games -

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/KMFGwv

TORONTO, June 27, 2012 /CNW/ - Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium and Air Canada are partnering to find the Ultimate Fan of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Launching today on CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca, Ultimate Fan is a new component for the Consortium's digital offerings where users can play to prove their love of the Games.

The concept is simple: to earn points, players can compete in the Air Canada Daily Challenge and Social Challenge by answering trivia, sharing content, and more. The more points a player accumulates, the more chances there are to win. Each time a player logs in, their current score is displayed on the Ultimate Fan leader board so they always know where they stand. Prizes include trips to the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, as well as tickets to Olympic and Paralympic events. To start the Ultimate Fan journey, click here. Rules and regulations for Ultimate Fan can be found here.

Also launching today is the Passion To Win with Samsung challenge. With this challenge, the Ultimate Fan scoreboard is wiped clean each day of the Games in order to give players even more chances to win. The player with the most points at the end of each day receives a Samsung prize. Points can be accumulated by completing trivia, predicting athlete results, and decoding questions. There will also be additional surprise draws throughout the Games for participants of Passion to Win with Samsung. To go straight to this challenge, click here.

"Our London 2012 digital products will offer all the content and features that viewers would expect for a sporting event of this magnitude, delivering the best multi-screen experience ever to Canadians for a Summer Games," said Mark Silver, Head of Digital Media, Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. "By combining live video, mobile, social TV, social gaming and more, viewers will have a multitude of ways to watch, interact, and engage with the London 2012 Olympic Games."

CTVOlympics.ca and RDSolympiques.ca will also provide one-stop-shopping for Canadians interested in London 2012, with live video and highlights, up-to-the-minute results, and in-depth news about Team Canada and the Games in general. Content will be fully bilingual, with RDSolympiques.ca focusing heavily on events, athletes, and news of specific interest to Francophones across Canada.

The Consortium's unprecedented digital offering for Canadians during London 2012 includes:

Live Video
Live video is the #1 focus of the Consortium's digital offering. As demonstrated at Vancouver 2010, Canadians want as much video - live and on-demand - as possible to ensure they can watch the Games when they want and how they want. The Consortium's digital properties will deliver more than 3,500 hours of online coverage, where viewers can watch live HD streams of five Consortium networks - CTV, RDS, Sportsnet, TSN, and V - in a video player specifically engineered to enhance the sports viewing experience online.

Viewers can expect up to 15 streams of uninterrupted, live, in-venue competitive coverage available daily from the World Feed. These streams will also be available on-demand in their entirety throughout the Games so users can relive their favourite performances as many times as they want. The best of the live TV broadcasts will be available on demand with competition highlights, interviews, and features. The Consortium's vast library of video on demand will also be available on its YouTube channels: YouTube.com/CTVOlympics and YouTube.com/RDSolympiques.

CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps
The CTV Olympics London 2012 and RDS olympiques pour Londres 2012 Apps will be free to download on Android™ powered devices; BlackBerry; Windows Phone 7; and more. The Apps feature live streaming of Consortium networks and World Feeds, video on demand, competition results and schedules, as well as articles, social integration, and more. The Apps will be available for download closer to the Games and a connected TV version will also be available on Bell Fibe TV.

Results
With 26 sports and 302 medal events during the Games, up-to-the minute results are a key component to the Consortium's coverage plan. On its digital platforms, results presented by Samsung will be at the forefront and constantly displayed live on the main sections with contextual links to related video, articles, and photos.

Social Media
There is no doubt that London 2012 will be the first Games told in 140 characters or less. Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Instagram are all key components to the Consortium's coverage plan. In addition, the Bell Social Scene will curate the best of the global social conversion for viewers. As well, Monika Platek (@MonikaPlatek and Valérie Sardin @ValsardinRDS) will host Bell Social Scene segments on the CTV and RDS broadcasts respectively.

The Consortium's digital products were designed and built in partnership with Bell Media and deltatre, an international sports services company. Other key partners involved in the video infrastructure and delivery are Microsoft, with its Windows Azure Media Services, and Elemental Technologies.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Twitter
@CTVOlympics
@RDSolympiques

Facebook
facebook.com/CTVOlympics
facebook.com/RDSolympiques

Google+
CTVOlympics
RDSolympiques

YouTube
YouTube.com/CTVOlympics
YouTube.com/RDSolympiques

About Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium
Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium is a unique relationship led by Canada's #1 broadcaster, CTV with 80% interest, along with Rogers Media Inc. with 20% interest. The Consortium will provide unprecedented English, French, and multi-lingual coverage, as well as consumer choice on multiple platforms during the London 2012 Olympic Games, taking place July 27 to August 12, 2012. Official brands include CTV, TSN, RDS, RDS Info, Sportsnet, OMNI, OLN, V, ATN, CTVOlympics.ca, RDSolympiques.ca, and select Rogers radio stations across the country. The Consortium delivered the Top 5 most-watched events in Canadian television history during its revolutionary coverage of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Amy Doary, 416.384.2593, [email protected]
Renee Rouse, 416.384.7599, [email protected]