VANCOUVER, B.C. – TCL®, North America’s fastest-growing TV brand, will join Sport Hosting Vancouver to co-sponsor the inaugural Vancouver Showcase men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments. The event, now known as the “TCL Vancouver Showcase,” features four men’s teams and eight women’s teams competing Nov. 18-24, 2018 in the first NCAA Division I tournaments staged in Canada.
“TCL is thrilled to sponsor a dynamic event like the Vancouver Showcase which features top basketball talent. This partnership couldn’t have come at a better time, as we are launching our lineup of TCL Roku TVs to the Canadian market. These award-winning televisions offer an unmatched viewing experience for sports and any other entertainment our users might want,” said Chris Larson, Senior Vice President, TCL. “With a stunning picture and the best smart TV platform for easy access to all the pro and college basketball games you’re looking for, our 4K TCL Roku TV is the perfect companion for fans who will be following the tournament at home.”
The men’s event features Minnesota, Santa Clara, Texas A&M and #24 Washington playing a round-robin schedule on Nov. 18-21. The eight-team women’s tournament then tips on Nov. 22-24 featuring No. 1 Notre Dame, No. 8 Oregon State and No. 10 South Carolina among the field. Both tournaments will be played beneath the iconic sails of the Vancouver Convention Centre.
“We are excited to partner with TCL as this event aligns well with many of its current marketing initiatives,” said Brooks Downing, President of bd Global, the event producer. “For a first-year event in a new market, it is this type of corporate support that is necessary to create a long-lasting premium event. We join our partners at Sport Hosting Vancouver in welcoming TCL to this international marketing platform.”
Sport Hosting Vancouver is a partnership between the City of Vancouver, Tourism Vancouver, the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, the BC Pavilion Corporation, the University of British Columbia, and the Pacific National Exhibition. TCL is among the largest TV brands in the world with more than 20 million TVs sold worldwide last year. The brand is committed to innovation and has more than 35 research centers around the world.
All five men’s games of the TCL Vancouver Showcase will be broadcast on international networks with ESPN, TSN and the Big Ten Network airing games. The 12 games of the women’s tournament will be streamed on the official tournament website – www.vanshowcase.com. The broadcast schedule is as follows:
Sunday, Nov. 18
- 5 p.m. Washington vs. Santa Clara – ESPN3 / TSN Direct
- 7:30 p.m. – Texas A&M vs. Minnesota – ESPN2 / TSN
Tuesday, Nov. 20
- 6 p.m. Santa Clara vs. Minnesota – Big Ten Network
- 8:30 p.m. – Washington vs. Texas A&M – ESPN2 / TSN
Wednesday, Nov. 21
- 3:30 p.m. – Minnesota vs. Washington – Big Ten Network
Thursday, Nov. 22 – Saturday, Nov. 24
- Four women’s tournament games each day – Streamed live at VanShowcase.com
Ticket Information
Tickets for both the men’s and women’s sessions are on-sale now at TicketsTonight.ca or order by phone at 877.840.0457 (additional $5 per order via phone).
Full tournament info can be found at VanShowcase.com and on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @VanShowcase.