Former TSN play-by-play man Rod Black was the victim of Bell Media financial cutbacks, according to multiple sources close to the situation.
According to Black’s agent, the veteran broadcaster’s contract with TSN expired on August 31, 2021. He was not offered a new deal, though he agreed to call a number of CFL games into early October. Performance was not a factor in his departure from the network.
Bell Media did not reply to a request for comment.
Black told 3DownNation on Friday via telephone that he did not discuss his impending departure with his colleagues, which is why his final game was not acknowledged on the broadcast. He’d known that he would be leaving TSN for several months and was surprised that the news didn’t leak ahead of his departure.
The 59-year-old said that he feels extremely grateful to have been with the same network for so long and had the opportunity to cover so many iconic athletes, games, and moments.
Black also expressed strong feelings of excitement regarding his professional future, indicating that he has no plans to retire. He intends to continuing working in broadcast sports and operates a production company through which he’s hoping to tell a number of Canadian sports stories.
The Winnipeg native built an impressive resume during his 30-year tenure at TSN, serving as an announcer for CFL on TSN, a host of NBA on TSN, the voice of figure skating in Canada, and covering five Olympic Games.
