About Canadian Television Sales
Canadian Television Sales (CTS) is the largest U.S. representative of Canadian media properties and the exclusive U.S. sales force for Astral Media, Shaw Media and The Score. Representing Canada's top conventional and specialty television, radio and online destinations, CTS provides American advertising agencies the support needed to place effective buys and reach nearly 100% of the Canadian population.History of Canadian Television Sales
CTS was started by Michael Custardo in April of 1997 to provide the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) with a dedicated sales force in the United States and respond to the increasing number of requests from U.S. advertising agencies looking to incorporate Canada into their upcoming media campaigns.In 1998, CTS began representing Showcase Television and History Television for Alliance Communications, who merged with Atlantis Communications later that year. After the merger, CTS picked up Atlantis' Life Network (renamed Slice) and HGTV Canada. CTS remained the U.S. sales representative for Alliance Atlantis stations after they were acquired by Canwest Global Communications in 2007 and later acquired by Shaw Media in 2010. CTS now represents all of Shaw's conventional and specialty television stations, as well as their digital properties.
CTS also began representing Astral Media in 1998, expanding into the French-language market with their specialty stations Canal Vie and Canal D. Soon after, Standard Radio hired CTS to represent its 82 radio stations in English Canada. Astral Media acquired Standard Radio in 2007 and CTS continues to represent their extensive list of radio stations.
In 2001, CTS began representing The Score Television Network, a Canadian English-language cable television specialty channel. The next year, CTS further expanded into French Canada by picking up Société Radio-Canada (SRC), the French arm of CBC.
In 2008, CTS created a new division, ripe — reliable internet planning and execution — in response to audiences' shift to the Internet for news and entertainment. Ripe works with U.S. agencies to place strategic, customized ad buys on the 40+ Canadian websites owned by CTS media partners.
Through the years CTS has worked to help educate media buyers and planners on Canada and give these agencies the support necessary to successfully pass this unique opportunity onto their advertisers.
About CTS's Media Partners
Astral Media is Canada's largest broadcaster of English- and French-language pay and specialty television services and operates, on its own or with partners, 20 television services, including The Movie Network/HBO Canada, Super Écran, Family, Canal Vie, Canal D, VRAK.TV and TELETOON. Astral is also Canada’s largest radio broadcaster with 82 licensed radio stations in 8 provinces, including NRJ, RockDétente, Virgin Radio, EZ Rock and The Bear. Canadian Television Sales represents all of Astral's specialty television networks, radio properties and online destinations.Shaw Media operates Global Television and 19 of the country's most popular specialty channels, including HGTV Canada, Mystery TV, National Geographic Channel, Showcase, History Television, Food Network Canada and TVtropolis, plus more than 20 online properties. In addition to consistently scoring many of the Top 10 programs in Canada with major ratings hits such as House, Survivor, Lie to Me and Glee, Shaw is the proud home of the most diverse slate of Canadian Original programs across the Dramatic, Lifestyle and Entertainment genres.
The Score is a national specialty television service providing sports news, information, highlights and live event programming in more than 6.8 million homes across Canada. Score Media also operates Hardcore Sports Radio, a satellite radio network available across North America on SIRIUS Satellite Radio, and other interactive assets including theScore.com and ScoreMobile.