GOLTV Canada Previews Germany 2006 With New Series “The Contenders”
Additional unique, web-only content available free of charge at GOLTV.ca highlights all 32 nations

TORONTO - The countdown to Germany 2006 is on, and GOLTV Canada readies Canadian soccer fans with an exclusive new six part series, The Contenders, starting May 4 and airing each Thursday night at 8 pm ET until the world’s biggest soccer tournament begins.

But that’s not all. As a bonus to fans across the country, eight unique in-depth “webisodes” – content not seen on-air – will highlight how each team qualified for the big tournament and provide detailed biographical profiles of star players.

Available free of charge at www.GOLTV.ca , the eight “on-line only” episodes will be divided by tournament groupings, and range from ten to fifteen minutes in length. The first installment, highlighting Group A (Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador) will be available May 4. The remaining seven episodes will roll out on-line in the coming days.

On-air, The Contenders is a comprehensive and in-depth look at all 32 countries, showcasing each team’s journey through the qualifying rounds. The program previews every match in every group and provides analysis and predictions from soccer experts Paul James (a member of Canada’s 1986 World Cup team) and Jim Brennan (current member of Canada’s national team and Southampton of the League Championship in England). Respected Globe and Mail soccer writer Peter Mallett provides his insights for episode one.

Hosted at the GOLTV studios in Toronto by broadcast veteran Lee Godfrey, The Contenders also delves into the history, coaches and key players of every nation – from perennial favourites Brazil, Italy and England to new entries like Trinidad and Tobago.

Each and every competing country is featured in the television series. The first five, one-hour episodes air each Thursday at 8 pm ET, from May 4 to June 1. The series culminates with the sixth and final episode, a two-hour finale airing Thursday, June 8 at 9:00 pm ET, on the eve of the kick off to Germany 2006.

(Please see attached complete bios for Godfrey, James, Brennan and Mallett)

The Contenders Broadcast Schedule:

Date Time Show Description

May 4 8 pm A comprehensive look qualifying nations from each region

May 11 8 pm An in-depth look at Groups A and B
Group A: Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador
Group B: England, Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Sweden

May 18 8 pm An in-depth look at Groups C and D
Group C: Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia and Montenegro, Netherlands
Group D: Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal

May 25 8 pm An in-depth look at Groups E and F
Group E: Italy, Ghana, USA, Czech Republic
Group F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan

June 1 8 pm An in-depth look at Groups G and H
Group G: France, Switzerland, Korea Republic, Togo
Group H: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia
June 8 9 pm Two hour finale, previewing the entire tournament.

All times Eastern and subject to change. Check www.GOLTV.ca for updates.

GOLTV: Experience Soccer
GOLTV is Canada’s only 24-hour sports network dedicated exclusively to soccer. Led by live coverage of the world’s best teams and best players, GOLTV delivers 1,500 games a year — more than you’ll see anywhere else. With live league action from Spain, Italy and Brazil, GOLTV is home to soccer’s biggest stars: Beckham, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka, Nedved, Robinho, Vieri, Totti, Raul, Adriano and many more. Fans can also enjoy league action from Colombia, Uruguay, Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and El Salvador. Anchored by GOLTV News, a nightly soccer news, highlights and information show, GOLTV delivers a lineup of soccer-dedicated programming for the true fan. GOLTV is also home to UEFA Cup qualifying action, World Cup Qualifiers and Brazilian Cup coverage. Experience soccer on-line at www.GOLTV.ca .