CBC Revenue Group

Live streaming coverage of the Opening Ceremony will be available online at cbc.ca/panam and via the CBC Sports App featuring Pan Am Games coverage, presented by CIBC, beginning at 7 p.m. ET

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July 8, 2015 - The Torch will be lit on the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games this Friday night on CBC with the Opening Ceremony, including an original production by Cirque du Soleil featuring their trademark acrobatics and revolutionary stagecraft. Coverage on CBC-TV will begin at 7 p.m. ET (8 p.m. AT/8:30 p.m. NT/7 p.m. local west of Ontario) with an hour-long pre-show followed by the Ceremony at 8 p.m. ET (9 p.m. AT/9:30 p.m. NT/8 p.m. local west of Ontario). Live streaming coverage will also be available online at cbc.ca/panam and through the CBC Sports App beginning at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT).

CBC's Scott Russell and Peter Mansbridge will host the Opening Ceremony, along with reporter Sonali Karnick who will conduct interviews with Canadian athletes prior to the Ceremony. In addition to Cirque du Soleil, the Ceremony will include the Parade of Nations, with athletes from the 41 competing countries making their way into the stadium, as well as the lighting of the Pan Am cauldron.

Prior to the Opening Ceremony, CBC will air a pre-show featuring an overview of the Pan Am Games with historical moments featuring Canadian teams and athletes, as well as a look at future stars of the sports featured at the Pan Am Games. Other features of the pre-show will include a tour of the Pan Am venues with Pan Am Afternoon host Andi Petrillo; a tour of the athlete's village with CBC Kids' Mamma Yamma; a one-on-one interview between CBC's Brenda Irving and Team Canada's chef de mission, Curt Harnett; a look at the raising of the Canadian flag at the Athlete's Village and an interview between CBC's Perdita Felicien and Canadian flag-bearer Mark Oldershaw; and a look at the security and transportation logistics of the Pan Am Games with David Amber.

Coverage of both the pre-show and the Opening Ceremony will be available through the CBC Sports App featuring Pan Am Games coverage, presented by CIBC, which is available now for iOS and Android devices. In addition to live-streaming coverage of Friday's festivities, the app alsoincludes the latest live and on-demand video, instant results, medal standings and news from in and around the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, giving Canadians complete access to the events no matter where they are.

Beginning Saturday, CBC's Pan Am Games hosts Scott Russell and Andi Petrillo will broadcast live from a street-level studio inside CBC's Toronto headquarters. Fans are encouraged to visit CBC over the course of the Games to catch a glimpse of the broadcasts and special guests, and to take part in various free activities in the space around the studio, including photo opportunities and giveaways.

CBC/Radio-Canada is the official broadcaster of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games in Canada and will provide Canadians with more hours of coverage than before - including unprecedented coverage of the Parapan Am Games - through an extensive multi-platform approach. The Pan Am Games run from July 10-26, 2015, while the Parapan Am Games take place August 7-15, 2015 in Toronto and the Greater Golden Horseshoe Area.

The Pan Am/Parapan Am Games is the world's third-largest international multi-sport games and Toronto 2015 will be the largest multi-sport games ever held on Canadian soil. In keeping with the magnitude of the event, CBC/Radio-Canada will broadcast nearly 750 hours of coverage over the course of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games across TV, online and mobile platforms. This year's event marks the first time that the Parapan Am Games will be televised in English and French in Canada.

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About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.

A space for us all is CBC/Radio-Canada's strategy to transform the public broadcaster, and ensure that it continues to fulfill its mandate for Canadians, now and for future generations. Through to 2020, the Corporation will increase its investment in prime-time television programming and continue to create radio programs of the highest quality, while promoting the development of digital and mobile platforms and content.