Rogers Cable, one of the largest carriers that eluded TSN2, has finally signed on to distribute the sports channel, nearly nine months after it launched.

TSN2 will be available to Rogers digital subscribers beginning Tuesday as a free preview. By the end of May, TSN’s secondary channel will launch at its permanent location on channel 98.

The deal comes just in time for a marquee baseball series between the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays and their division rival Boston Red Sox – for which TSN2 has exclusive broadcast rights.

The deal will likely see TSN2 go from 3.2 million homes to over 4 million, though a spokesperson for the channel couldn’t confirm the exact number.

The agreement ends months of talks between the channel and the cable giant, which owns chief TSN competitor Rogers Sportsnet. The absence of TSN2 on Rogers left many Toronto Raptors fans in the dark as Sportsnet had no Raptors games on its schedule this year, while TSN2 had rights to 24 games.

‘We are thrilled to have a deal in place to bring TSN2 to Rogers customers,’ commented TSN president Phil King in a release.

From Playback Daily