Tim Micallef

''Tim & Friends'' (formerly ''Tim & Sid'') is a sports talk show hosted by Tim Micallef that was produced by the Canadian sports television network Sportsnet where it aired. The program, originally known as ''Tim & Sid'' and hosted by Micallef and Sid Seixeiro, was established in 2011 as an afternoon radio show on CJCL. The program gained a television simulcast on The Score (now Sportsnet 360) in 2013. On July 1, 2015, the program was re-launched on Sportsnet as a dedicated television program. On October 14, 2019, the ''Tim & Sid'' telecasts began simulcasting on CJCL, replacing ''Prime Time Sports'' as its late afternoon drive program. Seixeiro left the show in 2021, and the show was rebranded as ''Tim & Friends''. During the summer of 2021, ''Tim & Friends'' stopped being simulcasted on CJCL and again became a dedicated television program. ''Tim & Friends'' concluded its run in 2023.

History

The program was launched as ''Tim & Sid'' in 2011 as an afternoon radio show on CJCL, a sports talk radio station owned by Rogers Media in Toronto. The program gained a telecast on Micallef and Seixeiro's previous home, The Score in May 2013, coinciding with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) approval of Rogers' acquisition of the network (since renamed Sportsnet 360). ''Tim & Sid'' became known for the pair's freeform style, and proved popular among a younger audience and a loyal group of fans. The program gained further attention from viral videos during the 2014 Winter Olympics, such as their live reaction to Canada's winning goal in the gold medal game of the Women's hockey tournament.

On January 20, 2015, Rogers announced major changes to CJCL's lineup, including the replacement of ''Tim & Sid'' with Greg Brady and Andrew Walker as its new afternoon show. Concurrently, Sportsnet announced that ''Tim & Sid'' would be re-launched as a solely-televised program, premiering on July 1, 2015. Scott Moore, president of Sportsnet and NHL properties at Rogers, likened ''Tim & Sid'' to being a "sports content factory" operating across multiple platforms (including television and social media), and explained that Micallef and Seixeiro "are not just highlight guys, they know how to engage on any sports topic and the great thing about these guys is they can connect with sports fans on any number of levels." The program aired weeknights from 5 to 7 p.m. ET, though the program was frequently shortened to 90 minutes to allow for pre-game coverage of Toronto Blue Jays and National Hockey League (NHL) games. When neither Tim nor Sid were able to host, Donnovan Bennett, Faizal Khamisa, Alex Seixeiro, Arash Madani, or Danielle Michaud would serve as substitute hosts.

In 2019, when the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA championship, Micallef and Seixeiro co-hosted Rogers coverage on Sportsnet and Citytv of the championship parade alongside ''Breakfast Television'' Toronto’s Dina Pugliese.

On September 25, 2019, it was announced that a simulcast of the program would air on CJCL beginning October 14, replacing ''Prime Time Sports''. The program was simulcasted on CJCL until July 2021.

Departure of Sid Seixeiro

On January 21, 2021, Seixeiro announced that he would leave ''Tim & Sid'', and join ''Breakfast Television'' as its new co-host beginning March 10. It was also announced that Tim would continue to host the program with guest hosts. Seixeiro's final show as regular co-host aired on February 26, 2021.

The show resumed on March 8, rebranded as ''Tim & Friends''. Seixeiro's first appearance since his departure was on the June 1, 2021 edition as a guest by phone reacting to the Toronto Maple Leafs losing their first round series against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Guests and Guest Hosts

In-studio guests and guest hosts on the show over the years have included:

* Steve "Dangle" Glynn, host of ''Leafs Fan Reaction'' and ''The Steve Dangle Podcast'' as well as Sportsnet's ''Steve's Dang-Its'' and ''Steve's Hat-Picks'', who stood in for Micallef on the November 22nd, 2018 edition
* Jack Edwards, Boston Bruins play-by-play commentator for NESN and former ESPN commentator and ''SportsCenter'' anchor

Cancellation

On March 27, 2023, Micallef announced that April 11 would be the show's final episode, as he would be moving on to host the weeknight/early morning edition of Sportsnet Central, beginning at the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ratings

During its first month re-launched as a dedicated television program, the show grew Sportsnet's audience by 19% in the 5 to 7 p.m. ET timeslot year-over-year. In its second full month on the air, the show experienced an 18% increase in viewership and became the most-watched sports program in the country during the 6–7 p.m. ET timeslot (beating TSN's ''SportsCentre''). On September 22, 2015, ''The Globe and Mail'' reported that the show was attracting more than 100,000 viewers. Two months later, it was reported that ''Tim & Sid'' was outpacing TSN's '' Off the Record'' (which had recently been cancelled as a part of cuts by the network) as the most-watched sports program in Canada between the 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. hours.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tim and Sid
Sportsnet shows
2010s Canadian sports television series
2010s Canadian television talk shows
2013 Canadian television series debuts
2020s Canadian sports television series
2020s Canadian television talk shows