A rising star at TSN Lindsay Hamilton is no stranger to the limelight. The Toronto native has been a staple with the sports network for the past 4 years, a former The Family Channel star she has interviewed some of the biggest names in media. A McMaster University graduate, she is someone who has flourished with every opportunity that has come her way.
In an unconventional path, Hamilton began her television career when she was 13. Being involved in theatre since she was a child, the transition from the stage to television was a harmonious transition.
“I got involved in the television world when I was 13 years old, just a few small things in some commercials, and some voice works, and I then got my first big break with his family channel just after high school. So I was about 18 when I started working on national television”
Being touted as The Disney Channel of Canada, The Family Channel offered a rare opportunity in fast-forwarding her talents while many of her peers were only freshman in University. Differing her acceptance to McMaster University allowed Hamilton to thrive under the national attention and interview some of the biggest names of the time in Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, One Direction, and more.
Arriving at McMaster a year after her Family Channel debut, she enrolled in their Communication program, minoring in Film. Engrossed her work does not come close to describing her University time. Initially wanting to join the soccer team, she played lacrosse, and later hosting her own campus radio program.
“It started actually with CSM which is the community campus radio station. At the time I was a varsity lacrosse player, and I just noticed a lot of the smaller sports weren’t necessarily getting a lot of media attention. It was something I wanted to focus on and I also wanted to increase my sports broadcasting skills. So I started a radio program called Max Marauders, and every week I brought you different athletes and interviewed them and it was everything ranging from your big sports to your football or basketball or volleyball.”
Max Marauders was instrumental in advancing Hamilton’s potential as a broadcaster. Managing her own program further taught her the importance of originality, and time management. Acknowledging that many of the qualities she learned as an athlete additionally applied to her aspirations as a journalist.
After her graduation, she worked for CBC during the 2016 coverage of the Rio Olympics. Anew, she broadcast her voice to a national audience.
The top sports network in Canada took note, and shortly after she began at CBC, TSN reached out.
“I was at CBC at the time working on some coverage for the Rio Olympics, and I loved working at CBC. I love the prominence they put on amateur athletes at the same time when I got that email from TSN. I couldn’t say no. It’s just a dream opportunity. It’s 24/7 Sports.
In September 2016, Lindsay Hamilton was introduced to the audience of TSN, and 4 years later she has become one of their most trusted anchors. The lists of events she has covered are overwhelmingly growing: Grey Cup, Toronto Maple Leafs’s games, Women’s World Cup’s, RCP Women’s Golf Open, TSN Trade Centre, and most recently hosting TSN’s show for the new app Quibi.
Her time at TSN has not gone unnoticed, gaining praise from many of her co-anchors including one of TSN’s most respectful broadcasters in James Duthie, describing Lindsay as a “down-to-earth quality person” and one of his favorites at the network.
TSN’s anchors are more like teammates than co-workers. The sports network employees have all been raised in a sports environment, and they love talking sports. This frame of mind is one reason TSN has become the de facto sports network in Canada. For Hamilton, broadcasting sports is more than just being able to converse with an audience, a narrative is essential.
“I’m trying to connect with audiences and I’m trying to be an interesting storyteller, and we constantly talk about that at TSN, and sports broadcasting as well. You’re not just trying to spit out facts at your audience”
The best is yet to come for Lindsay Hamilton, although only being at TSN for 4 years her continuous advancement continues to inspire others’s and she continues to elevate herself and those around her. Rather than sit on her success, the humble Hamilton has used her prominence to the benefit of others. The Mississauga native has appeared in front of the women’s panel of her former University in McMaster, alongside panels alongside the city of Hamilton, ON hoping to promote the opportunities women have in media.
Not even 30, at only 29, the number of opportunities await for Lindsay seems endless. She is a quintessential example of how every opportunity can provide one with an assortment of wisdom. Watching her on TSN you can see her past professionalism in full effect, everything is possible for her.
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