Arash Madani opens up about new gigs and life after Sportsnet career
If you’re walking around the streets of Toronto and spot Arash Madani, you wouldn’t be the first person to strike up a convo with the former Sportsnet reporter.
“People still stop me and ask me who they should start on their fantasy team. That hasn’t stopped,” Madani said with a laugh. “Over the last month, people are stopping me, saying, ‘What is happening with the Blue Jays? They just can’t lose.'”
One of the most recognizable faces from the Sportsnet broadcast team, Madani’s departure from the network was announced this past March.
If there was a big event involving Canadian athletes, there was a pretty good chance that Madani would be on site for it, whether it was the Olympics, Stanley Cup Final, or the FIFA World Cup.
He’d also spent 14 seasons on the Blue Jays’ broadcast team, being repurposed since 2023 until earlier this year to cover other sports throughout the year.
If there were one event Madani feels like he missed out on, it was the Oklahoma City Thunder outlasting the Indiana Pacers in an epic seven-game NBA Finals last month.
“I was fortunate enough to cover a bunch of NBA Finals and watching [Canadian basketball star] Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] win a championship, you’re saying to yourself, ‘Man, of all the years, not to be there,'” he added. “But that’s all part of it.”
And while he might not be on their televisions anymore, the stop-in-the-street moments aren’t much of a bother for Madani.
“The bulk of my adult life, I’ve just been used to it,” he said. “So I guess it’s cool that people still want to talk sports.”
This month, Madani’s working on a familiar event with a new employer, doing on-and-off court video content for Tennis Canada around the annual National Bank Open tournament in Toronto.
Tonight, @VasekPospisil begins the final @NBOtoronto of his career in front of a sellout crowd.
After nearly two decades on tour, Pospisil is retiring.
I visited with Pospisil, who opened up about his pro tennis journey and, of course, *always* playing for Canada – pic.twitter.com/A76FKTwC8F
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) July 27, 2025
“Just super appreciative, grateful of Tennis Canada,” Madani said. “It was a no-brainer, and it’s such a show of respect by them for everything that we’ve worked on over the years.”
Tennis Talk. Appreciate @andyroddick bringing it in our conversation. No BS, just real talk about the state of the game and how it can get better.
More chats like these everyday on-site at the @NBOtoronto with players, past and present. pic.twitter.com/x3Tb6scY4i
— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) July 28, 2025
What’s next for Madani after 16 years with Sportsnet?
While he hasn’t lined up any full-time work, Madani’s picked up a few gigs hosting conferences and moderating panels, in addition to this short-term role for the National Bank Open. He’s still a bit unsure about what’s next for him, though he’s well on his way to finding that out.
“I have had many meetings with many people in the industry and outside of the industry. There’s so many transferable skills that you can take on the way [to other jobs],” he added. “[But my passion] is this, the storytelling, the live event. There’s nothing like being on the sidelines of a major event that’s happening.”
With the added free time, Madani also allowed himself to learn more about colleagues whom he might not have had the chance to meet while focused on his own work.
“I was so kind of caught up doing the day-to-day,” Madani said. “[I’m asking people], ‘What are your philosophies? What’s important to you?’ I’m learning a lot more about how other people are approaching certain things in our business, and that’s been a really good kind of education, because when you’re in it, you’re just going 100 miles an hour.”
As for his own athletic career, the 45-year-old Madani has found a bit of extra free time to get more into one of his favourite sports.
“I’m playing a lot more tennis, actually, which my left shoulder hasn’t been very appreciative of,” he said with a laugh.