It seems like hockey players aren’t the only people getting signed to “lifetime” contracts.
The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers signed a Nicklas Backstrom-length deal for their TV coverage, making a 10-year pact with Rogers Sportsnet that will help the company launch a new 24-hour channel Rogers Sportsnet ONE. The Flames provided a little more information on a deal they called “unprecedented.”
Rogers Sportsnet today announced an unprecedented 10-year partnership with Alberta’s two National Hockey League teams, under which Rogers Sportsnet will be the clubs’ Official Television Broadcaster and provider of digital media content until 2020.
Beginning with the upcoming 2010-11 NHL season, Rogers Sportsnet West and Rogers Sportsnet ONE will combine to televise at least 58 Calgary Flames and 58 Edmonton Oilers games for 10 seasons within the Flames and Oilers regional territory which includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
This agreement will also mean Alberta’s NHL hockey fans will no longer have to rely on Flames and Oilers Pay Per View broadcasts to in order to view games not being broadcast on Sportsnet West.