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NHL, Rogers announce largest broadcast deal in league history

Gary Bettman

In this Nov. 22, 2011 photo, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stands before the ribbon-cutting for the refurbished Laura Sims Skate House, in Philadelphia. Bettman is pleased with the league with one-quarter of the season complete. Sidney Crosby is back, suspensions are down. But collective bargaining negotiations loom and the NHL will try to avoid the same fate of the NBA. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP

Beginning next season, there will be a significant shift in Canadian hockey broadcasting.

Rogers Communication -- a Canadian media company -- has acquired a 12-year, $5.2 billion (CDN) broadcast and multimedia package from the National Hockey League. Rogers also announced it has chosen CBC and French-language station TVA for individual sub-licensing deals, meaning CBC will continue to produce Hockey Night in Canada while TVA will receive all national French-language multimedia rights.

The news was made official in a joint press conference on Tuesday featuring league commissioner Gary Bettman and Nadir Mohamed, Rogers President and CEO.

“Sports content is a key strategic asset and we’ve been investing significantly to strengthen our sports offering to Canadians,” Mohamed said in a release. “Canadians are passionate about hockey, and through this landmark partnership with the NHL we’ll be able to bring hockey fans more games and more content on their platform of choice.”

According to the NHL, annual payments from Rogers will start at $300 million in the first year and will gradually increase year-by-year, topping out at approximately mid-$500 million in the final season (2025-26).

It’s estimated that -- along with an additional upfront payment amount of $150 million -- the deal will come in around $5.2 billion over the full 12-year term.

“Our fans always want to explore deeper and more emotional connections to NHL hockey, and that is precisely what Rogers has promised to deliver over the next 12 years – channeling the reach of its platforms and the intensity of its passion for the game into an unparalleled viewing experience,” Bettman said in a statement. “The NHL is extremely excited about the power and potential of this groundbreaking partnership.”

As a result of the Rogers deal, longtime NHL rightsholder TSN will no longer broadcast the NHL nationally and no longer has a Stanley Cup playoff package.

TSN does still have local rights to the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens, with the Jets deal going until 2021.