Rogers, NHL sign 12-year broadcast, multimedia deal
Posted November 26, 2013 9:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO (NEWS1130) – It’s being called the biggest TV rights deal in NHL history.
The NHL has has reached a 12-year, $5.2-billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the league’s broadcast and multimedia rights.
As part of the deal, Rogers says the CBC will continue to broadcast its iconic “Hockey Night in Canada” and that the TVA network in Quebec has all of the Canadian French-language multimedia rights.
The league says the deal gives Rogers national rights to all NHL games, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Stanley Cup Final, on all of its platforms in all languages.
The deal also includes the NHL Centre Ice and NHL Game Centre Live properties, as well as rights to the All-Star Game and the NHL Draft.
Rogers executives wouldn’t say whether Don Cherry will return next year.
In addition, the NHL says the agreement guarantees that there will be no further regionalization of games or local blackouts.
As a result of this deal, Canadians will be able to find NHL game coverage on up to nine different channels on some nights during the season.
“Every game involving a Canadian team in the national exclusive windows, which will be Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, will be carried,” says NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
“No blackouts. No regionalization. In particular on Saturday nights, all games will be carried across Canada at the same time.”
“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,” says Nadir Mohamed, the President and CEO of Rogers Communications.
This is the first time a major league in North America has made such a long-term commitment to a single company.
The NHL says the partnership, which is subject to approve by the NHL Board of Governors, will begin with the 2014-15 season and run through the 2025-26 season. The Board of Governors will next meet Dec. 9-10 in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Rogers is the parent company of News1130.
