One of the biggest telemarketers in Canada is reportedly set to keep the majority of the NHL’s television rights.
According to a report from Sportico’s Scott Soshnick, Rogers Communications and the National Hockey League have reached a new 12-year Canadian television rights deal worth about $11 billion (USD $7.7 billion).
The exclusive negotiating window between the league and Rogers opened up earlier this year, which was part of the current 12-year agreement the two sides agreed upon in 2013. The final year of the current deal – worth $5.2 million (USD $4.9 million) at the time – will take place during the 2025-26 campaign, with the next agreement beginning in the fall of 2026.
According to Sportico, the league’s media and executive committee have recommended approval of the new deal to the NHL’s Board of Governors. The vote on the deal is expected in the coming days, with a formal announcement coming as early as next week.
This, all the while, comes after The Toronto Sun’s Steve Simmons reported in Dec. 2023 that Rogers was planning on dropping the “money-hemorrhaging” deal.
Rogers has a heavy hand in sports in this country. Along with owning the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays, the organization owns 37.5 percent of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment — the parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Marlies, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, MLS’ Toronto FC and CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.
Rogers is actively in the process of buying another 37.5 percent of MLSE, which could cost around $3.48 billion (USD $4.7 billion).
The NHL is in the middle of a seven-year TV deal in the United States with ESPN and Turner (TNT, TBS, etc.) through the 2027-28 campaign. The companies pay the NHL over $600 million per season.
Under the current TV deal in Canada, Rogers’ sports specialty channel, Sportsnet, has exclusive broadcast rights during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The network will have the opportunity to get a lot of Canadian coverage this coming postseason, as five of the seven teams north of the border, including the Edmonton Oilers, are in a playoff spot, with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames trying to chase down a Wild Card spot.
