The 12-year Canadian national media rights agreement announced Wednesday will bring more games to more fans across Canada, extending a successful partnership between the NHL and Rogers Communications.
“For more than a decade, Rogers has done an incredible job of conveying what NHL hockey, our players and our teams mean to hockey fans and their communities from coast to coast,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We’re thrilled to continue our landmark partnership for an additional 12 years.”
The agreement is worth $11 billion Canadian and starts in 2026-27, after the current 12-year, $4.5 billion Canadian deal with Rogers. That represents an increase of about 2 ½ times.
“The value of live sports content just continues to appreciate, and it’s really rooted in viewership continuing to grow,” Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri. “If you were to look at our NHL deal over the last decade, viewership grew by 50 percent, and with that kind of growth, what you see is revenue growing at a very steady and health pace.”
The new agreement includes national rights across all platforms, including TV, digital and streaming in all languages, for the regular season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs and special events.
It will have fewer regional blackouts and more live national games than ever before.
“We have secured the opportunity to take more of the regional games that Sportsnet has and convert them to national games, so that means fewer blackouts and more national opportunities,” said Colette Watson, president of Rogers Sports & Media.
Asked how many more games fans can expect to be converted from regional to national, Watson said: “We have secured the right for up to 10 more games on certain teams, but it will be a season decision based on every season, based on matchups, so I can’t really give you quantified numbers.”
Watson said Rogers will be able to convert all regional games for the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, half for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and a few extra from the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators.
Commissioner Bettman added Rogers has “unlimited rights to bring in U.S. matchups to fans’ hearts’ content.”
The NHL can sell a French-language package and a fixed-night package to third parties. The League will talk to Amazon, which streams “Prime Monday Night Hockey” nationally in Canada on Monday nights, but others have expressed interest in that package.
The new agreement does not include competitions held jointly with the NHL Players’ Association, such as the World Cup of Hockey in February 2028.
Rogers had an exclusive negotiating window with the NHL from Jan. 1-March 1 that was extended to March 15. Rogers was aggressive, and the NHL was comfortable with Rogers as a partner. The length of the agreement locks up the NHL for Rogers and commits it to building the NHL as a property.
“The NHL has been a terrific partner for over a decade, and we’re proud to continue our partnership and bring more great fan experiences and best-in-class broadcasts to Canadians,” Staffieri said. “Hockey is Canada’s game, and we’re proud to be the home of hockey. Sports are core to our company, and these rights are the most valuable sports rights in Canada.”
The NHL also made it a priority for Rogers to focus on innovations, such as the “NHL HOCKEYVERSE Matchup of the Week” and the “Harvey’s Mountain Classic.”
The “NHL HOCKEYVERSE Matchup of the Week” uses NHL EDGE Positional Data to create a first-of-its kind weekly 30-minute animated program for kids on Sportsnet in Canada, NHL Network in the United States and the NHL YouTube channel globally.
Using NHL EDGE Positional Data and featuring Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound, Sportsnet will create Canada’s first real-time, full-length animated broadcast when the Flames play the San Jose Sharks on April 13. It will air on Sportsnet 360 and stream on Sportsnet+ alongside the traditional national broadcast on Sportsnet One.
Watson also talked about new cameras, bringing the game to as many screens as possible and embracing new technology.
“Hockey is part of the fabric of Canadian culture, and our long-term relationship with the NHL helped make Sportsnet Canada’s No. 1 sports media brand,” Watson said. “Canadians overwhelmingly choose Sportsnet, and we are investing in this partnership so fans have access to more games, more content and more choice from their favorite teams across the League.”
