In the first intermission of Thursday’s meeting between the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres at Canadian Tire Centre, TSN Ottawa reporter Claire Hanna and Senators owner Michael Andlauer announced that the Sens and Bell Media had reached a deal to extend their broadcast rights agreement.
Since the 2014–15 NHL season, Bell Media has held the regional television rights for Senators broadcasts, for both English (TSN) and French (RDS). Since 1997-98, CFGO, operating as TSN 1200, has broadcasted every home and away Sens game. Those broadcasts will both continue under the extension.
“It’s big, it’s huge in a world where regional cable is hard to come by, and a lot of teams don’t have those [deals] today,” Andlauer told Hanna in an intermission interview that was streamed live in the bowl.
“When I took over the stewardship of this team, it was about the fans, they’re our lifeblood. And the way TSN and RDS and TSN 1200 have connected with our fans in their homes for the past 12 years, both in Gatineau and in Ottawa, in Eastern Canada, en français and in English, it’s really been a great partnership, and I was so happy to have that back.
“You’ve been more than a broadcaster, with the talent and the support that you’ve given us, to our players, to our community, it’s meant a lot and you’ve done this in such a meaningful way, so I’m really proud to have this partnership for the next 12 years.”
TSN’s regional Ottawa Senators games continue to be available to viewers in the team’s designated broadcast region as defined by the NHL, which includes Eastern Ontario, Québec, and Atlantic Canada on TSN5.
"You know, you look at these markets and it's the roots, the hockey roots are really deep there," said Andlauer. "It's truly hockey as part of the fabric of their communities, they're small markets. And us, being a small market, our fans can relate to it, and I know that these fans can relate to the Ottawa Senators as well."
TSN 1200 will remain the exclusive English language radio broadcaster as part of the deal, and Andlauer also spoke about the importance of its inclusion in the deal.
"So personally, I have my car radio set on [TSN] 1200, so after the game, I'll be leaving and I'll be listening to our passionate fans calling in and talking about the game at hand," said Andlauer.
"My first interview was actually with with TSN 1200, so it means a lot to me. I mean, Dean Brown, he's the voice of the Ottawa Senators, has been for decades now. And it's our sports radio, it's the way we're connecting. And for me, listening to our passionate fans calling in, I really enjoy that... that medium is really important for the Ottawa community."
Andlauer was also asked by analyst Cheryl Pounder on the progress he's seen from the organization since his arrival before the 2023–24 season.
"When I took over the team in year one, to me, it was trying to establish stability in this in this organization. You know, you start off by putting the people in the right places, both on and off the ice, and then you try to establish a culture, a culture of care, a culture of working harder," said Andlauer.
"And I think we've been able to accomplish that. I see it. I see it. You know, our fan base has grown, our attendance is up. I have no problem walking through the concourse and talking to the fans and and listening. And it's been quite positive and very fulfilling. You know, on the ice, obviously, we want to create an environment where we have a competitive team, and I think we've done that, but there's continuous improvement all the time.
"And I look at this year... I like this team better than we did our last year's team, which made it to the playoffs. We've been, you know, dealt with a lot of distractions and injuries and all, but at the end of the day, I like where we are, and it's about continuous improvement and and I think we're on the right path."
In a statement, Shawn Redmond, Vice President and General Manager of Bell Media Sports, provided comment on the deal.
“With ascending young stars across their roster, the Ottawa Senators are a key pillar of TSN and RDS’s industry-leading hockey coverage, and this new extended agreement represents the continuation of the successful partnership we’ve built together,” said Redmond.
“With this new long-term agreement in place, TSN and RDS subscribers across the region can enjoy exceptional live coverage of the team for years to come from our all-star broadcast teams in English and French.”
