In 2013, a significant shift occurred in the Canadian media landscape when Sportsnet’s parent company, Rogers, secured a 12-year national NHL rights deal. Many expected that after its expiration following the 2025-26 season, Sportsnet would be unable to retain those rights amid competition from cable rivals such as Bell Media’s TSN and streaming services like Amazon. However, recent reports indicate otherwise. On Monday, Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams and Scott Soshnick revealed that a new NHL-Rogers agreement for Canadian national rights is poised for owner approval this week.
SCOOP: The @NHL and @Rogers have agreed on a new Canadian TV deal. 12 years, $11 billion CAD ($7.7B in current USD). More than 2x current deal. Owners vote this week.
More details at @Sportico, with @Soshnick 👇https://t.co/Fr1FHt0M7n
— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) March 31, 2025
The 2013 agreement disrupted Sportsnet’s main competitor, TSN, which was relegated to airing only regional NHL games and shifted its focus toward live games in both Canadian and American football. Furthermore, while Hockey Night In Canada continued to be broadcast on CBC, the editorial control, as well as the advertising revenue from those broadcasts, shifted to Rogers. Initially signed for $5.2 billion Canadian over 12 years, the 2013 Rogers-NHL deal equated to $4.9 billion USD at the time and $3.9 billion USD in 2019 based on then-current exchange rates. Notably, the new agreement (as detailed by Novy-Williams and Soshnick here) not only more than doubles the Canadian dollar value of the original deal but also presents a 1.57-fold increase in USD per year (on an averaged basis) against the past agreement considering today’s exchange rate.
It’s essential to note that the original Rogers-NHL deal resulted in the company paying considerably more in the latter years of the contract. While the average annual value increase appears substantial, it doesn’t reflect a similar significant rise in the annual payout to the NHL. Despite various inquiries surrounding the profitability of this deal for Rogers—especially highlighted in the final seasons with escalating amounts—it seems effective enough for them to opt for an extension.
As the current Rogers-NHL agreement approaches its expiration after the 2025-26 season, there was speculation over Amazon’s potential acquisition of the main Canadian national rights following its recent pickup of a Monday Night Hockey package this fall. Additionally, discussions arose regarding TSN and parent company Bell Media potentially reclaiming their stake, despite their recent sell-off of sports assets, including their interests in the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Argonauts, and Toronto FC parent Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
Ultimately, Rogers retained the rights, suggesting that the upcoming 12 years of national Canadian NHL broadcasting will continue in a manner similar to the current arrangement. While this continuity may be beneficial, given the notable presence of beloved figures like Chris Cuthbert, it also raises concerns due to the criticism Rogers has faced over its focus on positive on-ice coverage at the expense of crucial off-ice stories. The consensus appears to point toward a continuation of the current status quo in Canadian NHL broadcasting, which may be perceived as either positive or negative based on viewers’ opinions on Rogers’ NHL presentation, making it intriguing given the earlier discussions anticipating a potential change.
In conclusion, rather than a reduction or loss of rights, the deal was extended, and it will be fascinating to observe how this impacts both Rogers and the NHL moving forward.
