The new NHL/Rogers TV deal: key takeaways from the press conference

Earlier this week, it was reported that the NHL and Rogers struck a 12-year agreement for the national media rights to NHL games on all platforms in Canada through the 2037-38 season, and it was confirmed Wednesday via an official announcement.

The agreement, worth $11 billion, begins for 2026-27 NHL season, after the current 12-year deal expires. Per a release from Rogers-owned Sportsnet, features of the new deal include “national rights across all platforms, including TV, digital and streaming, for all national regular-season games, in all languages; national rights to all playoff games, the Stanley Cup Final and all special events, and tentpole events, in all languages; out-of-market rights for all regional games; and the potential for strategic sub-licensing for a subset of those rights, including national French-language and a single-night exclusive national package.”

On Wednesday morning, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri and Rogers Sports & Media president Colette Watson held a press conference to share further details and take questions on the new pact.

“It is not surprising that more than 50 percent of the top 100-viewed television programs and 37 percent of the top 50 are NHL hockey games,” Bettman said in his opening address. “This agreement will take our partnership to the next level. Given the current state of the NHL game, it is not a surprise that the No. 1 thing we hear from fans is that they want even more access to more games, and this agreement will bring more live games to more fans across the country than ever before.”

So how will that work? How will access to NHL games change? What does it mean when the NHL and Rogers promise “more national games and fewer blackouts?” Here’s a quick rundown of some key answers the panel gave when taking questions from media in Toronto Wednesday.

How will the access to national games and number of regional blackouts be affected by the new deal?

“In our negotiation, we have secured the opportunity to take more of the regional games that Sportsnet has and convert them to national games,” Watson said. “That means fewer blackouts and more national opportunities.”

Sportsnet has secured rights for up to 10 additional national games for certain teams, Watson added, but couldn’t offer more specifics because “it will be a decision every season based on matchups.” She indicated there is at least the opportunity to convert all regional games for the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames to national – and half the Toronto Maple Leafs’ games, given TSN (via Bell) owns the rights to the other half.

Will the sub-licensing of games to Amazon continue?

Staffieri says Rogers we will look to it as “a possibility and a strong possibility.”

“Today we sub-license French content as well as streaming with Amazon, and those have been terrific partnerships,” he said. “And as we look to the next 12 years, the agreement with the NHL is that we will look to opportunities to continue to sub-license where it makes sense.”

How will the Rogers consumer experience be affected, cost wise?

With Rogers spending almost double what it doled out on the previous TV deal, that spending has to be paid for somewhere. Asked whether it will mean higher costs for Rogers customers, Staffieri downplayed the idea of a major change, instead championing the revenue opportunities of a deal that should extend their streak beyond 10 consecutive years as the No. 1 Canadian sports media brand.

“The focus for us on this is growing the viewership, and if we do that well, which is what we’ve done over the last 10 years, significantly expanding the audiences, then the revenues fall in terms of advertising revenue and subscription revenue,” Staffieri said, adding that “the economics stand on their own,” particularly given the three-fold growth in existing subscribers on the Sportsnet+ app.

Does the new deal signal the end of CBC’s time as an NHL broadcaster?

In short, not necessarily. The CBC will remain aboard through the end of the current deal in 2025-26, and the possibility of continued relationship with Sportsnet will be explored in the next 18 months, Watson said.

Bettman added that “It is the longest running program in the history of television in Canada, and I’m certain that our friends at Rogers will make the right decisions and have the right discussions with the people at the CBC.”

What new innovations will come to the viewing experience during the new deal?

It’s difficult to predict exactly what will change in the coming years, though Watson hinted we could see more innovations like the cable camera used at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But it’s safe to say the NHL and Sportsnet will continue embracing the “inside” experience for fans.

“You’re going to see more and more customization and personalization of technology, and AI is going to let us do that collectively,” Bettman said. “It’s about giving fans the connection to the game that they want, and increasingly we’re going to be able to do that.

“Also, Rogers has done a great job in bringing fans closer to the players, telling more stories, personalizing it, because fans, particularly younger fans, are looking for that one-on-one personal connection. ‘What’s my favorite athlete doing?’ ‘What’s their training regimen?’ and the like, telling the stories. And that’s all part of the package. And Rogers has not been bashful about taking the chances we’ve asked them to take or spending money and support of doing it.”

As an aside: the question was tabled to both Bettman and Staffieri about potential hesitation on the NHL or Rogers’ side to strike the deal in the midst of a turbulent time in the Canada-U.S. relationship, during which American President Donald Trump is threatening Canadian annexation and trade tariffs. Both were quick to refute the idea of the international tensions having much of a bearing on negotiation – at least not philosophically, though both parties agreed they had to be mindful of the current challenges for the Canadian economy.