Rogers' Sportsnet close to selling NHL broadcast rights in Canada
Late last night, a bombshell report emerged that Rogers and Sportsnet is closing in on selling a portion of the NHL broadcast rights in Canada to Amazon.
YYZ Sports Media, a publication dedicated to covering the business side of Canadian Sports, is reporting that Rogers could sell Amazon the rights to games on Monday Night. According to the report, Rogers is financially burdened by the weight of the NHL broadcast deal, and could sell the rights to Amazon as soon as next season.
This isn't just any casual chatter; insiders reveal that discussions are underway, with Amazon poised to step into the spotlight for Monday night games, including playoffs, for the remaining two years of Rogers' contract.
In November of 2013, Rogers bought the majority rights to NHL games to be aired on Sportsnet for 12 years, and it's apparently not gone well for the company. Their final year of the contract is in the 2025-26, and it's unknown what will even become of Sportsnet at that time.
This seems to be a part of a growing partnership between the NHL and Amazon, who are also producing a behind the scenes show following star players, due for a release this fall.
While it may be inconvenient for fans to make a switch to watch games with another provider, many will be happy about a switch away from Sportsnet. Their intermission broadcasts, especially with Ron MacLean, have taken some heat lately for being awkward and not engaging.
We'll have to see how it plays out, but this could be a real massive and positive change for hockey fans in Canada.
| POLL | ||
Will you be happy with Sportsnet broadcasting less games? | ||
| Yes, they're terrible | 63 | 25 % |
| No, I like them | 101 | 40.1 % |
| Depends on how the new broadcast is | 77 | 30.6 % |
| See Results | 11 | 4.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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