The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) will no longer be broadcasting National Hockey League (NHL) games, marking the end of an era for many Canadian hockey fans. The public broadcaster's sublicense agreement with rights-holder Rogers Sportsnet has concluded, meaning the familiar sight of Hockey Night in Canada on CBC will not feature current NHL action.
This development comes as Rogers holds the exclusive national media rights to the NHL through 2026, a deal struck in 2014. The CBC has had a sublicense agreement with Rogers to air a selection of NHL games, including its iconic Saturday night broadcasts. While the exact terms of the original sublicense have not been widely publicized, it allowed the CBC to continue its legacy as a key broadcaster of professional hockey in Canada.
The end of this arrangement means that all NHL games broadcast nationally in Canada will now exclusively be available through Rogers' platforms, primarily Sportsnet. This shift will likely impact how many Canadians access and consume NHL content, potentially leading more viewers to direct subscription services or Rogers' own channels. The CBC has not yet announced specific plans for how its sports programming will evolve following this change.
