The National Hockey League and Rogers Communications have agreed to a 12-year CDN $5.2 billion (U.S. $4.94 billion) media rights agreement, the largest in league history.
Beginning in 2014-15, Rogers will take over for longtime rights holder TSN, the country's largest sports network. NHL, which is very popular in Canada, had been a core programming staple for TSN.
As part of the agreement, Rogers will sublicense games to CBC, which will maintain its Hockey Night in Canada franchise. TVA has all of the Canadian French-language multi-media rights.
In addition to its exclusive rights for all playoff and Stanley Cup Final games, Rogers has exclusive rights to special events such as future NHL All-Star Games and NHL Drafts.
"Our fans always want to explore deeper and more emotional connections to NHL hockey, and that is precisely what Rogers has promised to deliver over the next 12 years -- channeling the reach of its platforms and the intensity of its passion for the game into an unparalleled viewing experience," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "The NHL is extremely excited about the power and potential of this groundbreaking partnership."
The agreement is subject to approval by the NHL's Board of Governors, which next meets Dec. 9-10 in Pebble Beach, Calif.
NBC Sports Group in the U.S. in 2011 signed a 10-year worth $1.9 billion.
