NHL makes 12-year/$5.2 billion Canadian TV deal w/ Sportsnet, CBC licensing, TSN out

[RangerBoy]

According to industry sources, CBC will remain as the league’s major partner and will retain “Hockey Night in Canada,†its iconic franchise since 1953. But the network would see its rights fee go up and some of its current inventory go to other programmers.

CBC (the over-the-air, public Canadian Broadcasting Co.) now pays $121 million a year. In the new deal, CBC is expected to pay about $175 million a year. However, it would lose the rights to the NHL All-Star Game and some playoff broadcasts, sources said.

“It meant a lot to the NHL and CBC for the network to keep ‘Hockey Night in Canada,’†said one source. “The key was maintaining that relationship while still making a workable deal [financially] for CBC so they wouldn’t get hurt too much. It looks like a fair resolution was found.â€

In the current deal, CBC shows four of the eight first-round playoff series; two of the four second-round series; one full conference final plus four games of the other; and the Stanley Cup Final. The new agreement is likely to be without one of those four first-round series and without the four-game conference final package. However, CBC would retain its priority selection of series.

The NHL has successfully engaged TSN and Sportsnet in competitive bidding for the newly available inventory. TSN is likely to be the future rights holder of the NHL All-Star Game and is the leading candidate to own the rights to that second conference final, sources said. TSN’s current deal gives the network four first-round series, two second-round series and three games of the conference final series where CBC has the other four.

In its current deal, TSN pays $40 million annually. Sources said that TSN’s reluctance to pay substantially more has been the biggest stumbling block in the league’s overall negotiations with the Canadian networks, but the issues are expected to be resolved in the coming weeks.

Rogers Communications-owned Sportsnet is in the bidding for available playoff games but is also seen as the front-runner to purchase a new regular-season offering of a weekly Sunday night telecast. A featured Sunday night game would join CBC’s Saturday franchise, TSN’s weekly Wednesday broadcast of a game featuring at least one Canadian team, and NBCSN’s “Wednesday Night Rivalry†as tentpole weekly events.

RDS will keep the French TV package but TVA is looking to get involved. Two TV packages. More money.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/11/25/Media/Canada-TV.aspx

Click to read more...

 

[Fugu]

So possibly just north of $350 million for the set-up? I'm not sure the TSN Sportsnet portion would be very close to what CBC may be willing to pay for the larger package.

 

[ebox99]

So possibly just north of $350 million for the set-up? I'm not sure the TSN portion would very close to what CBC may be willing to pay for the larger package.

Sportsnet getting a Sunday package is a smart move for the station.

Looks like more hockey on TV in Canada

 

[rojac]

So possibly just north of $350 million for the set-up? I'm not sure the TSN portion would very close to what CBC may be willing to pay for the larger package.

The full article says about $350 million total including about $50 million for the French broadcasts. So, that would leave about $125 total for the TSN and Sportsnet packages.

 

[rojac]

Sportsnet getting a Sunday package is a smart move for the station.

Looks like more hockey on TV in Canada

Well, a few more games on national TV. I suspect that the Sunday package will feature Canadian teams so those would be games that would be on regional TV -- they'll just be on national TV instead.

 

[RangerBoy]

John Collins met the media last week in New York

Collins said that the NHL is “deep in conversation†for the Canadian television rights and that the league would ideally like to have those negotiations wrapped up “by the end of the year.â€

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/...players-leading-up-to-stadium-series-olympics

The NHL BOG is meeting December 9-10. The owners will take a look at what Bettman and Collins have negotiated.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Who will the playoff series CBC no longer gets be re-distributed to?...TSN?...or is sportsnet wanting to get into that?

 

[puckguy11]

Who will the playoff series CBC no longer gets be re-distributed to?...TSN?...or is sportsnet wanting to get into that?

The vibe I got from the article is that TSN gets the other Conference Final (To which I could see CBC/TSN rotate conference finals much like how it's done MLB and NBA in the States). For everything else, it's anyone's guess, but this certainly helps Sportsnet become more than just the Jays and regional hockey games.

 

[RangerBoy]

Who will the playoff series CBC no longer gets be re-distributed to?...TSN?...or is sportsnet wanting to get into that?

TSN is the leading contender.

 

[rojac]

The vibe I got from the article is that TSN gets the other Conference Final (To which I could see CBC/TSN rotate conference finals much like how it's done MLB and NBA in the States). For everything else, it's anyone's guess, but this certainly helps Sportsnet become more than just the Jays and regional hockey games.

The impression I got from the article is that CBC would maintain its premium picks in playoff series selection. So, it would be the case that CBC would choose which of the two series it wanted. You have to remember that if even if the NHL got TSN to pay double what it is paying now ($40M doubled to $80M) that would still be less than half of what CBC will apparently be paying.

 

[MarkGio]

I'm glad CBC isn't taking too many steps back. Hockey Night in Canada is far more entertaining than anything TSN or SN can deliver IMO.

CBC is just better at providing analysis, commentary, and intermission filler.

 

[Inkling]

The CBC is pretty much in every household in the country and they are willing to re-arrange their entire prime-time schedule around NHL hockey as we see every year during the playoffs. That's a pretty unique combination and a pretty powerful negotiating point. I'm glad the NHL sees the value in that, the CBC sees the value in HNiC. Also good to see TSN and Sportsnet get more out of the new deal. The article is just rumour at this point (but sounds like from good sources), but it seems like a good outcome if this is what it turns out to be.

 

[Jonas1235]

I think TSN needs to raise their game though. They dont even use a reporter in the building for lead up to their own games. They provide no atmosphere for games. Nothing!

If they just copied what cbc does, they'd have way more viewers for their games. I love what they do for hockey outside of the actual games. But they need to go all-in.

 

[Yukon Joe]

I think TSN needs to raise their game though. They dont even use a reporter in the building for lead up to their own games. They provide no atmosphere for games. Nothing!

If they just copied what cbc does, they'd have way more viewers for their games. I love what they do for hockey outside of the actual games. But they need to go all-in.

ummm, sure they do?

I'll admit I only watch Jets games (which are mostly on TSN-Jets, but a few times on the main TSN channel) but there's an in-game reporter every single time.

I'm surprised at the discrepancy between what TSN pays, and what CBC pays. Sure, getting 1st pick of series (and the Cup Finals) is valuable, but TSN gets almost as many games and for one third the price?

 

[htpwn]

Again, the numbers give a whole new credence to the whole "Canada deserves more teams" argument.

CBC's deal alone is worth nearly as much as NBC's.

Interesting, too, that Peladeau may be entering the fray. Everything is falling into place for QC.

 

[GoHabsGo57]

I'm glad HNIC on CBC stays relatively the same. I love the tradition. Sunday night hockey on Sportsnet is a good way to generate more revenue, and if I'd have to guess, TVA Sports will probably have the same Sunday night package as Sportsnet, since they have an affiliation. Honestly though, if the NHL wants to get a second French language partner, why not Radio-Canada (French CBC) again?

 

[rojac]

I'm glad HNIC on CBC stays relatively the same. I love the tradition. Sunday night hockey on Sportsnet is a good way to generate more revenue, and if I'd have to guess, TVA Sports will probably have the same Sunday night package as Sportsnet, since they have an affiliation. Honestly though, if the NHL wants to get a second French language partner, why not Radio-Canada (French CBC) again?

Maybe because TVA wants a deal and Radio Canada doesn't? I haven't heard of Radio Canada having any interest in the NHL in years.

 

[saffronleaf]

The French language portion of the national TV deal would be significantly higher if there was a team in Quebec City.

 

[GoHabsGo57]

The French language portion of the national TV deal would be significantly higher if there was a team in Quebec City.

True, I'm sure TVA was assured by the NHL of their intentions to get a team back in Quebec soon.

 

[Jonas1235]

ummm, sure they do?

I'll admit I only watch Jets games (which are mostly on TSN-Jets, but a few times on the main TSN channel) but there's an in-game reporter every single time.

I'm surprised at the discrepancy between what TSN pays, and what CBC pays. Sure, getting 1st pick of series (and the Cup Finals) is valuable, but TSN gets almost as many games and for one third the price?

No pre-game from arena or studio, no taped interviews with star players, no pre-game atmosphere. It's all bottled crap. There's no human elements to their broadcasts. That's what people love about HNIC.

 

[VanCanucks53]

No pre-game from arena or studio, no taped interviews with star players, no pre-game atmosphere. It's all bottled crap. There's no human elements to their broadcasts. That's what people love about HNIC.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Fugu]

Again, the numbers give a whole new credence to the whole "Canada deserves more teams" argument.

CBC's deal alone is worth nearly as much as NBC's.

Interesting, too, that Peladeau may be entering the fray. Everything is falling into place for QC.

But if it's true that national Canadian monies are disbursed preferentially to the Canadian teams (65/35 split in Forbes report), couldn't there be a case for the US BOG not being as enamored of expansion in Canada? Expansion doesn't happen very frequently, nor does relocation.

 

[Stanley Cup]

Can expect TVA to get the same package as Sportsnet. Probably will make sure they have the broadcasting rights of an eventual team in QC.

As for people asking about Radio-Canada, they only covered the Montreal Canadiens when they had broadcasting rights, and since then RDS bought a monopoly over Habs' rights. Comparable to TSN buying the Leafs' rights. No point in keeping the program alive, nobody will watch the Calgary Flames "religiously" on saturday nights considering Montreal is playing at the same moment on RDS.

 

[nickp91]

CBC gets to keep Hockey Night in Canada. Saturday nights on CBC is traditional for Hockey fans

 

[Inkling]

No pre-game from arena or studio, no taped interviews with star players, no pre-game atmosphere. It's all bottled crap. There's no human elements to their broadcasts. That's what people love about HNIC.

Amen!

"…and there's the horn to end the game….ok,bye, let's cut to Sportscentre"

I'm a sucker for stuff like After Hours, Hockey Day in Canada, all that sort of thing. Not that there isn't a lot of room for CBC to up their game as well though.