Wikipedia

NHL on Sportsnet

National Hockey Leaguebroadcasts are held by Canadian media corporationRogers Communications,showing on its television channelSportsnetand other networks owned by or affiliated with itsRogers Sports & Mediadivision, as well as theSportsnet Radiochain under theNHL on Sportsnetbrand which serves as a blanket title. Sportsnet (then known as CTV Sportsnet) previously held the national cable rights for NHL regular season and playoff games from1998to2002.

NHL on Sportsnet
Also known as
  • Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey
  • Rogers Monday Night Hockey(2022–2024)
  • Rogers Hometown Hockey(2014–2022)
  • NHL on Rogers
  • Labatt Blue Tuesday Night Hockey(1998–2001)
  • Labatt Blue NHL Gamenight(2001–2002)
  • NHL Gamenight on Sportsnet
  • NHL Gamenight Replay
GenreSports
Created byRogers Media
Sportsnet
StarringVarious
Theme music composerStephan Moccio
(2011–2021)
Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker
(2021–present)
Opening theme"The Hockey Song"
(1998–2002)
"Sportsnet Hockey Theme"
(2011–2014)
"Sportsnet Refreshed Hockey Theme"
(2014–2021)
"Never Stop"
(2021–present)
Country of originCanada
Production
Production locationsRogers Building,Toronto
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time180 minutes or until end of the game
Original release
NetworkSportsnet
ReleaseOctober 9, 1998(1998-10-09)–
present(present)
Related
Sportsnet covering the2017 NHL Entry Draft

In November 2013, Rogers reached a 12-year deal to become the exclusive national television and digital rightsholder for the NHL in Canada, beating out bothCBC SportsandTSN.The first telecasts under the new contract premiered on October 8, 2014—the first night of the2014–15 NHL season;the deal primarily emphasizes increased access to NHL content in Canada, with plans to leverage Rogers' various broadcast and cable television outlets, along withCBC Televisionas part of a time-brokerage agreement, to air a larger number of NHL games nationally than under previous deals with CBC and TSN. Rogers' national contract complements its existing regional coverage of the NHL, holding partial or exclusive regional rights to four of the league's Canadian franchises.

Sportsnet shows one flagship national games per week,Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey.On Saturday nights, the Sportsnet channels, CBC, andCitytvbroadcastHockey Night in Canada,which broadcasts all evening games involving Canadian teams. The Sportsnet channels occasionally show games that exclusively involve teams from the United States, Sportsnet and CBC share in coverage of the post-season, and Rogers' multiculturalOmni Televisionsimulcasts selected games in thePunjabi language.

Rogers hired a number of prominent personalities from CBC Sports to augment its on-television staff, including commentatorsJim Hughson,Craig Simpson,Garry Galley,Bob ColeandGreg Millen,Coach's CornerhostsDon CherryandRon MacLean,and reportersElliotte Friedman,andScott Oake.Dave Randorf,Paul Romanuk,andMike Johnsonalso jumped to Sportsnet from TSN to join the coverage, and, from 2014 to 2016,George Stroumboulopoulos,who formerly hosted atalk showfor CBC, served as the studio host forHockey Night in Canadain a bid to attract a younger demographic of viewers.

Rogers' inaugural season as sole rightsholder was met with mixed reception; while receiving praise—especially among younger viewers, for its "hipper" production and the increased number of games available on a national basis than under previous rights deals, initial criticism centred primarily upon the quality of George Stroumboulopoulos's hosting and his succession of Ron MacLean onHockey Night(a move which was later reversed for the 2016–17 season), along with its use of elements perceived as beinggimmicks.

History

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1998–2002 contract and other previous contracts

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Rogers Media'sSportsnetnetworks have historically been a prominent broadcaster of the National Hockey League in Canada. By the time theregional sports networkfirst launched on October 9, 1998, asCTVSportsnet, the network had already wrestled the national cable rights to the NHL from long-time holderTSN.From 1998–99 until 2001–02, Sportsnet airedLabatt BlueTuesday Night Hockeyweekly during the regular season, and covered first-round playoff series that did not feature Canadian teams. The network's first live event was an opening night match between thePhiladelphia FlyersandNew York Rangers.[1]Jim HughsonandCraig Simpsonserved as the lead broadcast team whileKevin QuinnandRyan Walterserved as the secondary team.[2][3]Darren Dregeras the studio host[2]and was joined by other personalities such asGreg Millen(1998–1999),[4]Nick Kypreos(1998–2002),[5]andMike Keenan(1999–2000).[3]

As reflected by its influence,Fox Sports Net(Foxalso held a minority stake in the channel upon its launch),[1]Sportsnet and its four regional feeds also picked up regional broadcast rights to other Canadian NHL teams. As of the2013–14 NHL season,Sportsnet held regional rights to five of the seven Canadian franchises, including theOttawa Senators,Toronto Maple Leafs(which are jointly owned by Rogers andBell Canadathrough a majority stake inMLSE),Edmonton Oilers,Calgary Flames,andVancouver Canucks.Rights to the remaining two, theMontreal CanadiensandWinnipeg Jets,and national cable rights to the league as a whole, were held by the competing networkTSN.[6][7][8][9]National broadcast television rights were held byCBC Television,who used its rights to broadcast the long-runningHockey Night in Canadaon Saturday nights, and share coverage of the post-season with TSN (including exclusive rights to the Stanley Cup Finals).[9]

2014–15 contract

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Negotiations

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Logo from 2014 to 2021.

The National Hockey League had aimed for its next round of Canadian broadcast rights deals to total at least $3.2 billion. NHL commissionerGary Bettmanrecognized the financial difficulties and budget cuts being faced by the CBC, despite the success of its NHL telecasts (which were responsible for at least half of CBC Television's total advertising revenue),[10]by offering a slightly higher-valued contract that would have preserved a national doubleheader on Saturday nights (as opposed to regional games), along with playoff coverage, allowing the advertising-supportedpublic broadcasterto maintain coverage of marquee games that could attract advertising revenue. Rights to the remaining properties not covered under the CBC's contract (including cable and digital rights) would have been offered to other broadcasters.[11]

CBC Sports' staff, including executive directorJeffrey Orridge,in what was described as a "very aggressive bid", continued to insist that CBC have exclusivity for every Saturday night game involving Canadian teams.[11]The CBC was ultimately unable to reach an agreement,[11]and its exclusive negotiation window expired at the end of August 2013.[12]which led to a bid byBell Mediafor sole national rights to the NHL; Bell ownsCTV,previous English cable rightsholder TSN, as well as previous French rightsholderRDS.[11]Bell attempted to contact the CBC in regards to forming a partnership, but they did not respond. In turn,Rogers Communicationsprepared a bid of its own; on November 20, 2013, a group of seven Rogers executives, including then-CEO Nadir Mohamed,Keith Pelley,president of Rogers Media, and Rogers Broadcasting presidentScott Moore,travelled to the NHL's offices in New York City to deliver a 90-minute presentation to the league and CommissionerGary Bettman.Rogers would successfully reach a deal to become the exclusive national rightsholder for the National Hockey League in Canada.[12]

The next day, CBC presidentHubert Lacroix,who was in Montreal, was invited to an afternoon conference call with Neil McEneaney, Orridge, deputy commissionerBill Daly,NHL chief operating officerJohn Collins,Bettman, and Pelley, in which CBC staff learned of the deal, but also of a proposal by Pelley for them to partner. Pelley, Moore, and senior vice-president of media sales Jack Tomik met with Orridge, McEneany, and CBC lawyer Jacques Gaboury in Toronto to begin negotiating a sub-licensing arrangement for Saturday night games.[11][12]After several additional days of negotiations at a local hotel, a near-final proposal was completed on the Sunday, November 24, for presentation to Lacroix and the CBC's twelve-person board of directors the next day.[12]

Announcement and inaugural season

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On November 26, 2013, Rogers Communications publicly announced its 12-year deal to become the exclusive national rightsholder for the National Hockey League beginning in the 2014–15 season. Valued at $5.2 billion over the length of the contract, and covering television and digital rights to the league (national French rights were sub-licensed toQuebecor MediaforTVA Sports), the value of the contract surpasses the league's most recent U.S. rights deal withNBCby more than double. Under the contract, Rogers paid $150 million upfront, and will make annual payments beginning at $300 million, escalating to $500 million over the life of the contract. As part of the deal, Rogers also took over Canadian distribution of theNHL Centre Iceand GameCentre Live services. Rogers Media presidentKeith Pelleyemphasized the increased amount and accessibility of NHL content that Rogers planned to offer under the deal, stating that "Canadians will have more games, more content and more choice than they've ever had before."[9][13][14][15]Also of note was Rogers' plans to maintain the long-runningHockey Night in Canadaon CBC through a sub-licensing agreement with the league's previous broadcast television rightsholder, but also extend the brand by airingHockey Nightgames across its own networks alongside CBC.[9][10][13][14][15]

Critics considered the deal to be a major coup against Bell Media, showing concerns for how its sports networks, particularly TSN, could sustain themselves without what they considered to be a key sports property in Canada. TSN and RDS still retain some NHL coverage as of the 2014–15 season, including TSN's existing rights to theWinnipeg Jets,an extension of French-language rights to theMontreal Canadiensfor RDS, along with newly introduced regional coverage of theToronto Maple Leafsfor TSN (which are split with Sportsnet per Bell and Rogers' joint majority ownership of itsparent company), and the Ottawa Senators for both TSN and RDS.[16][10][13][17]

On February 4, 2014, at the NHL's upfronts, Rogers unveiled more detailed plans for its NHL coverage.[18][19]In preparation for the transition, Rogers and the NHL sought input from viewers via online surveys and a "listening tour" through locations within Canadian NHL markets, along withKingston,Sudbury,andRed Deer, Alberta.These efforts focused primarily on gauging how viewers (including "core" fans, younger viewers, and those new to the country) consume NHL content, and help determine how Rogers would present, market, and distribute its overall coverage to these varyingdemographics.[20]The hiring ofGeorge Stroumboulopoulos—the former host of aself-titled CBC talk showand an alumnus of the now-Rogers owned sports radio stationCJCL—as the main on-air host ofHockey Night,was intended to help the telecasts appeal to a younger audience.[21]Rogers also announced plans to use its multiculturalOmni Televisionstations to broadcast a doubleheader ofHockey Night in Canadagames with commentary inPunjabi(carrying over from CBC's past digital coverage of games in the language), and ancillary hockey content in 22 languages, such asHockey 101—an instructional series explaining the basic rules and concepts of hockey.[22][23]

As a part of the winning bid success, Rogers decided to host a three-day, pre-season employee seminar at Toronto's exclusiveShangri-La Hotel.[24]It was followed up by a party at theRitz-Carleton Hotelin September 2014.[25]

Rogers sought to increase the prominence of NHL content on digital platforms by re-launching the NHL's digitalout-of-market sports packageGameCentre Live as Rogers NHL GameCentre Live, adding the ability to stream all of Rogers' national NHL telecasts, along with in-market streaming of regional games for teams whose regional rights are held by Sportsnet.[26]GamePlus—an additional mode featuring alternate camera angles intended for asecond screenexperience, such as angles focusing on certain players, net and referee cameras, and a Skycam in selected venues, was also added exclusively for GameCentre Live subscribers who are subscribed to Rogers' cable, internet, or wireless services.[20][27]

In the lead-up to the 2014–15 season, Rogers began to promote its networks as the new home of the NHL through a multi-platform advertising campaign; the campaign featured advertising and cross-promotions across Rogers' properties, such asThe Shopping Channel,which began to feature presentations of NHL merchandise, and its parenting magazineToday's Parent,which began to feature hockey-themed stories in its issues.[28]On May 28, 2014, Rogers announced a six-year sponsorship deal withScotiabank,which saw the bank become the title sponsor forWednesday Night HockeyandHockey Day in Canada,and become a sponsor for other segments and initiatives throughout Rogers' NHL coverage.[29]

Promotional banner during its first season.

Sportsnet's coverage premiered on October 8, 2014, with an opening night doubleheader ofScotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey,featuring theMontreal Canadiensat theToronto Maple Leafs,followed by theCalgary Flamesand theVancouver Canucks.The inaugural game was the most-watched program of the night in Canada, and the most-watched telecast in Sportsnet's history, with 2.01 million viewers (beating the previous record of 1.44 million set by theToronto Blue Jays' home opener in 2013, but since surpassed by multiple games of the2015 American League Division Seriesinvolving the Blue Jays, which topped out at 4.38 million viewers for game 4).[30][31]However, viewership was down from 2013's opening night game, which was televised by CBC.[32]

Ultra high-definition

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On October 5, 2015, Rogers announced that it planned to produce 101 Sportsnet telecasts in4K ultra-high-definitionformat in 2016, including "marquee" NHL games.[33]

Beginning with a January 23, 2016Toronto Maple Leafs/Montreal Canadiensgame as part ofHockey Night in Canada,Sportsnet planned to broadcast 8 regular season games in the 2015–16 season in 4K—all of which were hosted by Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa, as well as two playoff games to be determined. At the time,Bell Mediaand Rogers Media via the joint ventureDome Productionsshared the only 4K-capable production unit operating in Canada, which was being used forToronto RaptorsNBA basketball and NHL games being televised by TSN and Sportsnet. Sportsnet chose to upconvert non-4K content to the format in its telecasts, arguing that using only 4K footage would hinder the telecast's ability to provide storytelling.[34][35][36]

Coverage

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Sportsnet's NHL broadcasts were originally produced from theCanadian Broadcasting Centre,before moving in 2021.

On Wednesday nights, Sportsnet airsScotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey,which serves as its flagship weekly broadcast. Sportsnet's other national weekly broadcast isRogers Monday Night Hockey,which premiered in 2022 to replaceHometown Hockey.Other all-U.S. games are occasionally shown across the Sportsnet channels, usually simulcast from U.S.regionalor national broadcasters (ESPNandTNT,and previouslyNBC Sports). Sportsnet also airs coverage of theEntry Draft.[18][19][37]Rogers stated that in combination with its existing regional rights to theVancouver Canucks,Edmonton Oilers,andCalgary Flames,it would have an effective monopoly on all NHL telecasts inWestern Canada(aside from portions of the Jets' market that are shared with the Flames and Oilers, such asSaskatchewan).[6][38]

Sportsnet's NHL broadcasts, along with its studio showHockey Central,originated from theCanadian Broadcasting Centre,the headquarters of former rightsholderCBC.Rogers rented Studio 41 of the facility, which is adjacent to Studio 42, the previous home ofHockey Night in Canada,[18]to build an 11,000 square-foot studio for its NHL programming. The $4.5 million set, designed by Jack Morton/PDG, features fourteen cameras, a 38 feet (12 m) wide, 11 feet (3.4 m) high arc-shaped video wall nicknamed the "Goliath", and 9 distinct set areas that serve various functions. The set areas include a central, rotating desk, three separate set areas for regional games and other segments, a "demo wall" (a video wall with a screen under the floor directly in front of it; virtualice markingscan be projected on the floor for play analysis), an interactive "puckwall "that can display stats for specific teams by placing their corresponding puck prop into a reader. During his tenure as host, the set featured an informal interview area intended for Stroumboulopoulos, which featured red armchairs as an homage to his previous talk show. The studio can produce broadcasts for up to three channels at once using its various sets and cameras.[39][40][41]

Sportsnet staff emphasized a focus on storytelling throughout its NHL coverage, with a particular focus on the personal lives of the league's top players. Although Sportsnet executiveScott Mooredid explain that Sportsnet's overall goal was to "celebrate" hockey and downplay some of the NHL's recent issues, such as labour disputes, he emphasized that the network would not be the NHL's "cheerleaders", and would still be prepared to discuss issues that affect the game.[42][43]Sportsnet's coverage also places an emphasis on new technology; referees can be equipped withhelmet camsfor first-person perspectives, and aSkycamwas installed atAir Canada Centrefor use in aerial shots. Rogers plans to install Skycam units at each Canadian NHL arena for use in its coverage and the GameCentre Live GamePlus features.[27][44]

In June 2021, Rogers announced that it would move its NHL studio from the Canadian Broadcasting Centre to theRogers Buildingfor the2021–22 season.Two new sets were constructed as part of the "Sportsnet Studios" project, with one area incorporating a 50 foot (15 metres) curved video wall, as well as support for avirtual setextension via green screens, andaugmented realitygraphics.[45][46]A new on-air graphics package was also adopted, as well as new theme music by thealternative rockduoUbiquitous Synergy Seeker(USS).[47]

Monday Night Hockey

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See also:Hometown HockeyandMonday Night Hockey

From 2014 to 2022, Sportsnet broadcastRogers Hometown Hockeyas its second national TV game of the week; the games featured a pre-game show and studio segments hosted by Ron MacLean from different Canadian cities, and profiling their local players and hockey communities.[48]Initially on Sunday nights, the games later moved to Monday nights.Hometown Hockeywas discontinued after the2021–22 seasonand replaced byRogers Monday Night Hockey;the games place a focus on additional analytics via the NHL's player and puck tracking system, and include an alternate feed for selected games on Sportsnet Now featuring additional on-screen statistics.[49][50]

On April 25, 2024, Rogers announced thatMonday Night Hockeywould move toAmazon Prime Videobeginning in the2024–25 NHL seasonunder a two-year sub-licensing deal.[51]

Hockey Night in Canada

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Don Cherry(until 2019) andRon MacLean(pictured in 2002)are among theHockey Night in Canadatalent retained by Rogers.

Hockey Night in Canadaremains in its traditional Saturday night timeslot, but rather than having games split acrossCBC Televisionstations on a regional basis, multiple games are broadcast nationally, split across CBC, Citytv, and the Sportsnet networks.FX Canadawas also initially involved, with the channel typically airing an all-U.S. game. Three to five games air during the early, 7 p.m. ET window, and two more air on Sportsnet and CBC for the 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT west coast window. Rogers estimated a 300% increase in the number ofHockey Nightgames available nationally under the new arrangement.[6][9][18][19]Though split national/regional broadcasts are possible, arrangements will be made to ensure that viewers have on-air access to any games affected, ensuring that no Saturday night game will be unavailable to viewers on a regional basis.[14]AlongsideHNIC,CBC also broadcast theNHL Winter ClassicandAll-Star Gameduring the 2014–15 season.[52][53]The Winter Classic was removed from CBC's package and moved to Sportsnet for2016.[54]

CBC's games are no longer produced byCBC Sportsand Rogers sells all advertising during the telecasts, but CBC is still provided with advertising time for its own programming.[19]While CBC did not pay a rights fee to either Rogers or the NHL, thepublic broadcasterdoes not receive any revenue from the telecasts, aside from payments by Rogers for its use of certain CBC personalities and ancillary staff, and its rent of studio space.[9][10][11]In order to assign responsibility for the content of the telecasts, compliance with regulatory guidelines, and advertising to Rogers, its NHL telecasts on CBC are legally considered to be broadcast by a part-time television network owned by the Sportsnet subsidiary, which is affiliated with CBC's English-language television stations. A license for this arrangement was approved by theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commissionin April 2015.[55]

Some of CBC's personalities and production staff were retained for the newHockey Night in Canada—certain staff members, such as producers Joel Darling and Sherali Najak, remain employed by the CBC, while some jumped to Rogers entirely.[56]From 2014 through the 2015–16 season,Ron MacLeanwas replaced as host byGeorge Stroumboulopoulos.Ron MacLean and Don Cherry continued to present their traditionalCoach's Cornersegment during the first intermission ofHockey Nightgames up until November 9, 2019.[56][57]

CBC PresidentHubert T. Lacroix,in notifying CBC employees of the deal in an internal memo, noted that the new sub-licensing arrangement with Rogers "may not be the ideal scenario [for the CBC] but, it is the right outcome for Canadian hockey fans", as it allowed the NHL and theHockey Night in Canadabrand to remain on CBC and be made available to a wider audience with minimal cost to the public broadcaster, which has gone through reductions in funding in recent years.[10]Lacroix, in his memo, believed that CBC's non-hockey content would remain well-promoted on the newHockey Night,and that being shut out of the package entirely would have been a major blow to the CBC's prestige.[58]In turn, CBC announced in April 2014 that it would cut a total of 657 jobs across its divisions, and no longer pursue broadcast rights to professional sporting events. The loss ofHockey Nightwas cited as a factor to the budget cuts, but was also credited to the performance of CBC's entertainment programming.[59]

The sub-licensing deal was initially announced as lasting for four years; CBC staff described the agreement as a means of providing a "structured exit from hockey" in the event that Rogers does not extend the agreement. The deal was also considered a low-cost means of allowing CBC to maintain a level of major sports output in the lead-up to futureOlympic Gamesand the2015 Pan-American Games,whose rights are owned outright by CBC. In the case of the Olympics, CBC's coverage is sub-licensed to Rogers and Bell Media networks under a similar time-brokerage and production subsidization arrangement.[14][60][61]In 2017,The Globe and Mailreported that the CBC and Rogers had quietly extended the agreement into a fifth season, while Moore stated that he wished to extend the partnership further.[62]On December 19, 2017, Rogers announced that it had renewed this arrangement through the remainder of its current NHL contract.[63]

Regional coverage

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As of the 2019–20 season, Sportsnet's regional feeds collectively hold regional broadcast rights to four of the seven Canadian NHL franchises: theToronto Maple Leafson Sportsnet Ontario (split withTSN4),[38]theCalgary FlamesandEdmonton Oilerson Sportsnet West, and theVancouver Canuckson Sportsnet Pacific. TheMontreal Canadiens,Ottawa Senators,andWinnipeg Jetshave regional television deals with TSN, and theBuffalo Sabres' Canadian regional rights are held by TSN parent companyBell Canada.[38][64]

Unlike Sportsnet's national games, these games are subject toblackoutoutside of the teams' home markets. These games can be watched out of market on NHL Centre Ice or Rogers NHL Live.[26]In-market streaming of regional games on Sportsnet is also available on Rogers NHL Live.[26]Due to its ownership of the national contract, Rogers has amonopolyon all English-language telecasts of teams whose regional rights are exclusively owned by Sportsnet.[38]

A select number of regional Sportsnet games may be aired nationally on the network's sister channels (usuallySportsnet One,Sportsnet 360or an out-of-market Sportsnet channel). With a few exceptions (e.g. NHL opening week), Sportsnet rarely airs nationally televised doubleheaders ofRogers Monday Night HockeyandScotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey;some dates feature multiple games broadcast at the same time across different Sportsnet national and regional channels. Instead, Sportsnet uses the late-game national window to air either a team-specific broadcast (e.g.Oilers Hockey on Sportsnet), or a simulcast of an American TV network whenever they schedule all-U.S. matchups. In the case of all-Canadian matchups (e.g.Battle of Alberta,Canucks–Flames rivalry), most markets, including the host city, may receive the home team's broadcast. For instance, if a Canucks–Flames game inCalgaryis aired nationally, a majority of the markets would receive the Flames' home broadcast, while only theVancouvermarket would receive the Canucks' road broadcast.[65]

In the 2013–14 season, Sportsnet lost the Senators to TSN, but acquired rights to the Canadiens to replace them on Sportsnet East under a three-year deal.[66]The contract expired after the 2016–17 season, and the team moved toTSN2the following season;[67][64]TSN's owner Bell holds an ownership stake in the Canadiens, as well as its regional French-language rights. Both Rogers and Bell own stakes in the Maple Leafs and split broadcast rights between them.[66]

On January 6, 2021, Rogers announced extended regional rights agreements with both the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames under the terms of a new multi-year deal.[68][69]

Post-season

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The Sportsnet networks and CBC share in coverage of theStanley Cup playoffsunder theHockey Night in Canadabanner. Typically, first and second round series involving Canadian teams and some high-profile all-American series are broadcast on CBC and Sportsnet, with Rogers providing broadcast crews for these series. Other series use the broadcast feed from the American networks. Selected games are simulcast withPunjabi-languagecommentary onOmni Television.[70][71]All games from the conference finals onward are simulcast with CBC.[13][14][72][73]

Like in the previous national deal with CBC and TSN, the league still gives U.S. rights-holders (ESPN,ABCandTNThold the national American TV rights as of 2021) the first choice of games and times during the playoffs. As then-rightsholder NBC preferred afternoon playoff games on the weekends, there were at least two Saturdays in May 2015 that did not have a post-season night game.[74]In the alternating years where ABC is the broadcaster of the Stanley Cup Finals, its coverage is simulcasted on Citytv as an alternate to the CBC/Sportnset broadcast.

World Cup of Hockey

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Sportsnet and TVA Sports held broadcast rights to the2016 World Cup of Hockey,organized by the NHL and theNHL Players Association.Although it was initially reported that Rogers was allowed to match competing bids for the rights per its NHL rights contract, blocking a competing bid by TSN, NHL CommissionerGary Bettmandenied that there was such a stipulation, and that the bidding process was "competitive".[75][76]Similarly toHNIC,CBC aired Sportsnet-produced coverage of the tournament's semi-finals and final series.[77][78]

Personalities

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While primarily using existing Sportsnet talent, a number ofCBC Sportspersonalities, including the leadplay-by-playcrew ofJim Hughson,Craig Simpsonand, until 2016,Glenn Healy,veteran play-by-play manBob Cole,rinkside reporterScott Oakeand studio analystElliotte Friedman,[79][80]joined Rogers to participate in Sportsnet's coverage andHockey Night.These CBC alumni are joined by two former TSN personalities,Dave RandorfandPaul Romanuk.[81][82]

From 2014 to 2016,George Stroumboulopoulosserved as the studio host forHockey Night in Canada.Caroline CameronhostsWednesday Night Hockey,while she also hosts Thursday night games along withHockey Central Saturday.As of the 2024–25 season,Ron MacLeanwas reinstated asHockey Nighthost (shared withDavid Amberfrom 2016 to 2022); he continued to co-host the traditionalCoach's Cornersegment withDon Cherryuntil 2019, while MacLean served as the on-location host forHometown Hockey,accompanied byCitytv Calgary'sBreakfast TelevisionhostTara Sloneuntil 2022.[56]MacLean and Oake are still under contract with the CBC, with MacLean through at least 2016 for the2016 Summer Olympics.[80][83][84][85]

Sportsnet did not give any on-air assignments to Bob Cole during the 2018 playoffs—an exclusion that caught the veteran commentator off-guard, forcing Cole to retire the following season.[86]Over the 2018 off-season, Paul Romanuk departed Sportsnet, whileJohn Bartlett(who called regional Montreal Canadiens games with Sportsnet through the 2016–17 season, and for the 2017–18 season withTSN2) returned to Sportsnet to call national games and regional Toronto Maple Leafs games.[87]Meanwhile, studio hostDaren Millardalso left Sportsnet that year, eventually joining theVegas Golden Knightstelevision team the next year.[88][89]

In August 2019, long-time Sportsnet NHL analystsNick Kypreos,Doug MacLeanandJohn Shannonleft the network.[90][91]

On November 11, 2019,Don Cherrywas fired by Sportsnet aftercontroversial remarks relating to Canadian immigrantshe made during the November 9Coach's Cornerbroadcast.[92]

On June 5, 2020, Sportsnet announced that it had hired TSN commentator and formerHockey Night in CanadabroadcasterChris Cuthbert.[93]Cuthbert replaced both Dave Randorf (no. 2 announcer) and John Bartlett (Maple Leafs regional announcer); Randorf left Sportsnet to join theTampa Bay Lightningas its television voice, while Bartlett continued to call select national games.Greg Millen,who like Bartlett was also reassigned to national game duty, was replaced by Craig Simpson on the Maple Leafs' regional broadcasts.[94]

During the 2020–21 season, Cuthbert filled-in forJim Hughsonas the lead play-by-play voice of Sportsnet after Hughson opted to call only nationally televised Canucks home games and was promoted full-time the following season after Hughson's retirement.[95][96]Meanwhile,HNICPunjabi-language voiceHarnarayan Singhwas promoted to secondary play-by-play announcer, filling in the role originally given to Cuthbert and fully replaced Cuthbert full-time.[94]

In the summer of 2021, Sportsnet talentsCassie Campbell-PascallandLeah Hextalljoined theNHL on ESPNbroadcast team in the U.S. Similar to the situation involving then-TSNand fellow ESPN analystRay Ferraro,Campbell-Pascall and Hextall would continue to work with Sportsnet whilst making occasional appearances south of the border on ESPN.[97][98]In 2023, Ferraro joined Sportsnet on a part-time basis, mainly serving as a substitute to new Canucks television analystDave Tomlinson.[99]Fellow Sportsnet analystJennifer Botterill,who mainly works in the studio, also worked several games for American audiences with theNHL on TNT.[100][101]

Reception

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Raju Mudhar of theToronto Starfelt that, especially during intermission segments, Rogers' broadcasts had a faster pace and were relatively "busier" than those of CBC, explaining that "[they] spent $4.5 million on a new set, and it feels like they want to show off every bit so they get their money's worth, with George Stroumboulopoulos walking around and the puck wall in particular feeling gimmicky."[102]

In a November 2014 poll by theAngus Reid Institute,60% of 1,504 adults surveyed felt that George Stroumboulopoulos was not a "credible replacement" for Ron MacLean onHockey Night in Canada,and 74% of those surveyed felt that Rogers' moves to reduce his role onHockey Nighthad hurt its brand.[103]MacLean compared the reaction to Stroumboulopoulos onHockey Nightto his own introduction in 1987 following the firing ofDave Hodge,and presumed that the reaction then may have been just as bad, if not worse, than the reaction to Stroumboulopoulos. However, MacLean credited the work of his colleagues Bob Cole,Dick Irvin, Jr.,and Don Cherry for helping maintain the integrity ofHockey Night in Canadaunder his tenure as host, and felt that "George will be fine."[103]

During a survey conducted in December 2014 in which participants were asked to rate the quality of Rogers' NHL coverage on a scale of 1 to 10, those surveyed gave the telecasts an average score of 6.1 out of 10. Reviews were more positive among younger demographics (such as teens and millennials who gave an average score of 6.5 out of 10), citing the expanded availability of games, the "hipper" feel of the telecasts and how they are produced, but were lower among older viewers.[104]Criticism was directed primarily towards how the contract affected the availability ofMontreal Canadiensgames and other French-language broadcasts, the "gimmicky" feel of their production, and the presence of George Stroumboulopoulos—who received an average rating of 5.7 out of 10 on the survey and, again, received relatively better reception among younger viewers with an average score of 6.2 out of 10.[104][105]

Rogers' use of CBC's television stations as part of the deal also received criticism from other broadcasters and advocacy groups. They argued that Rogers' sub-licensing deal would harm the broadcaster's viability due to its inability to collect further advertising revenue from its most popular program.The Globe and Mailwrote that CBC's sub-licensing deal also effectively "handcuffs" the public broadcaster during the playoffs, as CBC would not have significant ad revenue of its own for several weeks due to the almost nightly games being played. During Rogers' request for a separate network license forHockey Night in Canada,the CRTC received interventions asking them to require that Rogers provide additional financial compensation to the CBC for airing its content. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of British Columbia also argued that the agreement was not in the public interest, as it meant only to leverage theHockey Nightbrand and legacy as part of the transition to Rogers as the national rightsholder. The CRTC ruled against these interventions, arguing that the agreement allowed CBC to continue filling a large portion of its schedule with programming that would have been otherwise displaced by the complete loss of NHL content, at little to no cost.[55][106]

On June 19, 2016, theToronto Starreported that Rogers planned to reinstate Ron MacLean as host ofHockey Night in Canadafor the 2016–17 season.[107]On July 27, 2016, Sportsnet confirmed the changes, announcing that MacLean would host both the early-window games andHometown Hockeybeginning in the 2016–17 season.David Ambertook over as host of the west coast games.[108]The previous post-game showAfter Hours(traditionally aired after the late game in the doubleheader) was also revived; Sportsnet vice-president of production Rob Corte explained that these changes were meant to returnHockey Nightto a "grassroots" feel.[62]

Viewership

edit

Ratingsfor Rogers' inaugural season of NHL broadcasts were mixed in comparison to the previous CBC and TSN arrangements. Rogers had aimed for a 20% increase in overall viewership for national NHL broadcasts during its first season as rightsholder.[109]During the first two months of its inaugural season,Numerisestimated an increase in average viewership for Wednesday night games and east coast games onHockey Night(with the latter averaging 2.18 million viewers),[52]and a 9% increase in the number of viewers who have watched at least part of a game.[109]However, viewership of west coast games duringHockey Nightfell by 17%; Moore argued that this was a side effect of the new format forHockey Night,as the audience is "splintered" by those who do not switch channels to watch the late games (as opposed to the previous arrangement, in which all games were solely aired by CBC, thus all the early games would lead into the late game). In total, these numbers were behind Rogers' expectations.[109]

Although a 67% improvement over the entertainment programs formerly broadcast by City on Sunday nights, ratings for the first eightHometown Hockeygames were modest and lower than expected by Rogers, with only two games (its debut game, and anOttawa Senators/Toronto Maple Leafsgame on November 9, 2014, which had been rescheduled from a Wednesday night game following theParliament Hill shootings)[110]surpassing one million viewers.[109][111]Moore admitted that the Sunday primetime games were a new concept that still needed time to establish, again drawing comparisons toSunday Night Football,but that they were succeeding in their goal of attracting more viewership to City.[111]

By January 2015, average viewership forHockey Nighteast-coast games fell to 1.69 million viewers, in comparison to the average 1.8 million that CBC brought at the same point in the previous season; the poor performance of the heavily viewedToronto Maple Leafswas partially blamed for the decline. Ratings for the2015 NHL All-Star Gamealso fell sharply, losing over half its viewers in comparison to the2012 edition.Moore disputed the accuracy of Numeris's numbers, arguing that they did not properly account for multi-platform viewership, and that its ratings panel did not cover enough sports-oriented demographics. Numeris acknowledged that it would look into Rogers' complaints, but noted that its ratings panels were meant to represent a wide array of Canadian demographics, and that, although they are not yet reported separately, its ratings did account for viewership on digital platforms.[52]The Maple Leafs' ratings would fall as low as 743,000 viewers. Aggregate ratings began to recover by March; the March 21 east coast games (which saw the Maple Leafs' game moved to Sportsnet in favor of a Montreal Canadiens game on CBC) drew aggregate ratings of around 2.2 million viewers across CBC, City, and Sportsnet, with the Canadiens bringing 922,000 viewers.[112]

Viewership rebounded for the2015 Stanley Cup playoffs,with five Canadian teams involved in the first round; average viewership of first-round games increased over the previous season, with one of the games in theOttawa SenatorsandMontreal Canadiens' first round series on CBC seen by 3.76 million viewers.[113][114]However, following the elimination of all Canadian teams from contention, ratings dropped significantly, with Numeris estimating an overall decrease of 8% in average viewership on CBC, and a 14% decrease in average viewership for Sportsnet in comparison to TSN's 2014 playoff coverage. With 2.62 million viewers, Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals was the lowest-rated deciding game since Game 7 in 2003; the game competed against a match of the2015 FIFA Women's World CupinvolvingTeam CanadaonCTVand TSN (1.8 million), and aToronto Blue Jays/New York Metsgame on Sportsnet (782,000; the team was in the midst of a major winning streak).[115]

The 2015–16 season saw major ratings declines, withHockey Night in Canadadown 18%,Hometown Hockeydown 34%,[116]and ratings for the2016 Stanley Cup playoffswere down by 61% over the first five days of play,[117]as no Canadian team made the playoffs for the first time since 1970.[118][119]The lack of Canadian teams resulted in cuts to coverage; Sportsnet used just three dedicated play-by-play crews during the first round (with a fourth used for select games) and only produced its own coverage for games which aired on the CBC (all other games were simulcast from U.S. broadcasters).[120][119]

In2017,five Canadian teams qualified for the first round of the playoffs, which was expected to improve ratings. Scott Moore toldThe New York Timesthat he was extremely positive over the large number of Canadian teams in contention—this time including the top Canadian media market ofToronto.He warned that "there's going to be a year where Edmonton is playing Montreal in the Stanley Cup Finals, and someone will think I'm a genius."[121]

In2018,while only two Canadian teams made the playoffs, they once again included theMaple Leafs,as well as theWinnipeg Jets—who ultimately advanced to the Western Conference final, but were defeated by theVegas Golden Knightsin theirinaugural season.Sportsnet stated that the Jets' second-round series had an average of 2.2 million viewers.[122][123][124]

GamePlus dispute

edit

TheGamePlusfeatures added to the Rogers NHL GameCentre Live service provide additional in-game camera angles for subscribers who also subscribe to Rogers' cable, internet, or wireless services. In October 2014,Bellfiled a complaint with theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission(CRTC), arguing that the exclusivity of GamePlus to Rogers subscribers was anti-competitive and showed undue preference. Bell felt that the exclusivity violated a CRTC ruling banningvertically integratedtelecommunications companies from being the exclusive distributor of television content on internet and mobile television platforms, as footage from these additional angles are occasionally incorporated into the linear telecast.[125][126][127]

Rogers objected, arguing that GamePlus was an interactivesecond screenexperience that is separate from the telecast by nature. Rogers' CEO Guy Lawrence also accused Bell of attempting to "stifle innovation in hockey", and suggested that its actions were in retaliation for TSN's loss of national cable rights to the NHL.[126]On March 17, 2015, the CRTC dismissed the complaint and ruled in favour of Rogers, affirming that the GamePlus content was not "mainly" intended for television, and thus not subject to the non-exclusivity rules.[127]

For the 2018–19 season, Rogers discontinued the free trials, subscriptions, and additional GamePlus features to Rogers' cable, internet, and wireless service users, and required all users to pay the regular fees.[128]

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Further reading

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Preceded by NHL English network broadcast partner
in Canada
1998–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NHL English network broadcast partner
in Canada
2014–present 		Succeeded by
none
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NHL_on_Sportsnet&oldid=1251883091"