The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will no longer air National Hockey League games after failing to renew a sublicensing agreement with Rogers Sportsnet [1].
This decision ends one of the longest-running sports broadcasting traditions in North America. By removing the league from the national public broadcaster, the move shifts the accessibility of the sport toward private cable and streaming services.
The change takes effect in the fall of 2024, coinciding with the start of the 2024-25 NHL season [2]. CBC had previously relied on a sublicensing deal with Rogers Sportsnet, the primary rights-holder, to bring professional hockey to a free, over-the-air audience across Canada [1].
Officials said the two parties were unable to reach a new agreement to continue the partnership. This failure to negotiate means that the iconic "Hockey Night in Canada" broadcasts will disappear from the public broadcaster's schedule [3].
For 74 years, CBC has served as the home for NHL games [4]. This tenure established the network as a central hub for Canadian sports culture, a role that now concludes as the rights landscape evolves.
Hockey analyst Jeff Marek said the shift marks the end of an era [1]. The loss of the sublicensing agreement removes the primary way many Canadians accessed the league without a paid subscription.
Rogers Sportsnet will maintain its role as the primary rights-holder, but the absence of a CBC partner means the league's reach will be limited to the platforms owned or controlled by the private entity [3].
“CBC will no longer air National Hockey League games after failing to renew a sublicensing agreement with Rogers Sportsnet.”
The departure of the NHL from CBC represents a significant shift in the Canadian media landscape, moving a national pastime from a public utility to a private pay-wall. As sports rights become increasingly expensive, the inability of a public broadcaster to secure sublicensing deals suggests a growing gap between traditional broadcasting and the commercial demands of professional sports leagues.
