The National Hockey League is returning to ESPN. The four-letter network secured the “A” deal as hockey will be returning after being away for over a decade. However, the NHL wants to have a second broadcast partner in the United States.
Having spent the last decade with NBC, many assumed that the network would be that second broadcast partner. That doesn’t seem to be the case. The Sports Business Journal reports that it’s not a slam dunk for the network to secure the NHL’s “B” deal.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston stated over the weekend on Hockey Night in Canada that the NHL and NBC are in a “tenuous spot where they’re the current rights holder but not guaranteed to get this done.”
With the coronavirus pandemic affecting the league’s financial revenue, the NHL is thinking money first when negotiating their television rights with potential broadcasting partners.
If NBC isn’t willing to meet the NHL’s financial demands, they won’t hesitate to throw out their 10-year relationship. The league wants a network that forks over the cash to secure the second-tier television deal.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
