Last month, the NHL reached a television agreement with ESPN to mark the return to the four-letter network. However, like the other major sports in the United States, the NHL is looking for a second broadcasting partner after NBC had a monopoly on the sport.
Now it seems as though the NHL is ready to depart from NBC after spending over a decade. Neither side has confirmed a deal, but the New York Post confirms the Sports Business Journal report that NBC is pulling out of the bidding race, and The Post adds that the network who will be grabbing the second television rights deal for the NHL is Turner.
According to the report, if Turner gets the TV rights, it could put HBO Max in the sports business. The OTT service has been mentioned as a potential home for some games.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL will have a Board of Governors call discussing the upcoming US TV picture.
For the first time since the 2005-06 season, the Stanley Cup Finals will have a new home since the following seven will be shared by ESPN, who is broadcasting four; meanwhile, Turner gets three.
Turner appears to have won the bidding war process, but nothing is official. It appears that the NHL will have similar broadcast partners like the NBA starting next season when ESPN and Turner take over until 2027-28.
The announcement comes as a bit of a surprise. During the weekend, Chris Johnston of Hockey Night in Canada reported that FOX and Apple seemed to be in the driver’s seat.
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.
