The CBC announced on Tuesday that Hockey Night in Canada will be departing the network for free access after 74 years. 97.1 The Ticket host Mike Valenti calls the move “gross” and a sign that not everything in sports is good.
What We Know: Hockey Night in Canada, one of the most iconic sports broadcasting institutions in North America, is leaving the CBC. The beloved Saturday night tradition will move exclusively to Sportsnet, placing it behind a paywall. Moreover, fans who previously accessed the programming for free over-the-air on CBC will now need a paid subscription. Mike Valenti, co-host of The Mike Valenti Show with Rico on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket, did not hold back his frustration on Tuesday’s program.
What They Said: Mike Valenti on Hockey Night In Canada Moving Away From Free access on CBC: “How embarrassing. Hockey Night in Canada is an institution. I don’t know what I can say. So much of what’s going on in the world of sports is just a turn off.”
Mike Valenti says charging fans for access of sports is not good long term: “Sports has been a big part of my life. I don’t have to like everything that’s going on. Every day you’re just hit with this barrage of things where you’re like this is all bad long term. None of this is healthy for fans or the leagues long term. Every league, every broadcaster, they’re acting like a desperate landlord who’s just trying to get that rent money next month. I don’t know what else to say. It’s just gross. Hockey Night in Canada should be above it all”
What Remains Unclear: How viewership for Saturday night hockey will change with less distribution reaching a free over-the-air audience.
What It Means: Valenti’s reaction reflects a growing sentiment among sports fans and media observers. In addition, paywalling legacy programming alienates casual viewers and erodes long-term audience growth. This is exactly the concern that Congress is attempting to address with sports rights in America shifting to streaming platforms. Moreover, this issue likely won’t be going away anytime soon as leagues are chasing media rights with added viewership totals across the board.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
