The new NHL broadcast map in Canada just got more expensive for fans
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The schedule details emerging from Rogers' $11-billion NHL deal sound like a logistical story.
Many fans had been hoping for the end of Ron MacLean next season, as they have not felt the same about him since Don Cherry was removed.
Instead, fans woke up to a different surprise: he will be back, but it will be more expensive to watch him instead.
Amazon Prime games shifting to Wednesdays, Bell returning to the national mix with Crave on Mondays, Sportsnet holding Saturdays and adding Thursdays.
But the real consequence is one nobody is connecting yet.
Canadian fans are about to need three separate platforms to follow national hockey through the week.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported the night-by-night breakdown, and the pattern it reveals is striking.
Rogers is not absorbing this $11-billion commitment alone. It is doing exactly what TD Cowen analyst Vince Valentini predicted when the deal was announced - offloading meaningful portions of the rights through sublicensing to reduce its own operating costs.
That strategy makes financial sense for Rogers. It made the same play with the previous deal, selling French-language rights to Quebecor and Monday nights to Amazon.
But the math landing on fans looks different this time.
Three platforms, four nights, one sport
Under the reported structure, a Canadian fan wanting every national broadcast night would need a Sportsnet subscription for Saturdays and Thursdays, an Amazon Prime membership for Wednesdays, and a Crave subscription for Mondays.
That is three separate monthly charges before regional games even enter the equation.
The previous setup required two at most. This expansion from two platforms to three is not accidental.
It is the direct financial mechanism that makes the $11-billion price tag work for Rogers.
Bell's quiet return changes the landscape
Bell lost the national NHL rights to Rogers in 2013 and spent the next decade divesting from sports properties, including selling its stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
Getting back into the national broadcast mix through Crave on Monday nights signals that Bell sees live hockey as essential to its streaming future, even after walking away from ownership.
For fans, the broadcast schedule is getting richer. The cost of following it is getting richer too.
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